#momlife in Him

Heading into this week with gusto, I was hopeful that we were putting our five-week streak of sporadic sickness behind us.  I made an effort to spend part of my Sunday getting organized with a plan and a to-do list.  The past month has been a whirlwind of a new school for my older boys, Christmas, a ski trip, birthdays, and, unfortunately, intermittent sicknesses.  I was reinvigorated and ready to reset.

At 3am Sunday night, my three-year-old Benji walks into our bedroom and says his tummy hurts and throws up – somehow the sweet thing makes it to the toilet in the midst of my husband's and my half-awake, stumbling confusion.  His preschool teacher at church had told me earlier that day that he had licked the bottom of his shoes in defiance during class, so I couldn’t help but think this was payback.  Monday was a holiday, and we took it easy, thinking we were on the up-and-up headed into Tuesday.  Tuesday morning arrives, and we are all dressed, ready to go, for one of those days you’re going to leave the house at 7:30 and not return until evening – lunches are packed, everything’s organized and in the car.  As we are all getting on shoes, Benji throws up all over the kitchen.  “Ok God… I guess this is what You have for me today… again.”  I reschedule the day’s plans, some of them having already been rescheduled 3+ times before, and I get into sweats.  My oldest comes home later that day with a fever and is down and out with some other type of bug.  What?!?  Why?!?  I just want to get a few things done and get out of the house!!!

It’s now Thursday, and I’ve literally cancelled everything I had on the calendar this week.  I’ve been inside on these beautiful Colorado 50-degree days.  I’ve cleaned up every bodily fluid you can name except for blood, thank God.  As I’m getting my oldest tucked into bed for a nap, I turn on his music and an upbeat Bible verse song comes on.  I hum along to it and realize I’m singing “in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you”.  Haha, ok God, You’re funny!  I see what You’re doing.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

When God speaks to you like that, you better think and pray on it.  So, with a third cup of coffee (why not?) and an unknown amount of time until I would get interrupted, I sat down with God.

Lord, I rejoice that You sent Your one and only Son for me.  I certainly can’t achieve the perfection You require on my own.  Hello?  I can’t even help but be frustrated that my poor kid is sick and that I have to give up what I want.  I rejoice that with Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I know where I am going (heaven-bound, baby!) and that the sufferings of this life are not compared to what is coming (Romans 8:18).  I can’t wait to see You, Jesus, face to face!  God, Your grace is sufficient for me.  What You’ve done through Your Son on the cross and through His resurrection from the dead is all I really need.  You have done so much more though.  You somehow, for some reason, want fellowship with me.  You WANT to spend time with ME!  You are here with me and I’m with You, and whatever You allow in my life, I just want to please You while I’m in it.

I can’t pray every waking moment of the day, but I can certainly talk to You and trust You all day long, knowing You are always there.  You just want me to abide with You and come to You with my rejoicing and thanksgiving but also with my heartaches and frustrations – the big ones and the small ones.

Lord, I am thankful for You and the blessings You have so abundantly poured out.  Thank You for Your Word that sustains me and leads me through the ups and downs.  Thank You that the time I spend in Your Word on good days helps prepare me for bad days like this.  Thank You for Disney+, that I can so easily entertain my kids when they are sick so I can spend time with You to get refreshed and be ready to serve them the next time bodily fluid erupts out or when they are so full of energy despite the thermometer saying 102.  Thank You that we only have tummy bugs and head colds.  Thank You for knowing exactly what I’d need, before I knew I even needed it, and for reminding me of Your love for me through my Bible studies this week.  Thank You for a husband who helps take some of the burden so I can take a bath or go to church.  Thank You for mid-week church service, solid Bible teaching, and a fellowship of believers who loves our family and provides comfort and encouragement when I need it most.  Thank You for friends that check in on me, send funny memes, and bring flowers just because.  Thank You for making me a mom  – that I can get just a glimpse of the unconditional love You have for me, and thank You for teaching me, through motherhood, to be more flexible and gracious in circumstances I can’t control that are, quite frankly, gross.  Thank You also for my mom who loved me through it all too.

Then verses 19-22 say: “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.”

Oh man!  I quench the Spirit when I’m frustrated, angry, harsh, or even when I just withdraw and am a quiet pouter.  I don’t want to do that.  Lord, fill me afresh with Your Spirit, that I may pour love, patience, and kindness on these precious children, even when they puke at 3am.

I will delight in Your Word, Lord, and will mediate on it day and night (Psalm 1:2), and I will not despise it.  I will hold fast to Your Word as You are good, and You know what’s best for me because You know all of me – the past, present, and future – and You created me for a purpose.  I will do my best to test all things against what You say in Your Word and will try to abstain from what is evil, but You know I will screw up.  When I do, I will repent and return to You, because You are good.

In texting with mom friends this week, it’s been abundantly clear that many families are dealing with sickness, and I so wanted to share how God has comforted me in hopes it comforts some of you too (or at least makes you laugh at the "joys" of motherhood, ha!)  You are loved!

“You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.” Isaiah 26:3

“But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31

Prayer Series 10: In Jesus Name

At the end of so many prayers, we hear and say: “in Jesus' name we pray, amen.”  Why?  Well, it’s not just a traditional, canned ending to prayers.  In the book of John, Jesus Himself emphasized the importance of praying in His name when teaching the disciples how to pray.

"And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” John 14:13-14

"You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.” John 15:16

These are promises straight from Jesus Himself!  “Whatever” we ask.  “Anything” we ask.  Wow!  There is power when we pray in the name of Jesus.

So what’s in a name?

It’s because of Jesus that we even have the opportunity to pray in the first place.  When He gave His life for us on the cross and rose from the dead three days later, He restored His original design for humankind – that we can have a direct relationship with Him.  We are no longer under the law and separated from Him by sin, but through His free gift of salvation we are forgiven of our sin when we believe He is God.  We can now commune directly with God Himself, and that means we can talk directly to Him through prayer, just like a relationship with a close friend.  It’s because of Jesus’ precious blood that we even have the privilege to call upon the Father, anytime, anywhere.

“For through Him (Jesus) we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.” Ephesians 2:18

His Spirit lives in us.

When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, He makes His home in us.  His Spirit dwells in us.  We are no longer ourselves, but Christ who lives within us (Galatians 2:20).  It’s the Helper or the Holy Spirit who God the Father sent in Jesus’ name that teaches us all things and is always with us.

"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” John 14:26

"Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.” John 16:7

Jesus was comforting His disciples with accepting His coming earthly departure in this verse as the Spirit would later come to allow each and every person direct access to God all of the time, above and beyond what Jesus could do as one man, in one place, at any given time.

"And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” John 16:23-24

As a new creation in Christ, we now have His Spirit in us.  Just like a woman who takes her husband’s name in marriage, we now take on the name of Christ when we accept Him as our Lord and Savior.  We pray in His name as His humble and obedient children because we love Him.  Andrew Murray says it beautifully in his book “Teach Me to Pray”: “To pray in the name of Jesus is to pray in unity and in sympathy with Him.  Such prayer has power.  If with Jesus you glorify the Father, the Father will glorify Jesus by doing what you ask in His name.”

The Spirit in us prays on our behalf, and Jesus intercedes and advocates for us with God the Father.

“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He (Jesus) makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” Romans 8:26-27

He rose from the dead, is alive, and lives to forever intercede for us at the right hand of the Father.  It’s Him that is really doing the asking and taking our requests to the Father when we pray, receiving those requests from the Spirit who lives in us.

How amazing is it that we have the power of Jesus in us?  Before Jesus promised that the Father will give us “whatever” and “anything”, He said:

"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.” John 14:12

Our strength and power IS Jesus.  He alone is the power of prayer.  It’s in His name prayer is powerful.  It’s nothing we’ve done or earned, it’s all Him.  What a privilege it is to pray!

So, is it about ending each prayer with the memorized phrase of: “in Jesus name, amen?” just to sound all churchy?  No!  Like anything concerning our relationship with God, it’s not about checking the box, but rather your heart’s motivation.  When you pray, acknowledge from the depths of your heart and mind that it’s through Jesus that you can even pray in the first place.  Picture Jesus sitting at the right hand of God praying on your behalf.  Have confidence that when you are praying God’s will (His Word), in unity with Jesus, that you will receive what you ask.  Allow these truths to sink into your heart and change your heart’s approach to praying, and come to your Lord in gratitude and adoration.  The next time you say, “in Jesus name,” your heart will be outpouring praise versus it just being the typical ending to your prayers. 

“Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” Hebrews 7:25

“It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.” Romans 8:34