It seems that when our children go through struggles, we spend time praying for them.  We spend time thinking about them and worrying.  At time, we become consumed with them and their problems.

Is that healthy?  Is that how God designed prayer?  Actually it isn’t.  Yes, we should pray for our children daily, but God did not design us to be self-absorbed and consumed with our own problems and the problems of our children.  He designed us to be selfless, to think about others, other children and not just our own.

Never did anyone have problems like Job.  He lost all of his wealth and became ill.His friends and  children deserted him.  His wife told him to curse God. He had every reason to cry out to God about his own problems and to feel sorry for himself. And can you imagine how he felt when his own children deserted him?

What did Job do?  In Job 42:10, it says that Job prayed for his friends.  And when he prayed for his friends, his wealth was restored.  Job put others before himself.

There is a biblical law called the Law of Sowing and Reaping.   Galatians 6:7 says,

“… A man reaps what he sows”.

Every time someone chooses an action, he also chooses a consequence. And every time we pray for others we are sowing and reaping prayer.

When my children were in elementary school, I worked in children’s ministry at our church.  The head of the department once told us that as we pray and minister to  the children in our class, then  God would send others to pray and minister to our children.  And I have seen that over and over as I worked with and prayed for others.  Maybe a teacher would take a special interest in my kids.  Maybe God would send a mentor that helped my children in a significant way.  And I can say that this principle works.  My daughter was a missionary teacher who is stateside teaching in an elementary school, and my son is leading worship for our church’s youth group.

So today, I encourage you to make a difference in a child who is not your own.  Pray for them and God will send others to pray for yours.

Remember 1 Timothy 2:1,

“First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgiving, be made on behalf OF ALL MEN.