Monday, April 17, 2017

Princesses and Prayers

The other night at bedtime I was praying with my 4-year-old, Jaidyn. About halfway through praying she tapped me on the shoulder. I opened my eyes and she said, “Mommy, will you ask Him to make me a princess when I grow up?” I smiled and continued and shared her request with God.

I’ve been thinking a lot about her request over the last couple of days. I think a lot of us would look at her request and think it’s childish, which it is, and a little over the top, which it is. But something about it makes me pause. 

Sometimes I think I go to God and make my requests known to Him, but in my heart my faith is so weak. Now, I know God is big. I know He is powerful. I know He holds the whole world in his hands. I don’t think it’s always as much of a matter of “Can He”, but “Why would He?” I essentially put God’s “No” on the table for him

I’ve been really struggling a lot with some weaknesses I’ve noticed in my life and some lies from the enemy I’ve been believing.  I have struggled to take these things to God because of the shame and guilt I have felt because of them. I have prayed about them but my belief in him acting on them has been very weak. I have felt like they were just too much. I was doubting God’s ability to forgive me and give me victory over these things. I didn’t so much feel like God could not change my heart and give me victory over these things. I think I struggled to believe that he would want to. Why would he do that for me? My heart is too dark. I don’t love him enough. See, what Jaidyn asked for may seem kind of silly, but the fact is, she believed that He could do it and that He would want to. 


The Lord, in his kindness, brought me to this verse the other day as I was reading Grace Based Parenting... 


“Therefore, since we have a great High Priest who has gone through the 
heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses,
but we have One who has been tempted in every way,
just as we are, yet without sin.
Let us approach the throne of grace with confidence, 
so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
(Hebrews 4:14-16)


This passage has reminded me that we have a mediator, Jesus Christ. He is very much acquainted with the difficult things in this life. He knows our weaknesses because he felt them himself. He understands our temptations because he faced them while he was here. God came to earth and because of that He is able to identify with us. 

He became human. Yet, in his humanity, he never sinned. The temptation he faced never became too great. The weakness he felt never overcame him. 

He died a death that I deserved so that I may have life. Because of the cross, I never have to doubt his love. When the guilt and shame I feel because of my humanity become too much, I can remember that the cross was enough. 

I can go to God with confidence because Christ came in humility.  I can have confidence that his mercy is unconditional and his grace is abundant. Christ sympathizes with our weaknesses and his arms are open wide to receive us when we come to him. 


Jaidyn was asking of God in childlike faith. A faith not weighed down by burdens or doubts. And while God may never make her a princess with a tiara and a castle, I’m praying that one day she will become a daughter of the King.

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