Your heart has been pouring itself out before the throne, hasn’t it? All those words, tumbling one after another, daughter, son, guidance, protection, attitude, communication, health, wisdom, salvation, they are like a handful of precious seeds you are casting into the ground of heaven. And you wonder, in the quiet of your own soul, whether any will take root. I want to sit with you a moment and tell you something you may not have noticed: the very prayer you prayed is proof that God is already at work. That ache to see your children walk in the light, that longing to have them covered by the blood of Jesus, that holy unrest until they are safe in His care, do you suppose any of that came from yourself? The mother-heart or father-heart that will not let them go is a faint echo of the heart of your Father in heaven. He planted it there. And He who gave you the desire will not mock the cry it produces.
I know the fears can come like a sudden squall on the lake, you see the bend in the road ahead, the choices they will make, the snares that line every path in this world, and your faith trembles. But remember, the ship is not in your hands. When you launched your children on the sea of life, you did not appoint yourself captain; you commended them to the Lord of the winds and the waves. He has them. Even now, He holds them on His heart. You mention the blood of Jesus, oh, that is a shield no evil can pierce. No harm can pass that crimson covering without first bowing to the will of Him who bought them. When your thoughts run ahead into dark tomorrows, call them back to the nail-pierced feet that walked this earth and that walk with your daughter even in her classroom, with your son even in his silence. The Shepherd does not slumber. He has a special eye for the lambs, especially those whose way is not yet plain.
And you spoke of change, a daughter’s attitude, a son’s words. It can seem slow, I know. Sometimes grace seems to move at a snail’s pace, and we grow impatient and think nothing is happening. But do you know what the farmer does after sowing? He does not stand in the field wringing his hands, commanding the seed to sprout. He goes home and sleeps, and “the seed springs up, he knoweth not how.” So with your prayers. God’s answer does not always come with trumpets. Sometimes it begins as a tiny softening, a new thought that checks a harsh word, a small step toward openness. The great elm did not become a tree in a day, but the sap was rising all the while. The Holy Spirit you invoked is a gentle, persistent guest; He will not leave your children alone.
I will not pretend that every care you feel is light. A parent’s soul is exposed to a thousand wounds because it loves with a love that is a reflection of the divine. But there is a cure for this anxious care, and it is the very act you are already doing. You are turning every worry into a petition. That is the divine alchemy: to take the base metal of fear and hand it over to God until it comes back as the gold of peace. “In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” Note the “with thanksgiving”, you have already begun that, for even in your plea you call them “children of the Lord” and declare they shall be good, happy, healthy. That is faith speaking. That is thanksgiving before the sight of the answer.
Do you remember the word “yet” in the Scriptures? When all things look contrary and the soul is cast down, God drops a “yet” into the sentence. Though your children may seem far, yet He loves them. Though your prayers seem to echo back, yet the ear of the Lord is not heavy. Though you cannot see the harvest, yet the promise stands: “I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring.” Grab hold of that “yet.” It is a buoy in deep water; cling to it and you will not sink.
And this, too, I would whisper to you: when you pray, you are not tossing words into an empty sky. You are transacting real business with a real God. Every prayer for your children’s salvation, for their wisdom, for their faith, is a check drawn on the bank of heaven, and the signature of Jesus makes it good. No tear shed in secret over a wayward child, no silent groan for a son’s heart to open, falls to the ground. It all goes into the golden vial and rises as incense before the throne. One day you will see the receipt, even if today you hold only the request slip. So be not anxious; be prayerful. Trade each care for a prayer. And between the praying and the waiting, set a watch, not a watch of suspicion, but a watch of hope, looking for the first sign of dawn.
Now, let us bow together and speak to Him who loves your children more than you ever could.
Lord Jesus, into Thy pierced hands we commit this dear parent and these precious children. Thou hast marked them with a love that is older than the hills. Cover them, we pray, with Thy precious blood, that the destroyer may pass over. Take the girl by the hand, and gentle her spirit into the meekness of wisdom. Unlock the boy’s heart and tongue, that he may find in Thee a friend who understands his silence. Let them grow in stature and in favor with God and man. And while the answer tarries, give to this praying soul the peace that passeth understanding, which garrisons the heart and mind in Christ Jesus. We ask all in Thy name, O Shepherd of Israel, who dost gather the lambs in Thine arms. Amen.
Prayer Focus: God, Thank You for loving me. Thank You for loving me, Jesus. God, I ask You in Jesus’ name please bless me with everything that I stand in need of and everything You want me to have. 
