Everything is Possible for Her who Believes

Sharon Jaynes 

 

Everything is possible for him who believes, (Mark 9:23 NIV).

Once, a distraught father had an unruly son with multiple physical and emotional problems. Many people even said the boy was possessed by a demon. The dad had tried everything, but the boy continued to demonstrate anti-social behavior: throwing himself in the fire and then in water.

That sort of behavior, on top of frequent seizures, rolling on the ground, foaming at the mouth, and an inability to talk, made the dad desperate to find a solution. He even took the boy to some faith healers who were traveling through his hometown. But nothing seemed to work.

Finally, the dad realized no human being was going to be able to help his son, so he took him directly to God. The father heard that Jesus was visiting in his community, so he boldly brought the boy to Him. With desperation in his voice the father pleaded, “If You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!”

And Jesus answered, “If You can! All things are possible to him who believes.”

Immediately the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe: help my unbelief.”

With that profession, Jesus healed the man’s son.

Oh how this story from Mark 9 stirs my heart. Can’t you feel the father’s pain? How desperately he must have felt every time the child threw himself into the water or the fire. “Why, Son? Why do you do these things? I don’t understand,” he must have asked.

Imagine the humiliation of the whispers as the family walked down the streets. “That’s the Jones family. Have you heard about their son? He’s….” The stares, the snickers, the off-color comments.

Don’t you know there were many days when this dad wanted to just give up? Instead, he offers us a beautiful picture of what all parents must do, the ultimate act in parenting – hand our children over to God.

As mothers, at time we find ourselves at the end of our mental and emotional resources. We feel we have done everything humanly possible and don’t know the best action to take with our children.

That’s exactly where God wants us every day: not depending on our human wisdom but on His unfathomable omniscience, not depending on our own strength but on His unlimited power. When we realize that we do not and never will have all the child-rearing answers and solutions, we discover the importance of giving our children to God.

S.D. Gordon, in Quiet Talks on Prayer, said, “You can do more than pray, after you have prayed. But you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed.”

In my Bible, I keep a 4 x 6 laminated card with prayers for Steven that I have prayed for 29 years. (Yes, he is that old. Mercy!) You, too, can pray that your children will:

• Know Christ as Savior early in life. (Psalm 63:1, 2Timothy 3:15)
• Have a hatred for sin. (Psalm 97:10)
• Be caught when guilty. (Psalm 119:71)
• Be protected from the evil one in each area of their lives: spiritual, emotional, and physical. (John 17:15)
• Have a responsible attitude in all their interpersonal relationships. (Daniel 6:3)
• Respect those in authority over them. (Romans 13:1)
• Desire the right kind of friends and be protected from the wrong friends. (Proverbs 1:10-11)
• Be kept from the wrong mate and saved for the right one. (2 Corinthians 6:14-17)
• Be kept pure until marriage (as well as the one they marry). (1 Corinthians 6:18-20)
• Learn to totally submit to God and actively resist Satan in all things. (James 4:7)
• Be single-hearted, willing to be sold out to Jesus Christ. (Romans 12:1-2)
• Be hedged in so they cannot find their way to wrong people or wrong places and that the wrong people cannot find their way to them. (Hosea 2:6)

Let’s Pray
(For those who have children still at home)
Dear God, today, I once again bring my child to you. Please show me how to parent this precious gift that you have given me. Help me to be the best mother that I can be. I pray that Your Holy Spirit will teach me, Your wisdom will guide me, and Your love will move me. Most of all, Lord, I give this child to You. Please make him (her) a servant after Your own heart.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

(For those with grown children)Dear God,
My child is no longer under my roof or under my wing. He (She) is now out in the world making life decisions of his (her) own. I give this adult child to You, Lord. May he (she) seek You with all his (her) heart. I pray that You will protect him (her), guide him (her), and open his (her) heart to the truth of God’s Word every day.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

What do You Think? 
Make a list of things about your child over which you have no control.

Now turn that list into a prayer and relinquish each item of concern to God.

Remember Jesus’ reply to the Father when He said, “If you can do anything…” Write today’s key verse down and commit it to memory.

Click over to my blog page and tell me the names of your children. Then let’s pray for each other’s children. Pray for the ones above your entry. If you don’t have children, list the name of 1-2 children that you pray for regularly (nieces, nephews, neighbors).

Want More? 
Being a parent is the most difficult, rewarding responsibility that God has entrusted to us. I am so glad that He doesn’t leave us to figure it out all on our own, but gives us the Bible as the ultimate handbook. If you would like to discover seven key elements of great parenting, see my book, Being a Great Mom-Raising Great Kids.

And if you would like your own laminated prayer card, you can find that in the store section of my webpage as well.

Meet Sharon

Sharon Jaynes has been encouraging women through ministry for over twenty-five years. From the time she met Christ as a teenager, she fell in love with God’s Word and has had a passion to equip women to live fully and free (John 8:32; John 10:10). Her passion is toencourage, and empower women to walk in courage and confidence as they grasp their true identity as a child of God and a co-heir with Christ.

For ten years Sharon served as Vice President of Proverbs 31 Ministries and co-host for their daily radio feature. She is the author of 17 books with Harvest House, Moody, and Multnomah Publishers (see resource page for details). She has also written numerous magazine articles and devotions for publications such asFocus on the Family, Extraordinary Women, Decision,Crosswalk.com and In Touch. Sharon is a frequent guest on radio and television programs such as Revive Our Hearts with Nancy Leigh DeMoss, Family Life Today with Dennis Rainey, and Focus on the Family.

Besides her own books, she has also been a contributing author in many books such as Chicken Soup for the Sports Fan’s Soul, Stories for the Teens Heart, Stories for the Man’s Heart, and the Women’s Devotional Bible. Her books have been translated into several different languages including Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, and Korean

Sharon is the co-founder of Girlfriends in God, Inc., a non-denominational ministry that crosses generational, denominational and racial boundaries to bring the Body of Christ together as believers. She, along with her ministry partners, Mary Southerlandand Gwen Smith, provide daily on-line devotions read by approximately 400,000 subscribers and turn-key conferences packages

Now what you really want to know…

That was the  official bio, and honestly, it makes me sound a lot more studious and accomplished than I really am. So let me tell you what you really need to know.

I’m just a simple gal raised in eastern North Carolina who loves the beach, drinks too much sweet tea and is still crazy about her husband after thirty-two years.  If there was ever a situation where I had to run for my life, I’d just plan on meeting Jesus because I wouldn’t get very far. The treadmill is becoming my new friend, but we’re not all that chummy yet.

I have one grown son that lives 767.5 miles away (yes, I timed it). Being his mom has been one of the greatest joys of my life, but he grew up without my permission. Seriously, he is a creative whipper-snapper whom God has used to teach me many life lessons.

When I write my blogs, women always say, “how did you know exactly what I am going through.” My answer is always the same, “because I’m going through the very same stuff you are.” I don’t have it altogether and I certainly don’t have all the answers. But I do know the One Who does, and there’s nothing I love better than grabbing hold of a sister’s hand and learning how to live fully and free in Christ together.

A Note From Sharon

“We women today face many struggles and challenges trying desperately to balance our varied roles and responsibilities. If you’re like me, you’re looking for peace in the chaos of life, perspective among the cultural clattering that daily bombards us, and purpose that brings true fulfillment. I’ve discovered there’s only one place to find peace – it’s God peace; there is only one place to find a proper perspective – it’s God’s truth; and only one place to find true fulfillment – in discovering God’s purpose for my life.

One of my greatest joys has been having the privilege of watching God change women’s lives: setting the captive free, mending broken hearts, or opening the eyes of a new believer for the very first time. Whether it is a person’s first experience with the Savior or a seasoned saint growing deeper in her faith, my passion is to tell women about the truth that will set them free to be all that God has intended for them to be in Him (John 8:32; John 10:10).

My prayer for each life that I have the privilege of touching is “that they will be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:2-3).

- Sharon Jaynes

http://sharonjaynes.com/everything-is-possible-for-her-who-believes/