The Prayers of Many

Lately, I feel like I have heard of one difficult circumstance after another that people around me are walking through.  In particular, there are two precious families with recent cancer diagnosis'.  Sometimes, I feel at a loss of what I can do--particularly because neither of these families live close by, so we are not able to offer any kind of practical help.  

One thing these families have asked for repeatedly is prayer, and they have praised God loudly and boldly when specific prayers have been answered.

This morning during my bible reading I was reminded of the great importance of prayer by the multitude for our fellow brothers and sisters in crisis (emphasis added): 

'We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, 11 as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.'
                                                                    2 Corinthians 1:8-11

So often we question whether our prayers make a difference.  The enemy throws us many a doubtful thought that praying will really change anything.  Often, great students of God, caught up in the theology regarding the sovereignty of God, will begin to question whether prayer can really make a difference to a God who has already written the beginning and the end.  Before we know it, we've become so learned and intellectual about the whole subject that our 'faith like a child' mentality that brought us to God in the first place is all but forgotten.

Truth is, the Bible tells us in 2 Cor. 1:10-11 that Paul and his comrades were delivered by God as a result of other believers' prayers AND God extended his gracious favor in answer to the prayers of many!

We will never be able to wrap our finite minds around the mystery of why our prayers make a difference in the world of our sovereign, infinite God.  And if we could wrap our minds around it--well, there'd be no need for God anymore, now would there?

My faith was enlightened and encouraged this morning as I read this truth about prayer in God's Word.  It gave me a renewed sense of purpose and a yearning to not miss out on being a part of the thankful 'multitude'. 

Bottom line, our calling as Christians is to pray.  It is not optional.  Oh, may we not fill our days with lesser things and miss out on this calling!

“You may as soon find a living man that does not breath, as a living Christian that does not pray.” ~ Matthew Henry

Don’t Rush Your Kids Toward Romance | Espresso Minute | iMOM

We entered the public school arena in August. We have children ranging from ages fifteen down to five. There have been so many things that have impressed me about their schools and their teachers...so many, many things. Overall, it has been a wonderful experience so far.

Yet, there has been one thing that I feel like we became immersed in that I have not enjoyed at all, and that is premature boy/girl relationships. My kindergartner comes home talking about this person having a boyfriend and this girl liking him, etc., etc. I hear moms discussing it so matter of factly. I hear teachers and parents encouraging it. Maybe it's because in Kindergarten it seems cute, but aren't we just encouraging it for the later grades?

My fifth grader has had note after note given to him asking him 'out'. My eighth grader, while working at the elementary school, was given a note by a fifth grader. My seventh grade daughter has been asked out (which just means boyfriend/girlfriend). And the list goes on.

Fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth grade parents take their children on 'dates' with their boyfriend/girlfriend...there are middle school boy/girl parties...there are middle school dances. Maybe you disagree with me, but I can't for the life of me figure out how this premature dating can be positive?

I was one of these kids who 'dated' and such in the middle school years and I can tell you from personal experience that there is not one good thing that can come out of it. Not one. I watched most of my classmates do the same thing and I can't tell you one good thing that came out of those relationships either.  I certainly wish there had been someone to guide me through those years, encouraging me to make better choices. I certainly wish I had been given appropriate boundaries at that age. 

So I guess my question is, why allow it? Isn't there a better way?
  
I do think there is a better direction that we as parents can steer our children towards. As Christians we are called to go against the grain, especially in the area of physical purity.   As Christians parents we are called to lead our children to go against the grain in the area of physical purity.  Where else are they going to learn this if it's not from us?  Definitely not television, that's for sure! 

I want our children to eventually date.  I want our childen to get marryied  But I want them to do it when they are mature enough to handle it and when they are mature enough to consider whomever they are dating for marriage...isn't that why we date people in the first place?  So why do this too soon?

My friend forwarded me this post today on this very subject, and I thought it would be an appropriate thing to pass on to you to chew on and think about being that it is Valentine's Day and all:

Don’t Rush Your Kids Toward Romance | Espresso Minute | iMOM