Pray Like Jesus In Tough TimesSample

One day sorting through laundry, I discovered a cigarette in the wash and called the kids into the living room, where I was sitting on the floor folding clothes. I silently held up the evidence.

One of my kids blurted out, “Don’t worry! He’s quit!”

Quit? Quit implied this had been a practice for some time. Quit also implied an addiction. 

I prayed big-time that day, releasing my children to God’s hands. After all, his are much bigger than mine. While we cannot control what others will do or what will happen to them, we can pray like Jesus did in others’ behalf. 

Later in the Upper Room prayer Jesus interceded on behalf of two groups of people: the disciples who had been following him and those who would come to faith in Christ in the future—in other words, you and me. In this part of the prayer, he specifically interceded in several ways, asking that:

• God would protect them by the power of Jesus' name.

• They would be one just as Jesus and the Father are one.

• They would have joy.

• They would become without fault—sanctified.

• They would join the Father and Jesus in heaven.

• Christ’s love would be in them.

On that day when I knew monkey business was going on in our home, I didn’t stop parenting. I didn’t stop setting boundaries. But I did amp up my prayer time in my children’s behalf. Just as Jesus relinquished his disciples to the Father, I gave over my kids to God and began partnering with God in prayer for them. Prayer, I believe, is the best problem-solving strategy . . . and is the best thing we can do for those we love.