Backyard Blessing Bash

|
Prayer isn’t a skill…  Prayer is an art, and maybe more than that; it is a calling.-Patricia Raybon, I Told The Mountain to Move

To add an exclamation point to our last day of summer, we hosted a backyard-blessing bash on Sunday afternoon.  Some of our favorite families gathered in the steamy ninety-degree heat to celebrate one final day of freedom, and perhaps, more importantly, to seek God’s blessing over the one-hundred-and eighty days of school that lie ahead.

Dozens of legs- big and little- bounced off energy in the jump house (kindly provided by our dear friends Brandon and Allie) while just as many hands hovered around the carpet ball table for a chance to beat the reigning opponent. Capture the flag games, wet and wild contests on the trampoline, hotdogs crammed on the grill—The Spirit of Summer Prevailed! 
     So did the Spirit of Prayer.
Before the night ended in a rush to get kids home for the sudden shock of school-night bedtimes, we gathered the kids into a sweaty circle and stormed the gates of Heaven. Parents poured out  praises and petitions for the school year to come. The prayers were as wide and deep as the parents who prayed them, as simple and beautiful as the families represented in our midst.

Give our children good health, confident spirits, wisdom, a filter of truth, safety on the playground, sensitivity to the lonely, favor in all they do, courage to stand for their Savior, eyes to see Jesus clearly, ears to hear His voice, hearts to obey His call… 

The pleas continued, a battle cry rising to Heaven’s throne. I couldn’t see the Almighty’s army hovering near, but I am confident that angelic warriors surrounded our simple circle. And if we had been given a glimpse of the Commander of Heaven’s Army, I believe we would have seen Him smile as His Son lay nail scarred hands on each and every child in our midst.

We can often bring more to pass by praying than any other form of effort we might put forth. 

   R.A. Torrey, The Power of Prayer and the Prayer of Power

Today’s Overflow: “Pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord. Lift your hands toward Him for the life of your young children.” 
                                  -Lamentations 2:19 
  

Alicia

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.