How is your faith level these days? I wanted to share how a little 3.5 x 2.5 inch
metal box sent my faith soaring this past Saturday.
Ali
Faith’s Faith
What a blessing to be living during the days of the technological
boon of Ipads, Iphones, Iclouds, and on ad infinitum. All of the aforementioned certainly help us
to stay connected when our loved ones are far away.
At 8:55 a.m. on Saturday, January 16th, I received the
following text from one of my daughters,
I immediately dialed up her Facebook post which read,
“God DOES answer prayer!! So thankful that the 4
imprisoned Americans are free.”
Those of you who know me would agree that I am not always
the calmest person on the planet, so when this news registered with my already
caffeinated brain and nervous system, I was praising the Lord as loudly as I
could.
Suddenly, I remembered my birthday and Mother's Day gift from my precious
granddaughter, Ali Faith. It felt as
though I was walking on air as I entered our bedroom, opened the top drawer to
my dresser, and retrieved the little prayer box.
After opening the lid (or as Ali Faith used to pronounce it, 'lib'), and reading the top prayer request, my eyes welled up with tears which freely flowed down my weathered cheeks.
After opening the lid (or as Ali Faith used to pronounce it, 'lib'), and reading the top prayer request, my eyes welled up with tears which freely flowed down my weathered cheeks.
Implementing
my trusty Iphone, I propped the little prayer box next to my ceramic coffee
cone, snapped a few pictures to achieve the full effect, and texted them back
to my daughter who shared them with her family.
Ali Faith and her younger brother were in awe of how God had answered a
specific prayer that she had uttered so many times. She attended the Prayer Rally for Pastor
Saeed on the steps of our great state capitol building along with many other
people. In addition, during the summer
months, Ali would round up some of the younger children in her neighborhood and
invite them to her little tree house.
After making a lunch of sorts, she would read to them from the Bible,
after which they would pray for Pastor Saeed. Yes, these would appear to be very early signs of an evangelistic
anointing arising which is music to this grandmother’s ears.
On
Jesus’ final journey to Jerusalem, He came to the region of Judea by the other
side of the Jordan River.
“Then
they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the
disciples rebuked those who brought them.
But when Jesus saw it, He was
greatly displeased and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to Me, and
do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not
receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.’ And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed
them.” [Mark 10:13-16.]
Children
portray a profound sincerity of heart, trust, exuberance, child like faith, and
total dependence on their parents. The
kingdom of God is comprised of those who respond to Him with that same type of
trust that a young child renders to a parent.
While
there have been a multitude of sermons preached on the subject of faith and
libraries full of books regarding the same, there’s just nothing like first-hand experience that increases our faith and compels us to testify.
I
would encourage you to read this blog post to your children and grandchildren
and comment below with their responses.
Who knows? Perhaps they might
like to start a little prayer box of their own as they grow in their child like
faith. And I can only imagine how happy
Pastor Saeed’s children and family members are to have him back home after 1,000
days!
Here's a freebie regarding the number 1,000: in a Biblical sense it is symbolic of divine
completeness and the glory of God.
Are
we giving glory to God for the release of Pastor Saeed along with the other
three Americans? You better know we are!
This is such a beautiful and encouraging post, Sheila! I definitely want to read this to my daughters!
ReplyDeleteHow exciting to see Holy Spirit leading and guiding and answering prayer in one so young! What an example of simple faith for we adults who often see through cynical lenses.
ReplyDeleteI love this and I do pray all the time but I am embarrassed to tell you I have a prayer Jar I labeled last year that is standing empty because I didn't discipline myself to put anything in it last year. Thank you for the reminder and I'm going to start putting my prayer requests IN this prayer Jar this year starting right now. No time like the present! what is past is past Father help us develop good habits that further your kingdom! amen
ReplyDeleteThank you for the encouragment.
ReplyDeleteAnother great confirmation as to the impact that a grandmother's prayers has on the grandchildren.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the gentle reminder of the power of prayer mingled with a dose of faith. God bless you.
DeleteThank you for the gentle reminder of the power of prayer mingled with a dose of faith. God bless you.
DeleteBeautifully written! With all the darkness in the world God refreshed us with a Paul and Silas moment. I too rejoiced on the day of the release. What a powerful moment... And from the mouths of babes. The true blessings of today. God is good!!!
ReplyDeleteKeep writing.. What a gift!
-Camber
aww that's sweet (the prayers of the children) Prayer boxes! what a great idea for when I start children's church soon. thank you Sheila!
ReplyDelete