The Effectual Fervent Prayers of a Righteous Mom Availeth Much

As my first born child turns 16 in a few days, I'm reminded of how he's getting closer to leaving the nest. I have been asking myself what the greatest thing that I can do for him these next few years? I think of so many things like discipline, time, relationship, love, and tons of food. While those things are very important, they don't feel like the most important. I fail at all those things daily! I have made so many mistakes as a parent that it often makes me feel super inadequate as a Mom! 

I can't do this in my own strength, and it's my failures that cause me to realize that prayer is the most important thing I can do for my children!! We have a list of prayers we pray daily for our kids that hangs on Ken's mirror in the bathroom (that prayer list is below). Anytime I look in the mirror I see it and it reminds me to pray for my kids. My main prayer is that God would use all my inadequacies for His good. We have some cracks in our shower, and I think of prayer like the caulk my husband keeps using to fill in the cracks. I am ONLY a righteous Mom because I have been made right with God through Christ, and I'm free from guilt or sin because of his sacrifice for me on the cross. Praise God that I can go before Him directly to petition Him about my children!!

James 5:16King James Version (KJV) 

16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. 

When I found out I was pregnant with Caleb my heart was so full of joy!! I had waited on God for 8 years to make my husband's heart ready for children, and the longer one waits for something the more the anticipation!! I prayed every day for my son when he was in the womb, and continually prayed for his health, his future, and the birth. My water broke at 12:30 am about 2 weeks early. I wasn't having contractions so we thought I had a lot of time. We got to the hospital about 2:30 am, which was after I took a bath, and we went by the ATM at the bank. When they checked me I was already dilated to a 6, and 80% effaced. They were rushing to get some IV's in me because I was a strep carrier. I really had no pain at all with the contractions, and I was peacefully sleeping with worship music going quietly. Caleb was born at 9:50 am, and was a beautiful perfectly healthy 7 lb. baby boy.

Later that night Caleb wouldn't breast feed, and they were supplementing with bottles. I was frustrated, but somewhat grateful to get some sleep. The following day we had a specialist come in to try to help with breast feeding. We tried everything but he still wouldn't so I fed him a bottle. He only took a little bit of formula but then began to spit up green stuff, and he began to chock and gag. We called for the nurse and by the time she came in we realized that it was bile, and he was beginning to turn blue. They rushed him to the nursery, and we felt so much anguish. We began to pray immediately for him to breath, as well as wisdom for the nurses and doctors to care for him. They immediately began to pump his stomach, but didn't know why he was spitting up bile. They did a Barium enema and found that his intestine was swollen. They thought it was a blockage. The doctor came in and told us that they were calling a specialist in from Children's to do surgery at 6 pm that night. I began to cry as my son was only 2 days old. We were so grateful that we had a pastor from our church there, and he began to pray with us.

The doctor from Children's got to our Hospital, and was about to prepare for surgery. They did another Barium enema and the swelling had gone down. They still were concerned that there was a blockage. We began to pray fervently, and we dedicated him right there to God! We thanked God for giving him to our care, but told God that Caleb was His, and we asked that he would release the blockage and restore his health. About 20 minutes before the surgery was scheduled Caleb filled his first diaper which was mostly meconium, and then filled 5 more diapers in 10 minutes. They saw his intestines looked normal so they weren't going to do surgery, but decided they wanted to keep him in NICU for observation, test, and to finish his round of antibiotics he had already started. Thank God the fervent prayers of a righteous Mom (and many other people) availeth much!!

There have been many times since Caleb's birth that left us with nothing else to do but pray. He has been "lost" or separated from us 3 times. One of those times I just heard about a few years ago, but I won't go there!! There is nothing as horrible as the feeling of losing your child. We lost him when he was 5 at the Fort Worth Zoo, when he walked off because he couldn't see us even though we were just a few feet away from him. We found him after about 15 minutes, but that was the scariest 15 minutes of my life. I once again gave him to God, and realized that God knew where Caleb was. I prayed that God would keep Caleb safe, as well as to give me wisdom to know where Caleb could be. We found him at the elephants, because that is the first place I knew he would go. God is faithful to hear the fervent prayers of a righteous Mom!!

He is now 16, and about to be driving!! He got a new truck for his birthday! I will be praying for his continual protection every time he gets in his new truck to drive. I also pray a blessing over my son, and give him continually to God. Ken and I often remind ourselves that God doesn't have grandchildren, and that our children are His! I know that the greatest thing I can do for my kids is to pray to their Heavenly Father, their Creator, and the One that loves them more than I even know is possible! I am so grateful that God is good, and He always hears the Effectual Fervent Prayers of a Righteous Mom!!

Why do the fervent prayers of a righteous man/woman/Mom/Father availeth much? It's not just any prayer, but one who is justified by the righteousness of Christ, and has the truth of grace in him, and lives soberly and righteously; not any prayer of a righteous man is of avail, but that which is "effectual, fervent"; that has power, and energy, and life in it; which is with the Spirit, and with the understanding, with the heart, even with a true heart, and in faith; and which is put up with fervency, and not in a cold, lukewarm, lifeless, formal, and customary way; it availeth much in that it has great value and worth. 

I pray that I would be a righteous Mom with effectual fervent prayers daily for my children! There really is nothing greater that I can do for them then to pray!!

SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

I have 3 books I've read as a parent that have changed my life! Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp, Age of Opportunity by Paul David Tripp, and The Blessing by Gary Smalley and John Trent. 

Scriptural PRAYERS to Pray for Your Children

1. That they will know Christ as Savior early in life. (Psalms 63:1, II Timothy 3:15)

2.  That they will have a hatred for sin. (Psalms 97:10)

3.  That they will be caught when guilty. (Psalms 119:71)

4.  That they will be protected from the evil one in each area of their lives:  spiritual, emotional, physical.  (John 17:15)

5.  That they will have a responsible attitude in all their interpersonal relationships. (Daniel 6:3)

6.  That they will respect those in authority over them. (Romans 13:1)

7.  That they will desire the right kind of friends and be protected from the wrong friends. (Proverbs 1:10-11)  

8.  That they will be kept from the wrong mate and saved for the right one. (II Corinthians 6:14-17)

9.  That they, as well as those they marry, will be kept pure until marriage.  (I Corinthians 6:18-20)

10. That they will learn to totally submit to God and actively resist Satan in all circumstances.  (James 4:7)

11.  That they will be single-hearted, willing to be sold out to Jesus Christ. (Romans 12:1, 2)

12.  That they will be hedged in so they cannot find their way to wrong people or wrong places and that the wrong people cannot find their way to them (Hosea 2:6)