Who We Pray For

This is a picture of our friend and his 11-year old daughter. I don't have a current picture of his 13-year old son. He's the one that lost his wife last December 2nd. It's nice to see them smiling.

On Sunday, during bible study, our leader asked us to write down who we pray for every day. Until I did that, I didn't realize that I hadn't been praying for this family any more. And they definitely need prayer.

He was brought up to believe in nothing. He is very self-reliant and outwardly doesn't seem to be affected by the loss of his wife. Well, in some instances, like disciplining the children. He tends to get angry and show it when the kids frustrate him. Julie used to handle everything for the kids. Now he tries to be everything to them. I know they miss her, because they don't smile very often. There isn't anything Phil and I can do to cheer them up, it seems. If anyone could do it, Phil could. He's the world's best cheerer-upper. The son, Austin, likes talking to Phil a lot and they talk about all kinds of things. But neither of us can get thru to the daughter, Haley.

She only seems to cheer up slightly when we are shopping. She constantly wants us to buy her things. Not little things, big, expensive things. We can't afford it, so we don't go shopping with her very often. She focuses on "things" as a means of escape. But as we all know, getting something new only raises your spirits temporarily. Their dad will not let me take them to church with me, as he says, when they get old enough to take themselves to church, they can go if they want to. He doesn't believe in psychiatry either, so they have never gone to counselling after the death of their wife/mother.

So my only recourse to intercede for them is prayer.

Lord, today I pray for this family. Take care of them, help them to find their way to you. Look after the spiritual, mental and emotional well-being of the kids especially. I pledge today, Lord, to keep them in my prayers daily.