Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Philippians 2:4 NKJV
As caretakers of this moment in time, we have the opportunity to share God’s love by praying for and with others for His will to be done.
When my daughter started middle school, I learned that someone who lived near me was starting a Moms in Prayer (MIP) group. For the three years that followed, she and I met every Friday morning. We prayed for more women to join us.
When the high school years began, God answered our prayers and our group grew to include a total of eight moms! We prayed through all sorts of issues and situations, from friendships to safety concerns and school lockdowns. God intervened with His peace and protection.
One of the moms called us an “unlikely army” and another said, “We’re the caretakers. We need to take care of this moment in time.” We’re exhorted in Philippians 2:4, “Each of you should look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others.” We soon learned that some of the teachers had started to meet weekly for prayer walks throughout the high school, which was more evidence of God at work, pursuing his children. When college was on the horizon, we sought God’s continual guidance and wisdom for my daughter’s future. God was faithful to answer our prayers and helped me and my husband discern the right choice without hesitation.
One of the moms called us an “unlikely army” and another said, “We’re the caretakers. We need to take care of this moment in time.”
Moms in Prayer helped me gain confidence in praying God’s Word and my faith grew tremendously. The guidance of the Prayer Sheets often seemed so applicable to the current situations we encountered. I also felt encouraged knowing there were many other women throughout the world praying for their loved ones, schools, and communities.
This translated into my work as a Child Life Specialist at a pediatric hospital helping children and families struggling with trauma, illness, and loss. I knew children needed prayer and I often felt or sensed God’s supernatural love and presence when I was at a patient’s bedside, especially in critical situations. Sometimes patients shared stories about their extraordinary experiences, such as angelic visitations or heavenly encounters and parents frequently talked about God’s peace and answered prayer.
Hospitalization and illness exposes the fragility of life and is often a catalyst for questioning personal beliefs about God, prayer, and faith. A grandmother of a patient said to me, “The doctors aren’t God, but God is everywhere here.” One mom said she felt her hospital bedside prayers went straight from her lips to God’s ears. Another parent whose child needed a heart transplant explained that she knew her son would be fine and that God was with them, but it was “just something they needed to go through.”
Hospitalization and illness exposes the fragility of life and is often a catalyst for questioning personal beliefs about God, prayer, and faith.
This prompted me to write a devotional for parents of hospitalized children titled, Hospital Prayers, A Devotional for When Your Child Needs Blessings & Bandaids. It is a collection of personal essays, hospital stories, and biblical accounts followed by prayer and scripture verses. It also references the impact that Moms in Prayer has had because a group of busy moms gathered to pray knowing how precious children and families are to the heart of God.
I wrote this book as a resource for other parents in mind, but ended up needing it myself when my daughter required emergency surgery in the middle of the night during the pandemic and city wide curfews. My daughter was in extreme pain and when we arrived at the emergency department, I began to feel light-headed as my panic escalated. It was in the tension of this moment that I suddenly remembered I had a plan for when I felt this way and it was to call to God.
One of my favorite Bible verses that describes God’s nearness is Isaiah 65:24 which says, “Before they call I will answer, while they are still speaking I will hear.” He knows the difficulties we face in this life and He is with us every second. It is in His presence that our souls are strengthened and our worries exchanged for His peace and joy. He does miraculous work in us and through us and tells such beautiful stories through our lives. He is the author of all our days.
It is in His presence that our souls are strengthened and our worries exchanged for His peace and joy.
My life looks different now than it used to. Children grow and seasons change, but God’s guidance is continual. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”
Our journey with God is an eternal one. Jesus loves us and His love is transforming, reminding us that as caretakers of this moment in time, we have the opportunity to share His love by praying for and with others for God’s will to be done.
Pray with me:
Dear Lord,
You know me completely and all that concerns me. You alone are God. You forgive all my sins and heal all my diseases. You redeem me from death and crown me with love and tender mercies. You fill my life with good things and my youth is renewed like the eagle’s (Psalm 103:3-5). Thank you for my family and for the people You have placed in our lives to love and serve. I ask that You continually guide me and my family in Your will for our lives to fulfill the plans You have for us and to share the Good News. In Jesus’ name, Amen
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Shannon Alford writes to encourage others through her humor, inspiration, and faith. She is a Child Life Specialist with over twenty years of experience working at a pediatric hospital helping children and families struggling with trauma, illness, and loss. Her devotional book, Hospital Prayers, has encouraged many parents of hospitalized children. Shannon loves writing, encouraging others in their creative pursuits, and spending time with her family and two rescue dogs.