Harvest Daily - May 6, 2005

May 6

The Mother Who Prayed

Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour. (Matthew 15:28)

When we are praying for something that we believe is the will of God, we should not give up. Keep asking, keep seeking, and keep knocking—that is what Jesus told us to do. In fact, when Jesus saw the great faith of a mother from Canaan who was doing this very thing, He gave her carte blanche, so to speak: “Let it be to you as you desire.”

This mother believed that what she was asking was the will of God, and she would not give up. Maybe you, like this mother, have a child who is under the devil’s influence today. He or she has rejected your influence, at least for now. It is tough, because you have raised this child in the ways of the Lord. The very thing you have prepared your child for—to become independent—has happened. My advice is, hold on. You will come through it.

That thing you may believe is the worst-case scenario might be the step toward bringing your child to a true, heartfelt faith. The rebellion may be difficult to endure right now. But it also may be short-term, and it may be what it takes to bring your child to a place of realizing his or her own need for Jesus Christ. Our kids need to get these convictions in their hearts as their convictions, not just as Mom or Dad’s convictions. It may mean a detour into the land of the prodigals. It may mean hitting bottom. But don’t give up. Keep praying. Our children can escape our presence, but they cannot escape our prayers.