A Mother's Prayer for Her Sons

It's birthday central around the Gurney house!! March is madness for us...celebrating both Noah and Tucker's birthdays!! Wow!! 9 and 7! CRAZY!!!! As much as I want to celebrate my precious boys and show them the gifts they are every year in very unique and creative ways, I have been struck by the fact that nothing I can do will ever compare to what God has in store for their journeys. Which is why tonight I sit and offer up prayers for my sons...
Father, show Yourself to Noah. Open up his heart to the gospel. Take his heart of stone and mold it into a heart of flesh that is madly in love with You!! You have given him a bright mind and he is learning things about You, for which I am very thankful, but sink Your truth into the deepest parts of his being. Give him a singular heartbeat for You and Your glory. Soften his heart to correction and instruction. Help him see that he is in need of a Savior and that You are his only hope. Give him a heart and care for others that come before thoughts of himself. Make him very aware of his sin, not for guilt and shame sake, but to increase his awe of the gospel. Thank You, Father, for working in him and giving him a desire to please other people and making them smile at him. But, God, please use that desire for Your good and not the pressure filled people-pleasing mentality that Satan so easily can deceive with. Thank You for the love of reading that You've given Noah. Please funnel that love toward Your Word and truth. Teach him to think critically and align everything with the very inspired Words of You!! I am so thankful for Noah. And I praise You for the gift of him in our family!!
Father, draw Tucker's heart to You. Help him understand that saying he wants to love You is not fully surrendering his life to You. But thank You for that love You've given him at such an early age!! Bring true understanding to his heart of his need for a Rescuer and his hopelessness without You. Guard his sensitive heart from those that will take advantage of him. Continue helping him be a good friend to those around him. Thank You for giving him a love for sharing his things with others. Continue helping him put others before himself. God, He needs Your patience. Help him to trust You when the timing is not in his plans. Give him a faith that trusts You and knows that You are good and perfect in all You do!! Give Tucker the confidence to be himself and not follow the crowd. Raise him up to be a gentle and kind leader and use him to point others to You. I pray, Father, that You will give him great affections for You, Your Word, and Your glory!! Help him to be willing to suffer and go through hard things for the sake of the gospel. Give Tucker joy beyond all measure!! Thank You so much for this precious 2nd born son! Tucker is precious to us!!
I trust You, Father, with these two priceless lives and I know that their hearts and journeys are in Your hands. Help me, God, to point them to You by my words, actions, and habits. For Your glory alone that I pray these things in Your holy and majestic name. Amen.

Wounded, Healing, and Thankful

But He was pierced for our transgressions,

He was crushed for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him,

and by His wounds we are healed.

Isaiah 53:5

Feeling wounded, Lord, I woke up this morning with this verse on my heart. You, perfect sinless Savior, pierced? You, strong Warrior and Creator, crushed? Your punishment brought me peace? Your wounds bring me healing? The truths in this one verse are mind-boggling and outrageous!! But I am thankful with a broken-hearted thankfulness that they are indeed true. Seeing the connections here...You were healed through Your wounds; I am healed by Your wounds; and therefore, the wounds You ordain for me in my journey will heal my heart and cause me to have greater affections for You. They are painful and humbling, but, ah, so necessary! I would never write them in a story for myself, but I praise You, Jesus, for knowing exactly what I need to stir greater happiness in You and to rid me of myself and this world.

When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."

"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

BUT thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:54-57

Death has no sting through the life given in Jesus!! Sin leads to death and, therefore, sin has no sting through the blood of Jesus!! Yes it hurts and causes heartache, but the death and sting has been answered on the cross! My sin and others have been paid in full! Thank You, Father, for the reminder of this truth and the healing it brings to my heart. Believing the promise that Jesus' work is enough is the only thing that can bring healing to my weak and hurting heart. 

I know that You are for me

I know that You are for me

I know that You will never 

Forsake me in my weakness

"You are For Me"

I am weak and in much need of Your grace and help today (and everyday)! Thank You for being for me! My heart wanders into the lie that what others think of me is my driving pursuit. Fill me with Your presence and sing beautiful songs of grace and mercy over me. (Zeph. 3:17)

Higher than the mountains that I face

Stronger than the power of the grave

Constant through the trial and the change

One thing...remains

Your love never fails, never gives up

Never runs out on me

"One Thing Remains"

Your love is enough!!! Help me see the beauty of Your constant, sustaining love in the valleys of life and when I'm facing a mountain!! I am weak, but praise Your name, You are strong and unchanging!!!

Only one name lasts forever

Only one fame stands alone

Only on King has an anthem

That goes on and on and on

And I'm singing to the God

Who brings redemption to the nations

Kings and oceans bow to Him in praise

And I'm singing to the God

Who wrote the book on our salvation

To the One who covers me in grace

I'm singing!!

"I'm singing"

And this is why I'm thankful! My wounds and my healing have caused my eyes and heart to look up and You have answered me with truth from Your Word and God glorifying songs to help me want to sing and praise You!! Yes, it is still a broken-hearted and very weak thankfulness; BUT a thankfulness indeed.

To You alone deserves all praise and glory and honor!! For You have done great and marvelous things!