For Those Who Will Pray

I don't want to be one of those people.

I'm sure you know the ones. (Points finger at self.)

Those well intentioned people who say, "I'll pray for you," but then, well, don't.

But I was convicted this week in Bible study as we wrestled with Jesus' words from the Sermon on the Mount.

"Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one."

Or maybe you've heard it said, "Let your yes be yes, and your no be no."

How much weight do my words hold, if I, in my busyness or doubt, make a promise here and offer to pray there, with a heart that is whispering maybe?

I never mean to leave people hanging. But do I?

I'm evaluating my own heart as I am struggling to give myself over completely to prayer for the children I so love on the other side of the world.

I want to pray with absolute desperation to God, knowing that He holds the very answers we are crying out for. He and He alone.

Only God can take what was meant for evil and turn it into good.

Only He can thwart a disastrous plan, that must have been in the making for months, that is only just now coming to light.

Only He can protect those 12 fragile, and most precious, valuable little people.

He alone can win this battle. He alone will have the last word.

So what can we do? We can pray.

We don't have to bear the burden of this catastrophe on our own human shoulders. We really don't. (And I repeat again, to myself. Seriously, self, we don't.)

But we can pray with all boldness.

We can change our posture. We don't have to live in the fear of "But, what if He doesn't come through..."

We just pray. We can literally hand it all over to Him. And then repeat. Trusting Him to do it, because He's faithful. And He will do it.

We can offer God our yes because He's the one doing the work. And He knows best.

He's got this.

We're just agreeing with one another and agreeing with Him.

(Y'all can remind me of this the next time my voice starts to waiver.)

Yes, God. I am joining my prayers with people all around the world for the older children of Pleven. I am lifting my voice on their behalf. Praying that today You will save.

Yes, God. I believe that You can turn this thing around.

Yes, God. I believe that my prayers, and the prayers and those who turn to You matter.

Yes, God. I want to see this thing through to the end.

For those of you joining in this battle, lifting your voices to heaven on behalf of 12 tiny children with a desperate need. For those of you who've given your yes. 

Thank you.

Please keep praying.

And as you pray today, will you please hold up our friend and the children's greatest advocate, Toni. 

Toni is fighting on the frontline.

Please pray that God would give her strength, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Pray that God would stretch her time and give her great wisdom.

And, don't forget to share Brandon and Mikah today. Today just might be the day they find their families.

Sending lots of love to all of you.