Dear Kate & Annabeth,

Because I love you, and because I believe wholeheartedly in God’s love for you, I pray for both of you very often – almost every day.  I try to pray for you in the mornings and often throughout the day.  Sometimes we get to pray together in the car, around the table, or before you go to sleep, and nothing makes my heart smile bigger!  I pray many things for you – for the Lord to draw you to Himself and use you for His glory, for your protection – physical, mental, and emotional, for your desire to know God and to hunger for His Word (the Bible), for your friendships, for your teachers, for your attitude and behavior, for God’s grace to cover the places I fail you in my parenting.  You are so richly blessed that your Daddy, Granna, and many other family members and friends pray for you, as well!  Here are two specific passages from the Bible I often pray over you (inserting your names as they fit):

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.  For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.  – Colossians 1:9-14

I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.  And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.  Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever!  Amen.  – Ephesians 3:16-21

The Bible tells us to pray without ceasing, at all times, with perseverance (1 Thessalonians 5:17, Ephesians 6:18).  I love seeing both of you growing in your ability and desire to pray.  Prayer holds great power and is one of the greatest gifts we can give.  In our easily offended society, I’ve never had anyone to counter with an angry or offended response to an offer of prayer.  Remember that as you go out to shine your light into a world that all too often seems downcast and hopeless.  When you say you will pray, do it – right then, if possible.  If not, jot a reminder to pray later.  Follow up, and tell people you are praying for them; there is no greater encouragement!

When you’re on the mountaintop or when trials come – and they will – take heart in knowing that you have been covered in prayer from the time before you were even born.  One day, I’ll make a list of all the answered prayers I’ve seen in each of your lives. How truly amazing and awe-inspiring that we are loved by a God who knows us personally and listens to and answers our humble prayers!

All my Love,

Mama