So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:11)
One of the things that brought me the most comfort while our son was on deployment as a frontline infantry Marine was the time I spent in prayer. It didn’t start out that way. For a while, I really struggled to find the words to pray. I worried that maybe my words wouldn’t be powerful enough or be said in just the right way to do any good.
Then, one night that changed.
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I had awakened from another terrible nightmare and made my way downstairs to curl up in the recliner. As I sat wordless, with my Bible resting in my hands, a memory wormed its way to forefront of my mind. Somewhere, years before, I had read that a good way to find the right words to pray was to pray Scripture.
It only took me a minute to turn to the book of Psalms in my Bible. I’d read through that book almost daily because of the comfort it brought. The authors of those words could articulate the things I was feeling and the fears I couldn’t voice.
I turned to Psalm 27 and found the comfort and the peace that had alluded me for so long. Below is an example of how I turned the first three verses into a prayer for my son. The words in italics are the ones I changed:
The Lord is my son’s light and salvation;
Whom shall he fear?
The Lord is the defense of my son’s life;
Whom shall he dread?
When evildoers came upon my son to devour his flesh,
My son’s adversaries and enemies, they stumbled and fell.
Though a host encamp against my son,
My heart will not fear and neither shall my son’s;
Though war arise against my son,
In spite of this I, and my son, shall be confident.
There is so much power in just these three short verses. I encourage you to read the rest of the Psalm, plugging in the name of your own soldier. But don’t stop here. There are so many verses in the Bible that we can pray for those we love.
After that night, I never again lacked the words when I wanted to pray for my son. No matter what situation you find yourself facing, remember that the Bible isn’t just inspiration, it’s also full of practical application.
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