Million Praying Women

Harsh words were spoken at our house this morning. They twisted in my heart like a knife and disappointment brimmed up inside me. How could this one I loved say such things? I 'd been praying for him, wasn't God listening? Didn't my prayers matter?

And then I remembered God's Word to me when I prayed for my rebellious teenage son; Never be shocked out of loving, never lose hope, keep on loving-no matter what. God is still the God of love and hope. He wants me to abound and keep on abounding with hope for those I love-just as He and His Father abounds in hope for me. It's what He did for his disciples-even when they disappointed Him.

When Jesus sat with his disciples at the last supper before he was arrested, " . . . a dispute rose among among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest" (Luke 22:24). At that same meal, Jesus said, "You are those who stood by me in my trials" (Lk. 22:28). Several hours later in the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus asked, "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" (Matt. 26:40). When He was arrested "all the disciples deserted him and fled" (Matt. 26:56).

Then come these words from Jesus as He prays to His Father about His disciples, "You gave them to me and they obeyed your word." That stops me. How could He say that? They weren't obeying when they worried about their reputations or went to sleep when Jesus needed them. And then they ran away. And then I know. Jesus, all knowing and all loving, looks upon us with loving eyes. He sees us when we're like the disciple John who leaned on Jesus breast at the last supper and heard the heartbeat of heaven. He sees us when we deny His Name and say we never knew Him like Peter did at the fire. He sees us in our deepest, most holy moments and in our ugly unholy ones.

Yes, He sees us when we sin. He also sees when we turn and look into his face and weep soul tears. He understands as no one else can the deep longings in our heart. The God of hope never loses hope. "They have obeyed my Word," he said, even when he knows we will sometimes disregard it-deny it-even run from it. But the God of Hope not only sees us as we are now, he sees us as the person He's making us into, the person we long to become.

How then can we can lose hope when we have this God of Hope? How can we lose hope for those He's given us to pray for? Paul prayed this prayer for the Thessalonians, I pray it now for you, "May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. (2 Thes. 2:16, 17).

PRAYER:
Father God, your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ is the God of Hope. Like you, He never gives up on us. Even when we fail, He's right there to pick us up and set us on our feet so we can run and not faint, walk and not be weary.

Lord, none of us wants to fail you but we do it anyway. Will you help us to use our failures as stepping stones to higher ground? Will you help us persevere in prayer for the men we love even when it doesn't seem like anything is happening in their hearts? Will you make them into men of your calling, men who lead and love and stay pure in their marriage vows, men who serve you and their families, their churches and their communities? Will you send them out strong into the world, your men, men you've chosen to use to tell a hurting world that you love them? Lord, we know you will because you said you would and we believe. In Christ's Name. Amen.