All the Difference

In an earlier post, I relayed my love for words- how they work together in phrases and sentences, with definition and sound- succinctly making a point or relaying a truth to ponder.

The American poet, Robert Frost was a master with words, and the last stanza of one of my favorite poems of his comes to mind quite often-

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
“The Road Not Taken”

While I have no idea if Frost was a believer, and certainly nothing in the poem indicates that he was, the beautifully worded concept of the less traveled path takes my mind to the teaching of Jesus in Matthew 7:13-14-

Enter through the narrow gate.
For wide is the gate and broad is the road
that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.
But small is the gate and narrow the road
that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Jesus is pretty clear- according to God’s GPS- there are two navigational choices. One road is broad, and many travel it; the other is narrow, and few find it. One leads to destruction, the other to life.

Jesus calls us to the road less traveled, and that makes all the difference!

Even as we journey on the less traveled path, there are choices and turns that further define and/or narrow how far we go with our Savior- how much of Him and the fullness of God we allow to dwell in us and through us.

And the decisions we make matter.

As I’ve walked God’s road through my life, I’ve loved His Word and the gathering of his people. I’ve thrived and grown through church life, Bible study groups, and serving in various ministries, but the choice that has made one of the biggest differences in my spiritual life is learning the discipline of praying God’s Word and intentionally and fervently practicing this.

I began praying Hebrews 4:12 over my own life-

It wasn’t long before I started looking for scriptures to pray over my kids’ lives. They were inching closer to the edge of the nest, beyond my control- headed to college and life as young adults, making more and more independent choices. They had hopes and dreams- things they wanted to do and accomplish. Mixed in with their desires, I had my own hopes for them to thrive and to know the good plans God had for them, including specifics like education, careers, purpose, marriage, family- all those regular, “good-life” things.

All the while, I began to realize that the more of life they encountered beyond our home- the less power I had in and of myself to make specific things happen, and I knew that really when it came right down to it, it wasn’t mine to control anyway. It was theirs and Gods. My job was to pray and trust.

Praying God’s Word over their lives has taken time and intentionality, but it has been a difference maker!

• It keeps me focused on His will instead of mine. (Romans 12:2)
• He has promised that when we pray according to His will, He hears and answers. (1 John 5:14-15)
• It frees me from worry and paralyzing fear. (Isaiah 26:3)
• It reminds me that my best thought and idea for them is only my best thought and idea. God’s best for them is immeasurably more than I could hope or imagine or think to ask. (Ephesians 3:20)

So from time to time I’ll be sharing some of the PICs I have prayed over my kids. They’ll cover a myriad of topics, as these cards have journeyed with me through college, to careers, and beyond.

The first two I’ll share today are ones I prayed in the early days when they were headed to college and a heavy dose of the world’s influence.

One thing you’ll notice about these scriptures- you don’t have to have an empty nest or even a nest at all to pray these verses. Pray them for your own life or over the life of someone who is near to your heart.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t share this resource as well- Stormie Omartian’s- The Power of Praying for Your Adult Children. The book is one in a series that she has written as prayer helps for specific life seasons and circumstances.

 

I can’t say enough about how it has helped me pray through specific things and topics- some that were obvious, but others I’m not sure I would have thought about on my own. It is full of scripture and guided prayers. I mark and underline as I go through the chapters again and again. The greatest blessing has been to record answers in the margins right beside the date I marked when I first prayed the prayer.

So I encourage you to start today- get the book- make a card- pray God’s Word- 

And see Him work through His Word as He has promised- 

“so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree, and instead of the briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the LORD’S renown, for an everlasting sign, which will not be destroyed.” Isaiah 55:11

to bear much fruit for His glory!