By Brenda Wong
As our four children grew up, I had my share of worries and concerns. At each stage of their lives came new challenges and hurdles to cross. Were they eating well, staying healthy, hanging out with the right friends, getting good grades in school, making wise choices and setting priorities? Were they ready to get a driver’s license, getting into the right college, choosing the right major, landing the best job, relationships and choosing the right mate? Will they have healthy pregnancies and deliveries when grandchildren come? What about their spiritual health and were they seeking God’s will for their lives?
In 1996, our oldest daughter was going off to graduate school, our second daughter was already in college, our son was a senior in high school and about to head to college, and my youngest was in middle school becoming a teenager. They were so far away from home and worries for them just multiplied. In my head I knew what the scriptures said, “Do not be anxious about anything...” We are to pray presenting our requests to God. I had to let go and let God! I had to trust God to watch over and protect our children who had “flown” away, testing wings of their own. I prayed for them daily but somehow I was still worried and anxious.
Then a friend invited me to a prayer group in Castro Valley called Moms in Touch, a gathering of moms in the community who had children in school and met each week to pray for each other, their children, their teachers and schools. I soon realized I was not praying alone but with a group of powerful praying moms. I thought I had faith but not like these women who taught me how to pray. At first I sat in awe, mostly listening to the humble prayers of my sisters as they specifically raised up their concerns for each child, and others would pray in one accord bathing the child in prayer. Over and over again I was reminded that we must pray and believe without seeing or knowing the outcome, to an awesome God who loves our children more than we do, and can do the impossible. I learned to turn over my worries to God who is omnipresent. Prayers were not always answered the way we thought and God often had surprises and turned down our requests, only to open doors to our children in even better ways. His ways are higher than our ways and he wants the best for our family.
God led me to a special mom in Moms in Touch 17 years ago and we are still praying together. We both have three girls and 1 boy in the same birth orders. We met when her second daughter and my youngest were in middle school. When our girls went off to college, we formed a new prayer group Moms in Prayer, a blessed companionship which included praying for our kids in college and beyond. We’ve prayed for the right colleges and grad schools, study abroad programs, landing first jobs, the right marriage partners, weddings and now for the grandchildren to come. With other moms, we are committed to pray for one another each week for an hour, forming a covenant of trust, encouraging one another in our faith journeys. We help each other through trials and rejoice with one another as God answers prayers and builds our faith.
In 1996, our oldest daughter was going off to graduate school, our second daughter was already in college, our son was a senior in high school and about to head to college, and my youngest was in middle school becoming a teenager. They were so far away from home and worries for them just multiplied. In my head I knew what the scriptures said, “Do not be anxious about anything...” We are to pray presenting our requests to God. I had to let go and let God! I had to trust God to watch over and protect our children who had “flown” away, testing wings of their own. I prayed for them daily but somehow I was still worried and anxious.
Then a friend invited me to a prayer group in Castro Valley called Moms in Touch, a gathering of moms in the community who had children in school and met each week to pray for each other, their children, their teachers and schools. I soon realized I was not praying alone but with a group of powerful praying moms. I thought I had faith but not like these women who taught me how to pray. At first I sat in awe, mostly listening to the humble prayers of my sisters as they specifically raised up their concerns for each child, and others would pray in one accord bathing the child in prayer. Over and over again I was reminded that we must pray and believe without seeing or knowing the outcome, to an awesome God who loves our children more than we do, and can do the impossible. I learned to turn over my worries to God who is omnipresent. Prayers were not always answered the way we thought and God often had surprises and turned down our requests, only to open doors to our children in even better ways. His ways are higher than our ways and he wants the best for our family.
God led me to a special mom in Moms in Touch 17 years ago and we are still praying together. We both have three girls and 1 boy in the same birth orders. We met when her second daughter and my youngest were in middle school. When our girls went off to college, we formed a new prayer group Moms in Prayer, a blessed companionship which included praying for our kids in college and beyond. We’ve prayed for the right colleges and grad schools, study abroad programs, landing first jobs, the right marriage partners, weddings and now for the grandchildren to come. With other moms, we are committed to pray for one another each week for an hour, forming a covenant of trust, encouraging one another in our faith journeys. We help each other through trials and rejoice with one another as God answers prayers and builds our faith.