...for my son.

He's been having a tough time and it rips my heart apart. I know that simply being a loving & supportive mom alongside his growing-up woes is enough - even though it feels like its not enough and that I'm useless.

My longtime Catholic friend says that she prays to "Mama Mary" on behalf of her children, that Jesus can't say no to his mom and that she for sure hears mother's prayers first. ... I don't know, kinda feels blasphemous to me....kinda feels like attributing petty manipulative human characteristics to the divine. (ie) get through to the boss through your friendship with someone close to him. I am thinking that the Holy Family doesn't work that way. Hmm, I want to pray for my son. I need to express hope and strength and thanks for things that havn't yet occured as if they had already taken place. I want to pray my faith.

So I turn to a little book called Praying God's Word. It has a horrible 1980s picture on the front of a Pastor and his wife on the cover (complete with puffy 1980's hair, shoulder pads and big jewellery), but it is a wonderful book. It gives all kinds of life circumstances that you might want to pray about and it offers scripture based prayers for each. I LOVE this book. It makes me feel so equipped, so close to the heart of God, and so strong. I even used it to pray for my ex-husband's heart and soul when he was being an ass toward me throughout our divorce. But I digress... Its about my son today:

Heavenly Father,
I thank you that no sadness or shame shall befall my son, for you give your Angels charge over him to keep him in all your ways.

I bind and take authority over every controlling worry or thought and that it be removed from this home and removed from his heart. Nothing formed against my son shall prosper and every tongue that rises in judgement shall be shown to be in the wrong.

This peace, righteousness, and security that triumphs over opposition is the heritage of the children of the Lord. Amen.