My Challenge to YOU (yes, YOU)

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.

Reece's Rainbow (International/Special Needs)
Wednesday's Child Los Angeles

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!