Yesterday, I walked into my women’s Bible study group with thoughts consisting of my own problems and circumstances. There is a physically-handicapped woman in our group who greeted me with a huge grin and asked me how I was doing today. I lied and told her I was fine, thank you. We sat in our chairs and as our leader began with prayer requests, this precious woman asked if we could say a prayer for the crisis going on in Midland City, Alabama.
Just down the road from my house, a school bus driver named Chuck Poland was shot last week and a little five year old autistic boy, Ethan, was kidnapped.
The women in my group stood from our chairs and held hands in a circle. At first, only the gentle hum of the air conditioner could be heard, we were all at a loss for words. Then, this woman – with her own physical handicaps – began to pray, thanking God for his grace and asking for his love to cover the kidnapper’s heart so he would release this little boy.
Tears pricked my eyes as I listened to her heart-felt prayer. She, full of compassion, me heavy with selfishness. My heart hurt as I realized how small my problems were compared to this enormous situation a couple miles away. Silently, I prayed for forgiveness.
A friend on Facebook wrote, “Well, 3rd night in a row now I have cried myself to sleep worrying and scared for little Ethan. I have literally found myself begging God for a safe end to this situation. I honestly have no words when I think about it all, just tears. John 16:33 has never sounded so comforting for me to read. I have Faith friends. If you haven’t already, please join me in prayer for ALL involved in this unthinkable situation. The Devil is working hard, but I truly believe God is working harder!!!”
Her compassion spills onto the screen just as her tears have spilled from her eyes each night. When the world is dark and full of trouble, do we believe that Jesus has truly overcome the world?
Can we get past our own agendas and join hands in prayer for another? Can we believe that with God, all things ARE possible?
There are so many questions floating around our Alabama homes. Moms have children that are afraid to attend school or stay home alone. Dinner time consists of worried eyes and young hearts that don’t understand why somebody could be so cruel. How do you tell your child that bad things do happen but Jesus is our protector, a light in the dark?
There is a Facebook page called Prayers for Dale County Schools, Family of Charles Poland and Little Ethan. Here, people write:
“Even in dark, dark places, the light of God’s truth, the light of God’s love, and the light of the gospel is able to penetrate, and to rescue and redeem.” ~Nancy Leigh DeMoss~ Praying without ceasing for Little Ethan, and for the heart of Mr. Jimmy Lee Dykes…
“Dear Lord: Please help this man let this little precious innocent child go! Lord, touch his heart somehow as only you can, and convince him enough is enough. Be with that precious little boy and be with his precious family. May you intervene Lord and find a way to end this ordeal for all involve. Lord, I pray this in Jesus name! Amen!”
“As a mother myself, I can’t even begin to imagine what this mom is feeling. I am praying for her and everyone involved. I pray that this child is safely back in his mothers arms very soon.”
The unthinkable happened just a few miles from me in a sleepy little town full of farmers and agriculture. Ethan’s parents had no idea when they dropped him off for school in the morning that he wouldn’t be coming home to them in the evening. Chuck Poland didn’t realize that when he adorned his bus driving outfit that morning that he would be called a hero just a few hours later.
As mothers, we want to stop evil from invading our cities, our homes, our country. It’s so easy to want to hide behind closed doors instead of walking into the unknown every day. Yes, the devil is working hard. He is manipulative, cruel, and relentless. But, we can’t let our minds or the minds of our children believe that he has won. When Jesus wrote the words of John 16:33, he meant for us to declare as a battle cry, “Take heart, because JESUS has overcome the world!”
Evil can be stopped with prayer.
As believers in Jesus Christ, our protector, we moms can protect our children from this world with prayer. Prayer that is beyond our selfish wants and extended to cover our children, our cities, and our country. Before Jesus was arrested, he prayed for all believers saying, “May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me (John 17:23).”
Jesus wants us to be unified in prayer. When all hope seems lost, when nothing but the nightlight is on, when we see our children question the motives of this world, we have to pray. Pray on Facebook, pray in our schools, pray in our homes…pray that we, the body of Christ, show that good has won the battle.
Let us join hands in this cyber-circle, sweet mothers, and pray.
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