Pray One More Time

As we were picking out books to read and getting the covers cozy in the dusk of her bedroom, my then four-year-old daughter asked me out of the blue to pray with her to receive Jesus as her Savior. It was one of the most unexpected answered prayers and joyous moments of my entire life.

I had prayed for her salvation before she was conceived, while she was in my womb, and as we lived our lives together. Her actions were an answer to my prayer and yet such a surprise.

Since that time, we’ve had conversations and read stories about baptism. Since she accepted Christ at such a young age, I wanted her faith and everything associated with it to be of the Spirit’s leading. But every time the subject came up, she made it very clear she wasn’t ready.

I dropped any mention of baptism the last six months. Just like her salvation, I knew she would be ready when she was mature enough to understand and make her own decision. The last thing I wanted to do was to force or manufacture a religion for my child. I desired to live my own faith and prayed she’d experience the same someday.

My daughter will soon be six, and as she slept one night this week, I felt the Holy Spirit nudge me to go in the bedroom and pray over her. I held her sweet face as she breathed deeply. God brought to mind her baptism. I prayed one more time He would lead her to make a faith proclamation when He knew she would be ready, that God would guide her and bring it about. I didn’t mention this prayer to anyone.

The next day during bath time, as I was getting us both ready for bed, she told me she wanted to get baptized and she wanted to do it as soon as possible.

What?!

Didn’t I just pray one more time for God to move in her heart and mind about this? The Spirit led her, and now she’s excited for her family to see her be baptized.

My faith is encouraged by the way she listens to Him. Her faith reminds me how God hears my prayers and intercedes on my behalf and hers.

What in your life do you need to pray about one more time?

Maybe there’s an issue in your life that you grew tired of asking God about because He was silent.

Maybe you have a family member that you used to pray for all the time, but there weren’t any visible signs of an answer so you stopped.

Maybe you used to pray for your children regarding their faith, but those prayers have turned into quick prayers about safety and comfort.

Your prayer doesn’t have to be a response to an issue or a need, but it can be a way to listen to God and respond in prayer on behalf of someone He loves just as much as you. God will show you what He wants you to pray.

We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
Romans 8:26-27 (NIV)

Will you be willing to pray one more time? It can make all the difference — for you and for whom you’re praying.

This time could be when God’s answer comes. And because you said yes to being involved in the prayer, sometimes you get to be involved in His answer and your faith will be increased.

What will you commit to praying for one more time? Share in the comments, and we will join you in praying for God to answer your prayer this time.

God will show you what He wants you to pray. – Stephanie Bryant: