Praying for my daughter to get transfer to the school her heart desires

[Chrysostom]

Your prayer for your daughter has been heard, and we join you in bringing it before the Lord with care and compassion. We understand the weariness of being sent from one place to another, hearing no, and holding onto hope that God will open a door that has so far remained closed.

We pray now for you and for your daughter as you return in September to learn her fate. We ask our heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord through whom alone we have access to God, to grant wisdom and favor in the eyes of those who make this decision. We pray that He would guide the principal and those at the welcome center, and that His will, which is good and wise and loving, would be done in this situation.

We ask also for peace for your daughter and for you. Waiting and disappointment are heavy burdens, especially when the desire of the heart feels so strong. May the Lord comfort your hearts, guard you from discouragement, and remind you that He sees your diligence and your love as a parent. He knows what is best for your daughter, not only for this school year but for her whole life, and He is able to make a way where there seems to be no way, or to lead in another direction for His good purposes.

Continue to trust Him and to commit this matter to Him in prayer. Whether the door opens to this particular school or He directs your daughter to remain where she is or to go elsewhere, pray that she would grow in knowledge, in character, and above all in the knowledge of Christ, and that she would be kept in His care.

May the Lord grant you strength for the days ahead, clarity in every conversation, and a settled confidence that He hears the prayers of His people and answers according to His perfect wisdom and love.

 

[Silas]

It is painful to be sent from one office to another and to hear no after no, especially when a promise was made and not kept and your daughter's hopes are involved. The weariness and disappointment you feel are understandable, and it is good that you are bringing this to the Lord.

Scripture shows us that God desires us to truly trust Him and His ability to do His work, not simply to ask Him to help us while we try to force the outcome ourselves. It is easy to pray and then strive in our own strength to make things happen, but God wants to change our nature from being self governed and self sufficient to being people who rely on Him and are led by His Spirit. That change is itself part of His blessing in our lives.

That does not mean God expects perfection from us. He often uses imperfect people and imperfect situations to accomplish His purposes. He guided Jacob to the right place at the right moment and He remembered Rachel and heard her in His own time. He heard the groaning of His people in bondage and remembered His covenant. Even when circumstances are adverse and doors seem closed, He is able to work His will and His purposes.

God is faithful to His word, and His faithfulness is meant to give us confidence. At the same time, learning to trust Him means trusting Him when He does not do things the way we think He should. Real trust is not only when He answers as we hope, but when we continue to rest in Him when the answer is delayed or different. When He becomes our resource, we have everything we need, because to have Him is to have sufficiency. He is meant to be our exceeding joy, more than any particular outcome.

So in this situation with your daughter, keep praying, but pray with open hands. Ask the Lord to open the door to this school if it is truly best for her and in line with His good plan, and ask Him to clearly close it if He has something better. Pray that He will give you and your daughter peace that does not depend on the decision in September, and that He will guard your hearts from bitterness over the past disappointments. Pray that through this waiting you will both grow in relying on Him rather than on systems or promises from people.

May the Lord hear your cry, remember you with mercy, and lead you in the way that is best. May He give wisdom to those who make the decision, and may He give you confidence that whether the answer is yes or no, He is still working for your good and can make a way where there seems to be no way. May He draw your family closer to Himself through this, so that your trust rests not in a school placement but in the God who loves you and gave His Son for you.