I came across this post from August 2013, when my littlest little was about to start kindergarten. With the first day of school looming, I thought it was a good reminder for all of us! That little one is now going into his sophomore year of high school, and I still need to trust what God told me in this post. Enjoy!

Last night as I was trying to fall asleep, I started praying for my kids as they are about to start school next week. I’ve been trying to pull myself up by flip flop straps as I gear up to turn my youngest son loose at school for the first time. I have this irrational fear that as he walks all alone down the first grade hallway to get to his kinder class that those mean first graders are going to pick on him and beat him up. I know first graders are just as fragile as Kinders are. I know it’s ridiculous, but he is my baby and I’m just worried. I know he will be fine — more fine than me for sure — but still, I’m his mama. I’m allowed to worry right?

“God, please please keep him safe. Please please, keep his brother safe too, protect them and keep their hearts close to yours. Please. . .”

The Holy Spirit stopped me gently and brought to attention the state of my prayers. Do you see it? Not only was I begging the Father to protect my kids, I was doing it out of fear rather than trust. I was pleading my case before Him as though He were a dictator, slow to mercy and quick to anger. I took a huge breath of relief when His promises came back to me, over and over again.

Throughout chapters 14-16 of the book of John there are a number of different verses that talk about how the Father will give what we ask in the Son’s name. Here is my favorite for this situation:

John 15:16
“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.”

These kids are actual fruit of my body, and they are even more precious to the Father than they are to me, which baffles me because I love them more than I can describe. But as much as I love them, the Father is the one who breathed them into life. So yes, of course He is going to protect them, and not just because I asked Him to. 

Psalm 36:7
How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

The root of my begging is fear, and the answer to that fear is trust in the Father who has never failed, who promises to protect us and watch over us, and use all things for our good. The enemy thinks he is so crafty, trying to use even my heartfelt prayers to distance me from the Father and doubt that He will fulfill his promises.

So my prayer now is this: “Father, continue to be faithful to protect my children. I know that you have their best future in your hands and I bless them into the plans that you have for them. I ask that you continue to build them up in their faith, that they would be examples to their friends, that they wouldn’t be swayed to the left or the right, but that they would seek hard after you and that you would give them discerning spirits, that you would give them wisdom and open their eyes to the things of the Kingdom. I trust you to watch over them, to guide their footsteps and lead them away from temptation and danger. You are good and your love never fails.”

I encourage you to take stock today and see where the enemy is trying to twist the way you see the Father, and the way you relate to Him. What steps can you take right now to thwart his plans and silence him? Ask the Lord to reveal His truth to you about what’s on your heart, and if you’re sending kids off to school in a few days, remember, God loves them infinitely more than you do. We don’t have to beg Him . . . for anything.