My little boy walked around the chair and peaked over my shoulder. He saw a little boy who was his brother’s age – waiting in an orphanage in China.
Momma. Is that my brother?
No baby. It’s not. It’s a little boy in China we can pray for. He doesn’t have a family – and we can pray for him to have one.
We can be his family, momma.
Oh sweet boy. We can pray for a family for him. We have a big family. There’s a family out there for him.
Five is not a lot momma. Then we could have six. And six is not a lot. It’s not too big momma. Everybody needs a family.
This little boy of mine — his words reminded me that day – what we are here for… in this world. Again. It’s not about us. Or me. Or even them. But to constantly open our hearts and hands and say, “Whatever plans you have for us in this Lord – write our story — weave us — may Your will be done!”
To pray. To really pray — on their behalf.
For many, our adoption journeys began with lots and lots of prayers. I’m so guilty of wanting to plan my own life — and because our adoptions both began by our praying for waiting children, I’m often not brave in my prayer life for these waiting children. I’m even some times scared to pray for specific children who grab my heart. I know you adoption moms understand! But this — my sweet friends — this we are called to. We are called to care for these children… and part of caring for them — is praying on their behalf and not stopping until He says to.
I think some times we are shy away from praying for waiting children because we are afraid the Lord may ask us to do something. But what a privilege to get to intercede on their behalf!
Just tonight I was scrolling through this very NHBO blog — and y’all — a post from just this week… a momma posted — and it was her little girl who the Lord asked me to pray for over a year ago! I shared her picture with friends and asked them to pray. I shared her picture with my husband and asked him to pray. A week or so later I called to hear she had a family! God answered our prayer! Who would have thought so much time later I would get to see her family right here writing about their journey to her!
A few years ago in between our last adoptions — we saw a waiting child and again the Lord pressed her on our hearts to pray big. We opened our hands to whatever He asked of us — but we continued to hear just pray… and pray we did!
We prayed so long and hard that the agency advocating for her began to call us to make sure we weren’t her family. But no — it was clear… we weren’t. But the family did see her picture on my family’s blog advocating for her and called the agency — and they even connected us knowing we would want to know this precious little girl had a family.
The Lord had a sweet plan for this, and He wrote a beautiful story of us getting to watch her come home. We got to be a part of their fundraising to bring her home and even had shirts printed and sold them as if it were our own adoption we were fundraising for! Through prayer, the Lord had made our hearts that invested! Truly, it was a miracle to see in our own hearts how the Lord weaves us through prayer and calls us in different ways to really care for these children. All of this — through the power of prayer… praying bravely, “Whatever plans you have for us in this Lord, write our story — weave us — may Your will be done!”
Remembering that day my little boy coming around the corner to see a waiting child and his telling me that we can be this waiting one’s family — to be honest… this thought can strike fear in some of our hearts as our momma hearts long for no waiting children. I think we are sometimes afraid to pray because… what if He asks us to grow again and we aren’t ready?
But dear friends.
There is no fear in love, and praying for these children is not a guilt bearing task but a holy privilege. We get to intercede on their behalf and trust the Lord to move for them! Sometimes He will even let you run across their stories… see their pictures… and celebrate the fruit of those prayers. Sometimes He will connect you to the mommas and daddies bringing them home, and maybe radically ask you to be a bit bolder and braver — and have you ask how you can help and be a bigger part. And yes — sometimes — He might even say… this little love… she is not only mine —but she’s yours too, and I want you to trust me and bring her home.
“For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition which I asked of Him.” – 1 Samuel 1:27
Joining you in brave prayers…
Prayer is powerful as my son would say. When the Lord called us down the adoption road our 3 daughters were young adults. They became very passionate about adoption and longed to do more. Our daughter Rachel started a blog for those like her who were not in the place that they could adopt but wanted to do more. Her blog called Pages for the Dark Horses, has a running list of 12 children to pray for that they will find their forever families. My 7 adopted kids and I pray for them all at our group time before we start school. Word has spread and many follow and pray for these kids. Prayer does make a difference and we have seen so many of these kids adopted! Each week she says goodbye to one unless one has gotten a family so in that another can be prayed over. Even though that has been hard my kids have learned that God does not forget our prayers and is still at work. Many times we have found out months later that kids we prayed for have found a family and we have seen once again His Faithfulness. Interested here is the link.
http://pagesforthedarkhorses.blogspot.com/