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Sometimes life shifts in ways we didn’t expect.
Sometimes, completely out of nowhere… something hits your family.
Something you didn’t see coming.
Something that makes you question everything.
Today I want to share with you the hope God brought to me during one of the hardest seasons of my life.
A Season of Testing
About a year ago, our family walked through a major transition. My husband stepped down from ministry after pastoring for sixteen years. We stepped away from the only church we had known for decades. We began attending a different church for a season.
It was disorienting.
It was humbling.
And while we were navigating that transition, one of our sons went through a painful season of struggle.
For his privacy, I won’t share details. But I will tell you this:
It shook me.
And as a mom, I immediately asked myself the question many of us ask:
Did I fail?
When our children struggle, it’s so easy to assume it’s a reflection of us.
“If I had taught better…”
“If I had been more consistent…”
“If I had been more discerning…”
“If I had been a better example…”
But that weight is heavier than we were meant to carry.
The Father Who Brought His Son to Jesus
During that season, God brought me to a familiar passage—but this time it felt brand new.
The story is found in:
- Matthew 17:14–21
- Mark 9:14–29
A father brings his son to Jesus because the boy is tormented. The disciples cannot help him. The religious leaders are arguing. Chaos surrounds the situation.
And the father says to Jesus:
“If You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” (Mark 9:22)
Jesus responds:
“If I can? All things are possible to him who believes.” (Mark 9:23)
And the father cries out words that have echoed in my heart ever since:
“Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24)
When You Don’t Have Perfect Faith
I love this father because he was honest.
He didn’t pretend to have huge faith.
He didn’t pretend he wasn’t afraid.
He simply brought what faith he had to Jesus with his son.
And sometimes that’s all we can do.
We may not have perfect faith.
But we can bring our child to Jesus.
We can say:
“Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief.”
When It Looks Like It’s Getting Worse
In the story, Jesus commands the spirit to leave the boy. The boy convulses violently and collapses. It looks like he’s dead.
Imagine being that father.
You finally get to Jesus.
You finally get your moment.
And now it looks worse than before.
But Jesus takes the boy by the hand and lifts him up. He is healed.
Sometimes it gets worse before it gets better.
That doesn’t mean Jesus isn’t working.
It means the miracle isn’t finished yet.
When You Feel Like a Failure
When our teenagers make poor decisions, we often feel personally responsible.
We think:
“This is my fault.”
But our children are learning to become men and women in their own right.
There is often a gap between what they know and what they live out.
They are navigating hormones, emotions, independence, identity.
And sometimes they must feel the weight of their choices in order to grow.
That doesn’t make you a bad mother.
It makes you a mother raising a human being with free will.
Some Things Only Prayer Can Do
After Jesus heals the boy, the disciples ask:
“Why could we not cast it out?” (Mark 9:28)
Jesus answers:
“This kind can come out by nothing but prayer.” (Mark 9:29)
There are some situations where words won’t fix it.
Lectures won’t fix it.
Reminders won’t fix it.
Only prayer will.
And that was a turning point for me.
Instead of constantly talking, correcting, and worrying—I began writing down specific prayers.
“Lord, this is what I’m asking You to do.”
“This is the breakthrough I’m believing for.”
“This is how I need You to move.”
And little by little, God began to work.
Not overnight.
Not instantly.
But steadily.
Push Past the Noise and Get to Jesus
In that biblical story, there were disciples who couldn’t help.
There were religious leaders arguing theology.
There was chaos.
But the father pushed through all of it to get to Jesus.
Sometimes we have to do the same.
Push past:
- the noise
- the opinions
- the fear
- the shame
- even our own disappointment
And say:
“Lord, here is my child. I’m bringing them to You.”
Start Where You Are
You cannot pray without some measure of belief.
Start there.
If all you have is:
“I believe… help my unbelief.”
That is enough to begin.
Jesus is not surprised by your situation.
Nothing in your family has caught Him off guard.
There Is Hope
Today, when I look back on that season, I see growth, for me and my son.
I see healing.
I see restored relationships.
I see maturity forming.
I cannot point to the exact day things shifted.
But I know this:
Prayer started the process.
Bringing my son to Jesus made the difference.
And bringing your child to Jesus will make a difference too.
But I know sometimes when your heart is heavy, it’s hard to find the words.
I want to help you find the words.
That’s why I created this free resource to help you get started: A Daily Prayer for Your Child.
Keep pressing.
Keep praying.
Jesus is listening.
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