Pray and Praise

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."  Romans 12:12

CHORUS:

And I'll praise you in this storm

and I will lift my hands

for You are who You are

no matter where I am

and every tear I've cried

You hold in your hand

You never left my side

and though my heart is torn

I will praise You in this storm. 

My kids will (and have) faced a few storms in their lives, and I can probably guarantee them that there will be more to come.

I remember when Lyss was just a few months old, and not old enough to roll over yet (or so I thought), and she fell of my huge waterbed.  I was curling my hair in the bathroom and would poke my head out between curls, make her laugh, and then stick my head back in the bathroom to make another curl.   Next thing I knew I heard a cry and found my baby on the floor.  Oh my heart stopped.  Being the first time mom that I was I immediately called the doctor and rushed her to the office to get checked out.  The pediatrician was sweet as she looked over baby Alyssa, and was good at comforting this anxious and guilt ridden mom.  Before we left she said, "Tresa, this will not be the last time your baby will fall and get hurt, nor will it be the worse, and she will survive."

Yes, Alyssa and Kyle will fall and go through storms in their lives, and sometimes it will hurt a little and sometimes it will hurt a lot.  However, if they can "be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer" they will survive these storm and gain a treasure worth its weight in gold...a deeper relationship with God.

I pray that our kids learn to pray to Him AND praise Him in the storm.

Lord, I pray that in the storms of life Alyssa and Kyle find themselves joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer.  As a mother, I always want to ask you to protect them through those falls and storms, but I also ultimately hope that they are refined, stretched, and grown into who you want them to be.  Lord, I pray that Alyssa and Kyle learn to trust you with all their heart, and never lean on their own understanding, but in all their ways (and through all their storms) acknowledge you, for I know and trust that you will make their paths straight.  May Alyssa and Kyle always pray to you and praise you in the storms.  Amen.