Intercession Post Script

 And the journey of the prayers continues to be seen. 

In April of 2019 I wrote a 3 part story of the power of prayer and intercession.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Although on this side if Heaven we may or may not be able to see the impact of  prayers, in this such tragedy, I did get to see a little of the impact.

1 Corinthians 13:12 (MSG) We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!

You can watch this testimony.

Yes, it's long, but what an Amazing God! What impact those prayers have had. To God be the Glory!

Countercultural Parenting: Building Character in a World of Compromise by Lee Nienhuis

I had the privilege of reading Lee Nienhuis' second book, Countercultural Parenting: Building Character in a World of Compromise.  In a nutshell: run to get this valuable parenting book!

Lee's first book, Brave Mom Brave Kids, was an amazing parenting book, and Countercultural Parenting simply builds on the momentum of that book. However, you don't need to read the first book to appreciate the wisdom in Countercultural Parenting!

Lee offers amazing knowledge and insight into raising children that are NOT the status quo.  If you are looking for HOPE in an honest form, Lee offers that in Countercultural Parenting.  As Lee states, "Is it crazy to imagine that we could raise children who are godly, who will grow into righteous leaders? Could they become men and women who choose for the earliest age to be people of character, steadfast and immovable?"

Lee then follows through with the how to of parenting and raising children who go against the culture! In Countercultural Parenting, Lee shares the insight that not only helps you propel yourself toward raising godly children but also the insight to help you as a parent who does not follow the status quo.

Lee offers a fresh (and rich) look at Biblical characters who can serve as role models and examples for parents and for our children.  I highlighted so many passages in this book!  I can't wait to share this with friends as an encouragement in their parenting journey.

No longer can we raise children who are part of the status quo of society. It is clear it is no longer working.  We need to stand up and raise countercultural children. Lee's book is a great resource for just that.

I was given a free copy of Countercultural Parenting: Building Character in a World of Compromise by Lee Nienhuis for my honest review. I was thrilled to do this and would highly recommend this book!  

God-Confident Kids by Cyndie Claypool de Neve

I was very excited to be able to read God-Confident Kids by Cyndie Claypool de Neve. This is actually the first book I read by her as the main author. I've read two she co--authored that you can see here and here.  I loved this book because it's practical and real!  Cyndie offers advice, wisdom and insight to moms of children ages toddler to young adult!

In God-Confident Kids  Cyndie talks about faith vs. fear, releasing your kids (!), fostering your children's strengths, teaching your children to pray (in a very practical way) and scripture prayers for your child. Cyndie reminds us that we are not our child's Holy Spirit!  She also gives some good insight into praying for your child's future spouse and specific guidance for all ages and stages. Cyndie draws on her experience as a marriage and family therapist to offer her insight and expertise.
I particularly liked the specific verses to combat fear on page 159.

In God-Confident Kids  Cyndie offers treasure of resources to help your child grow in their confidence in Christ and confidence in life. I was given a free copy from the publisher for my honest review. I was happy to do that and recommend God-Confident Kids!

A Post Script!

A Post Script to a previous post.

One day, I was at the local place that periodically hosts yard sales. As one who loves thrift shopping and never knowing what this location will have for sale, I stopped in.  To my surprise I found a cookbook from my (current) child's elementary school. The cookbook was from 28 years ago!

Intrigued, I picked up the cook book and purchased it. (Or maybe I should say, I'm a sucker for stuff?)  Once home I looked through the book. Imagine my surprise when I found the recipe for {my} peanut butter balls.  I then looked closer and imagine even more surprise when I realized WHO had placed the recipe!

At our Moms In Prayer group, we have some precious grandmas who join us. One precious grandma was integral in starting the group. In fact, I should be thanking her weekly because many years ago she approached the same church we still meet in to pray and asked to use the facilities. (Thankfully I don't have to have my house ready each week! Whew!)

I looked at the recipe and it was this precious grandma, who has been praying for all these years, who placed the recipe in the elementary school cookbook 28 years ago.

I can't wait to see how God continues to use these peanut butter balls!

Raise Them Up Praying God's Word Over Your Kids

I had the awesome opportunity to read Raise Them Up Praying God's Word Over Your Kids by Sally Burke and Cyndie Claypool De Neve.

First, a disclaimer. Sally Burke is president of Moms in Prayer International. I am involved in Moms in Prayer.

Second,  I LOVED this book! It offers great insight into praying for your kids. But not only that, it offers practical insight!  This book is for moms yet-to-be, moms of toddlers, moms of preschoolers, moms of elementary school children, moms of high school and middle school students, moms of college students and moms of children who are no longer in school. It also is for moms who home school!  This book will also resonate with anyone who works with children and wants to learn how to pray for them!

Sally and Cyndie review a practical method to use when praying and then launch into prayers for children. (Note: these can be used to pray for family members, co-workers, friends, etc.)

In Raise Them Up, you will read practical prayers for praying for Christian character, salvation, schoolwork, protection, praying through suffering, peace, for freedom from addiction, relationships, purity, boldness in faith, their future, for teachers, coaches, and mentors, and praying this generation will impact others for Christ. Cyndie and Sally also share how to teach your children to pray, the importance of praying with others, and praying God's Word.

This book offers fresh new content. This would make a great gift for yourself and a great gift to any mom!

I was given a free copy of Raise Them Up from the publisher for my honest review which I was happy to do. (And plan on purchasing some to give away to friends!)

Intercession Part 3

{Please see previous post here and here}

I'll be honest. I had googled the parents before. I was trying to see if there was any information on social media. Googled dad. Nothing. Googled mom. Nothing.

I was in the car during a trip several days later and decided to repeat my google search. Dad, well something but wasn't sure it was him.

Mom. Something. Wait. Is that a baptism testimony?

I looked closer. I read the story. I scrolled at the way to the bottom.  I looked at the name of the church.  Wait. Wait.

It looked semi-familiar. BUT I knew that MANY churches have the same name.

I decided to google something else. Sadly it was an obituary.

You see on March 17, 2018 our dear friends had lost their young son. It was a tragic situation.  God knew. God had a plan. God had a purpose.

I pulled up the obituary of this little 6 year old. I scrolled down, looking to see where the service was.

There it was: SAME CHURCH, SAME CITY.

You see, we had been to this church when our friends married. We had been to this church to hear them share about their life. Unfortunately we were unable to attend the funeral at the church.

But it was THE church.

Let me back up to the day my son's teammate passed away. March 27.  That afternoon I was a mess. I had received an email from our dear friends who are far away from us (literally across the world).  I replied and told them I could not read their email right now. I said,

I’m trying to read through your email, but the tears in my eyes prevent me.
You know all too well what it’s like to walk the path that (my son's) classmate’s parents are walking on today. (My son) had a classmate pass away this morning. In his college dorm, just down the hall from him.  (They) were friends from day one at college, both as classmates and teammates...
You know this painful walk of grief.  And it is never easy.
I’ll read the rest of your email later, but just wanted to share. We continue to pray for you.  

My dear friend replied a few days later that he would be praying.

It wasn't until a few days after that he would know he would be praying for a family that would walk the exact same journey he had walked IN THE EXACT same church!

We reached out to their family who lived in the area. (Ironically {read: God} we first met this family 21 years ago when my college student son was born!) They shared that they did not know the family of the college student who passed away, but they knew the pastor who would be doing the service.

How did God work?
He had our friend email us that day from across the world.  I replied and asked him to pray and he had no idea the funeral would be in his home church.
He didn't allow me to make the connection until after the service at the college.
He extended the prayer circle to this family who we had known for 21 years.

See the added post script here.

Intercession ~ Part 2

{See previous post for the beginning of this story}

They Can’t Imprison the Message

Philippians 1:12-21 (The Message)

12-14 I want to report to you, friends, that my imprisonment here has had the opposite of its intended effect. Instead of being squelched, the Message has actually prospered. All the soldiers here, and everyone else, too, found out that I’m in jail because of this Messiah. That piqued their curiosity, and now they’ve learned all about him. Not only that, but most of the followers of Jesus here have become far more sure of themselves in the faith than ever, speaking out fearlessly about God, about the Messiah.

15-17 It’s true that some here preach Christ because with me out of the way, they think they’ll step right into the spotlight. But the others do it with the best heart in the world. One group is motivated by pure love, knowing that I am here defending the Message, wanting to help. The others, now that I’m out of the picture, are merely greedy, hoping to get something out of it for themselves. Their motives are bad. They see me as their competition, and so the worse it goes for me, the better—they think—for them.

18-21 So how am I to respond? I’ve decided that I really don’t care about their motives, whether mixed, bad, or indifferent. Every time one of them opens his mouth, Christ is proclaimed, so I just cheer them on!

Instead of being squelched, the Message has actually prospered. (Phil. 1:12 MSG)

My son was devastated a the loss of his classmate and friend. However, prayers through Moms in Prayer and many others had gone before this time. God knew. He knew this would happen. It did not take Him by surprise that this young man, only 20 years old, would pass away in his dorm room.  God knew. And He had a plan and a purpose.

A service was planned for the team. This was a time for them to come together. At time to cry with one another.  

We started praying for this service. Others were praying.  My husband and I and our son's Fellowship of Christian Athlete mentor headed to the college for the service.  All the while we had been praying. Praying that God would use this tragedy. That  "Instead of being squelched, the Message (would) actually prosper."

When we arrived at the college we say a group of people outside the room where the service was to take place. I asked if they were family.  They responded that they were. I remember hugging the mother and letting her know I was so sorry. So sorry.

After all, we know there are few words to say, few words that offer comfort at this time.  

The team arrived and the service started.  The Pastor shared comforting words from the Bible and his own experience with losing a child. He also shared the story of Lazarus from John 11.  He shared that we are sad, we don't understand and we question why. He shared that through this time can gain comfort from the Bible, from friends and from the memories we have. He shared about Hope.   It was a powerful message.

Afterwards, there were college students just sitting there. Picture that: college students just sitting there. No phones, no where to rush off to. Just sitting. For some they had never know anyone who passed away. They were in shock. Someone who just two days ago was at practice with them.

I then had the opportunity to comfort some of the women and pray with them. 

My husband and I also had the opportunity to interact with a coach. A coach who we had seen at every event. Yet, we didn't know. We didn't know he too was a believer. We had a chance to interact with someone from the college who "found" {read: God} my son's Fellowship of Christian Athletes twitter account, and reached out to my son. Someone who I had been praying for prior to this evening, but never met.  

And finally we found out that the young man who passed away was a believer.  

But that's not all....(More here.)

Intercession ~ Part One

“What have you done to me?” Balak asked Balaam. “I brought you to curse my enemies, but look, you have only blessed them!” Numbers 23:11 (HCSB)

If you read through this story in Numbers 23, you will see the Balak wanted Balaam to curse the Israelites.  However, Balaam, as per God's instruction in Numbers 22:12, was told:
Then God said to Balaam, “You are not to go with them. You are not to curse this people, for they are blessed.”

Did the Israelites know all of this was going on? Did they see God's hand of protection on them? God had his hand on them over and over and over and over again! Did they know that Balaam was interceding for them? {I don't think they did!}

Does God allow us to see His Hand of protection upon us? 

Sometimes.

And this is just one time.

I need to back up to May of 2017.  My son's senior year. He was all excited to head off to college. He couldn't wait. I was apprehensive.  Would it go well? Would it go will with me having him away?  Maybe I was more apprehensive about him leaving than he was about leaving.

I remember attending the spring leader's gathering my Moms in Prayer Area Coordinator was hosting.  I walked in and was introduced to someone whose name I had heard, Barb.  I also knew that she lived in the same county where my son's college was.   I remember walking over to her and saying, "I need to get to know you and we need to talk!" 

What a delightful time we had! She told me she was already praying for my son's college ~ as it's a school her Moms in Prayer group prays for.  She also let me know she knew the family of his track coach.  Oh how this blessed this apprehensive momma!

We later gathered together at her house - my whole crew of five kids and my husband to connect with her and her husband around their swimming pool.  She offered to help my son if he needed anything. [Not that an 18 year old college student would take her up on it!] 

Fast forward to February 2019.   I signed up to pray for my son's  college for the Collegiate Day of Prayer.  Guess who else had signed up to pray for his college? Barb!

March 27.  It was my usual day to pray with my high school/middle school Moms in Prayer group. We gather for one hour each week to pray for our children and schools.  This week was also the every-other-week time to gather and pray for my son's college along with two other moms. Except.  Those two other moms couldn't make it. I  already had this time set aside.  

I decided to contact my friend, Cindy, who works full-time. BUT, she recently had foot surgery. She would be off work for several weeks.  I had asked her to come to Moms in Prayer with me that day, but she wasn't able to leave the house.  Realizing no one could come to our  Moms in Prayer time, I decided to text and ask if I could come to Cindy's house.  She responded with a yes! My prayer sheet was already made and ready, so after praying for our high school and middle school, off I went to her house.

We had started praying and were following the four steps as outlined by Moms in Prayer.  We had finished praying for my son, and were praying for her son. Confession: I looked at my phone. I had just gotten a text from my son at college. It said:

I read the text to Cindy and we immediately started praying for my son.  I texted my son back to let him know that i was praying with Cindy and we were praying for him at that moment. Little did I know how big it would be. The next text I got from my son said:

I then called my son. Because what else is a mother to do?  

My son couldn't talk for very long. Cindy and I proceeded to pray.  We finished up and I asked her for some time just to sit on her couch and send texts/emails.  I tried to call my husband, but had to send texts due to his schedule.

My next text was to Barb. Who better to ask to intercede than Barb who had been praying for this college even before my son started attending? She proceeded to contact her Moms in Prayer group to "mobilize" the prayers! We also started to pray for a friend of hers who works a the college.  

The day unfolded with many texts, a few phone calls, many tears and many more prayers.  

What we learned is that my son's teammate and classmate had passed away in his sleep. No foul play.  Just never woke up.  20 years old.  The promise of his future and enjoying his time at the college were gone.  

Where did that leave us? With a saddened, hurt, broken, angry, desperate team.  Some students who had never experienced death.  

However, my son knew that this was part of a bigger story. He knew God has His hand on and still does have his hand on his college.

So he reached out to his coach, and his leaders for Fellowship of Christian Athletes. 

Now it "just so happens" {read: God!} that he also has a teammate whose dad is a pastor.  It also "just so happens" {read: God} that he lost a high school classmate in the fall of 2017.  And it "just so happens" {read: God} that his teammates pastor father did the funeral for that classmate. 

In ways only God can work, the pastor, coach, one FCA leader (who "just so happens" {read: God} to attend said Pastor's church) were all able to connect . They were all able to coordinate and a service at the college was starting to be planned.

 continued here

But think of all God did in preparation for this time:

I was praying with Cindy AT THE TIME I GOT THE TEXT.

Two friends couldn't be at Moms in Prayer, but God provided Cindy.

I met Barb almost two years prior.

Barb had been interceding for years for this college.  

Barb knew someone at the college who would have a direct impact on this situation.  

The Pastor had a daughter on the team. 

The Pastor had already done the service for one of my son's classmates

The FCA leader knew the Pastor.

Resources Part One: For Parents!

I have been asked to put together some resources and I'll be posting them over the next few weeks. I would love to hear your resources!

First a disclaimer: 

Vigilance. Please note: As a parent it is your responsibility to be vigilant. Please do not take these resources and use them without checking them first for your family!

Here are some resources for parents, mostly moms! {In no particular order!}

For Parents (Mainly moms):

CPYU: https://cpyu.org

Prepare the Way https://www.preparetheway.us

Axis Ministries http://axisministries.org

Axis Ministries (different ministry than above): https://axis.org

Moms in Prayer: https://momsinprayer.org

Moms in Prayer podcast: https://momsinprayer.org/resources/podcast/

Praying Scriptures for your children: http://www.jodieberndt.com

Cindy Bultema  https://www.cindybultema.com

Arelene Pellicane https://arlenepellicane.com

Elisa Morgan http://www.elisamorgan.com

Jill Savage https://www.jillsavage.org

Lee Nienhuis http://leenienhuis.com

Never the Same Youth Ministries http://www.neverthesame.org/ministries/

Renee Swope https://reneeswope.com

Karen Ehman https://www.karenehman.com

Jen Schmidt https://beautyandbedlam.com

We need help from others! This is Fern Nicholas, Founder of Moms in Prayer, International! 

Another College Visit Tip!

I've written some on college visits. See here and here!

Recently while listening to a Moms in Prayer Podcast with Julie Loos, I learned a NEW great tip!  While you are on a college visit, try to set up a time to meet with some of the campus ministries! Maybe even check out their meeting if you are on campus at the right time! What a gift!

Look for a church in the area. Ask around to see which churches support the college campus! Connecting to a local church AND campus ministry is vital!

Another resource is the Every Campus Movement!

And finally don't forget the  Collegiate Day of Prayer!

Finally pray, pray, pray. Find a Moms in Prayer group to pray for your student!!!

Brave Moms, Brave Kids

I'm so excited to be doing a giveaway on this blog on January 23! The giveaway is the new book by Lee Nienhuis called Brave Moms, Brave Kids.  I can't wait!

I was excited to be a part of this launch team and did receive a free book for my preview and review!

How was I impacted by this book?

Well, let me start with how I first met Lee.  Several years ago I was able to attend the Moms In Prayer Festival of Joy conference.  It was there that I heard a young mom speak of her journey praying for her children.

More recently I was able to go to an Unshaken Conference for Moms In Prayer and heard Lee speak again.  Then I "happened" upon an invitation to be on her launch team. (God!)

I love that this book is Bible based and reinforces what is shared at Moms In Prayer!


Here's my review:

Brave Moms, Brave Kids is a practical hands on guide for mothers of all children!

In Brave Moms, Brave Kids Lee Nienhuis shares honestly why we, as moms, need to be praying for our children, and not just for their salvation. Lee offers honest advice and wisdom for raising your children bathed in prayer. Lee gives you practical strategies for raising godly children who are heros and warriors for Jesus. Consider this book, paired with the Bible,  the hands on guide for spiritual parenting. 

Lee shares biblical insight on how to pray for and train your children to be Christ followers. Have you ever been taught how to teach your children how to know and obey God, how to value the Word of God, how to pray, the importance of self-control, relationships and service and perhaps most importantly their identity if Christ?  In Brave Moms, Brave Kids, Lee addresses each of those topics with a practical “how to”.  As a Moms In Prayer praying mom, Lee also shares the four steps of prayer that can be used to teach your children how to pray.

This book has challenged me in my faith and taught this mother of five much about godly  parenting. I highly recommend Brave Moms, Brave Kids.

I was offered a free copy of Brave Moms, Brave Kids for my honest review, but I have purchased one to give away as many can benefit from this excellent book!