Summer Meltdowns & Asking Jesus to Pray for You
Not even a few hours into summer break and the meltdowns begin. Truth be told, summer’s not to blame for it. School is not to blame for it. It’s just part of growing up. Even us adults have these seasons when the ugly seeps out, right? But still, it’s no fun. Due to consequences of “feistiness”, we have already pulled the plug on the boob-tube for this first week of summer. I’m good with it because they actually treat each other (and me) better when the TV is not even an option.
So, I’m hearing the sibling bickering begin, and I’m seeing the ugly rear its head. My husband and I sat down to debrief about the door slamming in my face and the selfishness and the stuff we just need to help the littles work through right now. I sat on our beat-up rockers and told my husband all about the offenses and the snarls and how it hurts my feelings. He took my hand and just began to pray.
As my husband prayed for me and the kids, you were actually who was on my heart. Whether you are a single mom or a mom who feels single due to tough situations or deployment or travel or lack of spiritual leadership… I just want to speak to you specifically today and say it’s ok to ask God to pray for you. I want to invite you to that place this summer too. In those moments when the kids are hot and sticky and full of a little more sugar than is good for them, take the Lord’s hand and ask Him to pray for you.
One of the promises that comforts me most is that Jesus Himself and the Holy Spirit himself are BOTH interceding and praying for us! So when you just can’t on your own, I know you can at least have enough in you to say, “Jesus, will you pray for me? Holy Spirit, will you pray for me?” And then just take that time to sit with Him in the quiet. You may not hear anything. But you might. A verse or a thought may come to mind. Trust that if it does, that’s God’s voice.
This is a longer passage, but if any of what I am saying is speaking to you, then let the Lord himself speak to you. Take the time to read these carefully chosen, powerful words that He anointed and ordained for you to read this very day. Let them soak in deeper than sunscreen and let them refresh you better than lemonade:
Romans 8:26-39
26And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. 27And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. 28And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 29For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.
31What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 33Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.
35Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36(As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.” 37No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
38And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
If you take me up on this invitation, would you share a little of your testimony. I know it will bless many.
