Pray Big for Your Child

While driving in Chicago early this week, I was listening to Moody Radio and heard an interview with Will Davis, Jr., author of Pray Big for Your Child. What caught my attention in the interview was a story the author told that helped inspire this book. (I tried to link to the interview, but since it was this week, that’s not available yet. I will go back to it next week and see if they have a link available to listen to the interview.)

A woman in his church (where he pastors) had a daughter who was having panic attacks on such a scale that she was being removed from public schools and was going to be institutionalized because these attacks were coming with such force and such regularity and no medication seemed to be helping them. On her last day at public school, her mom dropped her off then went to her car and prayed, “God, please just get her through the day.” She felt a stirring response in her heart that said, Is that all you got? ‘Just get her through the day?’ Because I can do that. But I can also do so much more — you just have to ask.

Wow. So, the mom said, “No. That’s not all. Help her thrive today. I want her to have no attacks and to be whole and to THRIVE today.”

Her daughter never had another panic attack, a few months later was removed from all medication, and is now a successful high school student, athlete, and straight-A student.

The pastor then went on to talk about how watered down and muted our prayers typically are. 1 John 5:14-15 assures us that God hears us and answers our prayers. Exodus 32:14 even shows an example of God changing his mind through someone’s prayerful appeal.

In his book, Will Davis, Jr., instructs parents to pray “Big” for their children. Don’t hold anything back. Don’t go to God meekly and say, “Help Bobby have a good life.” Go instead to God and appeal to Him, and say, “Help Bobby thrive in this life. Give him wisdom and knowledge so that he gets good grades and makes good decisions. Ignite a passion for You in his heart so that he places You as head of his life. Let him be a shining light for Your majesty in this dark world. Give him honor and integrity. Give him a good, Godly wife…” etc.

Go to God with faith and with confidence. Pray for your children every day, and don’t be afraid to go “Big”. Don’t be afraid to ask, and have faith. Believe that God hears you and listens to you and considers what you say and for what you ask.

I’m excited about reading this book. I’ve added it and the other books about praying (Pray Big and Pray Big for Your Marriage) by this pastor to my list. If he writes as succinctly as he speaks, then his books can be powerful teaching tools about praying.