A Father's Prayer
“I want you to know your son is amazing! It seems there is nothing he does not know how to do. He is so smart and so kind. He changed my life when he came into it.” These words were spoken to me by my son's precious girlfriend. His dad would be so proud, as I was.
When my first husband, Chad, was alive, he loved his family. He bragged about our four sons and me to anyone who would listen. But that is not the only thing he did. He made a mark that will last forever through his prayers. Every night, before each boy went to sleep, he would have prayer time with dad. Chad prayed for each of them individually every night, without fail. The prayer was always the same, “God, give him a hedge of protection around about him and give him wisdom and knowledge beyond his years.” Wow! Did God ever answer those prayers!
“Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.” (Job 1:10 KJV)
Here Satan points out that God has put a hedge around Job. That’s what Chad asked God to do for our boys, and He did! Many times, I have seen things happen that afterward we had to say, “God protected them.”
What I want to focus on is the second half of that prayer, “... give him wisdom and knowledge beyond his years.” Each of our sons is successful, smart, and godly. Each tries to live right, and God rewards them for it. They are not perfect, but they know the Lord and how to repent and God blesses them.
I’m reminded of King Solomon. Solomon had an opportunity to ask God for anything! Solomon asked for wisdom and God gave it to him plus so much more (1 Kings 3:5-14).
Have you ever thought, I wish God would give me the opportunity to ask for anything like He did with King Solomon? Good news, He did!
“If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” (John 15:7)
Chad “cashed in” on the promise of John 15:7. Chad knew what it meant to “abide in” God and His Word, and he did it. He loved God. He spent time in God’s Word and he spent time with God. He learned about God, so he trusted God.
Hebrews 11 lists many Old Testament men and women of faith. They heard from God and chose to believe what He said. God did all that these patriarchs had believed for, even though they did not live to see the totality of that fulfillment.
These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. (Hebrews 11:13)
Neither did Chad. Our boys were still boys when Chad died, but 17 years later, his faith is still evident in their lives. Chad’s prayers are still being answered. God still is protecting these now young men and giving them wisdom and knowledge beyond their years.
Fathers, what will you start believing for and praying over your children? May I challenge you, if you don’t already, pray with and for each of your children daily, and just see what God does!
