Bus Stop Kids

My house is on a corner. Weekday mornings, the sound of school buses surround us as the buses come and go with three stopping within yards, sometimes feet, of our grass.

But before the buses arrive, children from grade school to high school wait at the side of the road for them. Pretty much all of these children live a distance from our house, some almost two blocks away. I don't know their names. I don't know their families. I just see them morning after morning waiting.

At our last meeting, my Moms in Prayer group prayed Romans 10:9 (VOICE) for our children: May ________ believe deep in his/her heart that God raised Jesus from the pit of death and voice his/her allegiance by confessing the truth that "Jesus is Lord," and be saved!

Yesterday morning, one lone high school boy stood at the bus stop, headphones over his Mohawk haircut with a heavy backpack over his shoulders, digging his hightop tennis shoes into the asphalt, I prayed that he would believe that Jesus loves Him and turn to him.

As I sat down at my desk, it occurred to me, perhaps, even in this country, he knows little about Jesus other that a baby in a manger and a man on a cross. But even that little is enough for a start. In our group, we also prayed for our high school that those who do confess "Jesus is Lord" would be a "light brigade" of Jesus' love and life to awaken the spiritually dead. I know that this prayer and the ones I pray for this young man will not go unheard. The Holy Spirit will—He will—give this young man the opportunity to believe deep in his/her heart that God raised Jesus from the pit of death and voice his/her allegiance by confessing the truth that "Jesus is Lord," and be saved!

Sometimes, praying moms, we are so focused on our own children that we look past those sitting next to them on the school bus or in the classroom. But God hasn't given us a task of minimal praying. He wants us to maximize every opportunity to thwart the plans of the enemy for any child, not just our own.

That verse you prayed for your child, speak it over his/her classmates (remember the Valentine's Day list of names the teacher handed out?). Speak it over the children you see on the playground, walking to school, playing on the soccer field, or waiting at the bus stops near your house.

Your prayers enter the throne room of the King. You may not see the results here on earth, but you can be assured each spoken prayer is before the face of the Lord who has all authority in heaven and on earth. He is the same Lord over all and is rich towards all who call upon Him. (Matthew 28:18, Romans 10:12)

…pray without ceasing…

1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NKJ)