Not Polaroid Photos

Are you old enough to remember Polaroid cameras? Or, maybe you even still have one. I had one similar to this.

 

They were so fascinating to use. You'd snap the photograph, pull out the instant film, and right before your eyes slowly but surely the subject of your picture would become visible. No trip to the drug store and waiting days for film to be developed before you could see the results.

 

Ron Hutchcraft reminds us that people aren't like Polaroid pictures. "They don't usually develop right away. You have to wait to see what impression you have made. And while you're waiting it's easy to give up, because you don't see any impression."

 

In essence, people are like the film we had to drop off at the store to be turned in to photographs. This is so true of our children, praying moms. We have to "drop off" our children before the throne of the Lord and wait for Him to develop them into the men and women He designed them to be. We have to wait for the harvest of our prayers to become visible.

 

Ron wrote that God has guaranteed a harvest to those who don’t quit. Actually, it was Paul who wrote it, inspired by the Holy Spirit.

 

May we never tire of doing what is good and right before our Lord

because in His season we shall bring in a great harvest

if we can just persist.

Galatians 6:9 (VOICE)

In essence, this is what the psalmist wrote, "Let those who plant with tears reap the harvest with joyful shouts." (Psalm 126:5 CEB) Aren't our prayers often planted with tears because our hearts are so passionate for our children? And, not only for them, but the Holy Spirit has given us a passion for their classmates and for their teachers.

 

Even so, as Matthew Henry wrote, there "is in all of us too great a proneness to [growing weary]; we are very apt to flag and tire in duty, yea to fall off from it." He added that if we grow weary and withdraw, we would miss the great reward which will be such "an abundant recompence for all our pains and constancy."

 

Therefore, I echo Paul's words to the Corinthians to you, praying moms, that since it is through God's mercy that we have this ministry of prayer, don't lose heart. Continue to sow generously so that you will reap a generous harvest--"an abundant recompence." (2 Corinthians 4:1; 9:6)

 

 

Father, I praise You as the Developer of our children. I ask that we as their moms will engage persistently in the ministry of prayer You have given to us. Grant us favor. Strengthen us to not get discouraged, spiritless, or despondent with fear. Uphold us so we do not faint with weariness and exhaustion. May we as moms who believe in coming together in one accord prayer also stir each other up to raising our voices before Your throne with constancy on behalf of our children. In the Name of our Intercessor, Jesus, amen.