I don’t always know how to put into words what is going on in my head, but here goes.

I have three children all 16 years or less and, of course, still living at home. Two of the three children have given testimony that they are believers in the gospel of Christ. I’ve been praying for the redemption of the other one. But I had this conflict of thoughts.

I knew that God chooses to save whomever He chooses and that His choice is apart from our performance. But because of my love for all of my children, I was begging God for the eternal soul of the one who had not yet come to Him.  So I prayed earnestly to God for my child, knowing all the while that God has chosen from the foundation of the world whomever He will save. (Ephesians 1:4) No amount of begging on my part (my performance) will change what God is going to do. Yet, His word also says, “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” (James 5:16b) I know that I am called to pray for my child.

I cannot manipulate God by my prayers, but I also know that His word says that He will be the God of those that trust in Him. And He has promised to be God to the children of believers as well. (Acts 2:39)

So how was I to pray? I was so confused.

Our current study for our women’s group is Heirs of the Covenant by Susan Hunt. In her first chapter she discusses God’s promise to Moses in Exodus 6:7 “I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.” God then delivers the Israelites from Egyptian slavery and Moses goes up to meet God on Mount Sinai. There God gives Moses the Ten Commandments on the tablets of stone. But by the time Moses comes down from the mountain the foolish Israelites had fashioned a golden calf and worshipped it. God tells Moses to get out of the way, because He is going to destroy the Israelites (Ex. 32:10). But Moses pleads with God not to destroy them for His glory’s sake and for the sake of the Covenant God had made with Abraham, Isaac, and Israel (Ex. 32:12-13).

God punishes the people for their wickedness and then tells Moses to depart from the place where they had been camped. He tells Moses that he is to take the people to the land that He had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but that He will not go with them because He may “consume [them] on the way,” because they are a “stiff-necked people”. (Ex. 33:3)

Upon hearing that God would not go with the people, they began to mourn. Moses again pleads with God, “Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people.” (Ex. 33:13) Moses’ pleading with God is not based on his righteousness or the people’s performance. Moses asks God for what He has already promised. He understands that God cannot deny Himself and that He will always keep His covenant with His people.

Yesterday as I was making my final preparations to lead our Women’s Bible Study, it struck me that I should pray as Moses prayed. God has promised that He will be our God, and that we will be His people. His promise is to us and to our children and to those who are far off. (Acts 2:39) I found myself crying out to God for the soul of my child and claiming the promise that God Himself has made. I did not come to Him presumptuously or demanding He fulfill His promise. But I did ask Him with confidence, knowing that He is faithful to what He has said that He will do. I can count on the character of God. A great peace and rest came over me as God taught me a profound lesson about trusting Him, especially with the souls of my children.

Last night after Bible study, my precious godly husband shared with me a conversation he had with our child, for whom I had been praying. He told me how a couple of weeks ago our son had been wrestling with his sin and had asked for God to forgive him. He shared with me that he is now a believer in Christ and desires to become a part of His church.

All I can do is sit in WONDER at the magnificence of my God. My heart rejoices because of His faithfulness.