Praying Circles Around your Children

The Aftermath of Prayer

The day dawned gray and cold, just like the one before. I felt as if I had entered and white movie, hopefully not a Hitchcock. The Cistercians’ Abbey founded in 1176, a huge castle complex complete with a church now served as a hotel.  It inhabited a lush green meadow, at least in the travel guide. I sat up pulled back the covers,  exhaled and my breath rose to the ceiling in a vapor.  The Guire family dressed quickly and rushed down to the lobby to warm ourselves by the fire.  Stone cold.  The security guard sat by the empty fire place in a wool coat and fur hat. Not very authentic, I thought.

We had arrived in Suleow, Poland the day before and checked into the castle.  It was day three of our stay in Poland.  The frigid castle/hotel was an answer to prayer.  Jerry and I wanted to stay close to the orphanage and be near the pre-Guires. We were 2km away.  Walking distance. 

A few days into our stay, eldest daughter came down with a fever and cough, probably pneumonia, knowing her history.  The damp cold of the hotel triggered her asthma quickly leading to a more serious illness.

The Aftermath of Prayer

 We pray for a husband and then complain about his habits after we marry.

We pray for a child and complain about taking care of him, the sleepless nights, endless doctor visits, the tantrums, the constant whining, etc….

We pray for the adoption to go through and spend the rest of our lives complaining about dealing with the hurt and trauma the children carry with them, upsetting our perfect world.

We pray for finances to come through to travel and complete the international adoption and complain about the conditions of the country (cold castle).

(By the way- to all of the above- I am GUILTY)

Jesus prayed for the Legion of demons to leave the tormented naked man and demon possessed pigs flew off the cliff.  The townspeople “possessed and suffering with dread and terror” drove Jesus out of town.  The demon-free man, clothed and in his right mind,  was told by his deliverer to stay behind.
(Luke 8)

Jesus healed the blind man. Neighbors examined the seeing-blind man and dragged him to the Synagogue for questioning.  The seeing-blind man’s parents gave him over to the mercy of the court and fled. The Pharisees “stormed at him, they jeered, they sneered, they reviled him.”  How would you like those to be the first things you ever SAW?  Not to mention, seeing-blind man cannot be a beggar anymore.  He has to get a new job. (John 9)

Are your kids in the aftermath of your prayer?  Are they going through a difficult time?  In a dark, damp, gray castle?  Don’t worry.   I had many difficult days in my adoption journey.  The strange foods, lack of heat, different culture were small bumps in the road.  The victories certainly outweigh the jeering, mocking, terror that satan has thrown in my path.  Obstacles are just that-obstacles.  What are obstacles used for?  Training.  Jump higher.  Run harder.  Try harder.  It is worth it.  Your kids may be in training for future things.

I was praying for one of my kids this week.  He has had a hard year.  He has been sick for every test he has had to take this year.  Really sick.  He has had some other issues blow up in his face. Please Lord, give him a break, I prayed.  Immediately, a voice whispered, why do you keep praying for things to be easier for him?  You have no idea why he needs this.  

We are assured and know that [<sup class="footnote" style="background-color: white; font-size: 0.65em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="[a]”>[a]God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose. – Romans 8:28

Keep praying circles around your children, but don’t panic at the results.  If they don’t make the team, change their major, quit a job, flunk a test, get un-friended, have more tantrums, wake up at night, keep wetting the bed,….. Who knows what God is doing.  Keep praying. He has a good plan for each of our children.  Whatever they have to go through in the aftermath of prayer may just be  part of the plan.