I have a challenge for
you.
And let me tell you, it’s
a challenge that, I promise, if you take it, will change your life.
You’re not going to want
to. You are probably really tempted to stop reading right now. Push through.
Your flesh is going to
fight against it. Your mind is going to give you all sorts of excuses. You’re
going to find about 500 reasons to dismiss this.
But don’t.
Here is my challenge for
you:
Visit one of the websites I’m
going to list below. Pick out one child or sibling set. And commit to praying
for them once a day every day until they find a family.
That’s it.
No money, no letter
writing, no work. Just prayer.
Read about them, get to
know their names and ages and personalities, and pray for them the way you
would like someone to pray for your own children if they were ever a face (or
faces) on this website.
It doesn’t have to be a long, drawn out process. Make it your prayer while you sip your coffee. Or your prayer while you’re stopped at a red light on the way to work.
It doesn’t have to be a long, drawn out process. Make it your prayer while you sip your coffee. Or your prayer while you’re stopped at a red light on the way to work.
Northwest Adoption Exchange (Idaho/Oregon/Washington/Alaska)
Adopt US Kids (National Listing)
Do you hear all the
excuses flying through your brain about why you shouldn’t have to do this? They’re
there. I know they are because they were there for me when God first put this
challenge on my heart. You don't have time to look at those websites. You already sponsor a child through Compassion. Your church gives money to orphans. You don't feel "led" to pray for an orphan. Or, you might not even have words to put to your thoughts other than
an overwhelming desire to hit that little “X” button in the upper right corner
and just pretend you never read this because it's just "not for you."
Don’t.
You have 60 seconds every
day to offer up a prayer for a child that may not have anyone else praying for
them.
When God first put the
idea of adoption on my heart, Nik was dead set against it. So I did just this.
I made a commitment to pray every day for a sibling set. I didn’t really *want*
to pray, but I felt God leading me to do it, so I did. There were two that were
really on my heart, but I wanted to make a committed, personal effort so I chose
one set of sisters. 4 days after I started praying, they were adopted. It was
such an amazing feeling that instead of reluctance to do it, as I felt the
first time, I was eager to start praying for the other sisters that were on my
heart. I saw the desires of my heart turn from really not wanting to (for
reasons I couldn’t even articulate) into being excited to pray for them and see
lives changed. My kids pray for them every night, by name. They lay on their
beds and, with their childlike faith, ask God to provide them a home and a
family and love. Children have a love for the "unloveable" in an instinctual way that has been bred out of most adults.
“Take delight in the LORD,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.” –Psalm 37:4
When you delight in what the Lord delights in, your life will be changed. You may not ever meet these children this side of heaven, but what an awesome gift you are giving them and yourself by opening up your heart and praying for them when they need it most.
Will you take my
challenge? Do you have an extra 60 seconds in your day every day to change a
few lives?
“Religion that God our
Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows
in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
–James 1:27
If you a willing to take this prayer challenge, I would love if you would post in the comments the name and location of the child/children you are praying for and share this post forward!
