It was the evening of Mother's Day. My family had gathered for lunch earlier that day and honored all the mothers/grandmothers of our family. We specifically honored the "grandma's" of the group. It was so neat to hear each one around the table expressing their love and thankfulness for Grandma Good and my "adopted grandma," Ms. Joan. Their lives proved an inspiration to each one in the family. How precious that time was!
That evening, I found a special treasure. Inside my "treasure box," I found a letter that my Grandma Good wrote to me even before I was born. Priceless words written in black ink filled three yellow pages. I could just picture in my mind, my precious grandma kneeling on the floor praying these words over my life on earth....which had yet to even begin. What a prayer warrior she was...and still is. For not only her grandchildren...but for many others, as well.
As she writes in the letter, the Lord awakened her early the morning of December 17, 1987. He quickened the passage of Matthew 6:9-13 to pray for me. She began to pray specific truths over my life.
Inspired from Matthew 6, she wrote specific challenges for my life that was to begin in a few months.
- To have and know God
- To have a personal relationship with Him
- To recognize that He is Lord of your life
- Adoring Him and giving Him praise
- Anticipation of all that He is doing and going to do in your life
- Consecrating yourself to God on a daily basis
- To know that God is universal and in control of all
- Being conformed to God and not the world
- Letting your supplications, desires, and prayers always be Christ-centered
- Being definite of your commitment to Him
- Standing true for Him
- The necessity of coming to God on a daily basis as much of need as daily eating
- Pentitence-always have sorrow over sin and doing wrong
- Obligation- to forgive others as we have been forgiven
- To walk in a spirit of forgiveness
- Love and mercy towards God and others
What a tremendous blessing.....what a humbling thought. That someone took time to pray for me, even before I was given my first breath of life. It made me even more aware that the Lord has His hand upon my life. Reading this precious letter revived a thankfulness in my heart for being raised in a Godly family.
Each time I read this letter, a new sense of hope is revived within my spirit. It makes me think of Psalm 139. That God created me for a specific purpose. Psalm 139: 16: "You saw me before I was born. Every day was recorded in Your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are Your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!" Oh, thank you, Jesus. You have ordered each step of the way.
As I sit here tonight....I'm not claiming to have everything together. In fact, the past few days have at times been somewhat difficult. Perhaps even sometimes it is easier for me to write down God's promises and truths than it is to actually dwell on and live in them during those difficult times. Some things have entered my way that have fought to steal my joy. There are many things that I just simply do not understand. But tonight, by the grace of God and the strength that only He can bring, I rest in the fact that He has divinely planned each day of my life. Nothing..no nothing...is a suprise to Him.
My uncle preached such an anointed sermon today. It spoke to my heart. One thing that he said really stood out to me. "Contentment and thankfulness go hand in hand." He referenced 1 Thessalonians 5:16-8: "Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." Oh that you and I would truly be thankful in those "not so great" circumstances in life. May your discouragement, disappointment, brokenness, tired heart....be drawn more and more into the Lord's loving arms. That is my prayer tonight. For myself and for you. We've got a loving Lord on our side. Rejoice tonight that He knows your name, you are precious in His eyes, and He is, has been, and always will be in control.
And even as He knew "Baby Weaver" before she took her first breath on March 17, He knew you as well. Your life is no mistake. He has ordered each one of your steps. He has a specific purpose and plan for your life. Nothing is a suprise to Him. He is taking care of you. Are you thankful for that? I am.
Be encouraged, precious one of God. Rejoice. You have hope.
Hannah Grace
It is hard to believe that I was 44 years old when I prayed that prayer over your life. I thank God that He has allowed me live to see your serving God with your whole heart.
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