Raised in a house of Prayer - Tell His Story

I am a pray-er.

That is what I do...

For all of her years and more than 9 months before, I have prayed for this girlie.

For her, with her, over her... in front of her, all around her, and yes, at times, even behind her back.

Prayer - this ongoing, two-way conversation that I have with God... it's not a secret.  I am an intercessor... the phone rings, the inbox fills up with requests, and when hard times hit - people come to our home... it is my honor to pray with and for people... and for all of her life, she has known this! God and I are fully invested in this girlie of ours and she is one of our favorite topics! (We both think she is pretty amazing!)

Here's the thing though... even with all her years of growing up and hearing me pray... whether it be at dinnertime, over the phone, during a meeting, or at bedtime... she has always heard it through the ears of a child.

This girlie of mine came along with me to my prayer group today.  Not just to tag along, per say... but to participate.  She was quiet... listening, nearly eavesdropping at times... but processing and hearing in a new way.  This was not just her Mama praying for others and for her... no, this was Mama interacting and praying for others not as her Mom... and it was Mama being prayed FOR as well.

We are a pretty open and honest family... close knit... transparent with each other. We do Real and Talk Honest... and we pray together.  For each other, and for others around us and those outside of our reach!  And yet - hearing someone else, in such an intimate setting, pray for me... it feels like it shifted something in her.  It caused her to see me in a different light... like, as a - gasp - person, and not just through the lens of being her Mama!

We are in that strange transition season where she is a nearly grown girlie... 18 and college bound and learning how to embrace change.  And today - as she sat in on my Tuesday gathering of intercessors... my tribe, if you will, who gathers and prays and laughs and loves... she heard me share a prayer request that was not focused (solely) on her, and she caught a vision of my dream and heart from a new perspective.

I love that she caught a glimpse of how women can pray for each other and love on each other and hold each other accountable. It's not that she hasn't watched that happen inside and outside of our family all around her during her growing up years, but today she watched and participated as an adult... She has been at youth group and summer camp and small group gatherings of teenagers - but today she sat in the circle and heard adults each pour out real life lessons, something that God had been teaching them over the summer months, and share something they wanted prayer for as Fall approached!  These were not high school drama requests... these were prayers from a place of maturity, crying out for the broken-hearted, for broken bodies, broken spirits... reaching out in hope and in love... trusting that when we lift them up in prayer, answers come! She listened in, and then, joined in -sharing her own prayer request and the thing that she has learned this summer... (Hint - she's leaning in to Change! Learning this lesson approximately 30 years ahead of me!)

In fact, later on when we were back home - she totally called me on it.  I had asked for prayer in staying intentional in focusing on one thing at a time... a little less multi-tasking for this multi-tabbed blogger!  Her words to me? "Mom!  Get off of Facebook and write your blog... I know your problems now!"  Oh Snap!

I love that she has been raised in a house of prayer... that she knows prayer is a conversation - and we must not always do all the talking! I love that she knows that God is still in the business of answering prayer... and that she knows where to turn, when the answers are hidden and her world feels unsteady! As she leans IN to all the Change that is before her, she has a firm foundation of talking with God!



...and she knows that God and I... we have her back... and chances are - we've been talking about her all along!

What about you?  Do your kids know what you pray for beyond your prayer for them?
How can I pray for you and your ongoing conversation with God today?



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