Oxygen

Anyone who has flown commercially has heard the mandate to “put the mask on yourself and then help the child in the seat beside you.” Daily prayer in parenting is similar to putting on an oxygen mask. It is an opportunity to fill up in the presence of God. A daily prayer time is recentering: it is the best re-set button. Cultivating a daily prayer time is one of the best things we can do for our children. 

“Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.”

James 5:13-18 NIV

What if we could all learn to pray like this? Like Elijah. He prayed that it would not rain, and it did not rain for three and a half years. What if we as parents learned to pray powerful, effective prayers? James says the prayers of a righteous person (someone whose life lines up with their professed belief in Jesus) are powerful and effective. So a part of prayer is how we live after the Amen. 

How does that work if our standing with God is not about what we do? How can we rest in the power of God and also follow the example of Elijah?

When we pray, God changes us. When God changes us, we are able to act on what we learned. We are able to align ourselves with God. Then, we receive the blessings of obedience. These blessings spur us on to pray with increased intensity or purpose. God continues to change us and we continue to act based on His truth. It’s an upward spiral of effective prayer from someone who is fueled by the power of the Holy Spirit. It’s not about getting God to act on our behalf, it’s about the changing of our hearts.