Hannah’s Prayer – Holding Tight When We Can No Longer Fight

For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition which I asked of Him.

Hannah was a woman of prayer and praise. In the Old Testament times, barrenness was considered a big disgrace. Hannah’s situation was worsened by the fact that her husband’s other wife, Peninnah, was able to bear many sons and daughters. Yet, Hannah waited on the Lord and prayed fervently for a child. In time, God began to intervene on her behalf and blessed her with a son. Isn’t it heartening to know that God sees every single tear we shed in hopes of becoming a mother?

Now, we don’t know how long Hannah had to wait for her blessing. But, as women, we do know the pain and frustration she must have felt with every passing month. Today, there are so many online forums discussing infertility issues, where women discuss and dissect every pregnancy symptom, both real and imaginary! Hannah could have just as easily worried herself to death by sharing her pain and suffering with every female relative and friend. But, instead of turning to someone or something, she turned to God in prayer. Every couple battling infertility can learn from Hannah’s example. Don’t run to the phone when your suffering becomes unbearable, but run to the throne of God.

The Bible says that God’s ways are different from ours and His thoughts are not the same as ours. It is God’s plan to bless us with godly offspring. Sometimes, He may choose us to be parents of children who are not biologically ours. But, the call remains the same: to raise children in an atmosphere of love, security, trust, and in knowledge of the abundant grace and love of Jesus Christ. If you believe that God is calling you to adoption, pray for Him to guide you and lead you to the right professionals who can help you with your adoption needs and concerns. Just remember that God has plans to bless you and to give you a hope and a future! (Jeremiah 29:11)

 
 

God Wants to Be Involved in Your Adoption Plans. Do You Want the Same?

O God, You are my God;

Early will I seek You;

My soul thirsts for You;

My flesh longs for You

In a dry and thirsty land

Where there is no water. The New King James Version., Ps 63:1 (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982)
 
While every Christian knows that prayer is an important part of one’s relationship with God, how many of us can really mean the words of the Psalmist when we say it aloud? Do we seek God with every fiber of our being, just as we would run to water when we are parched and in a desert? How many of us spend time with God before we let the busyness of our everyday lives consume our thoughts and our time? Prayer should not be the last resort for the believer; it should be the first step. When we are faced with making major, life-altering decisions, why should we rely on our own intelligence when God knows the end from the beginning? The adoption process can be fraught with difficulties and challenges. When you rely on your own material and physical resources, you may end up discouraged and exhausted. But, when you bring God into the equation you can rest assured that He cares about every detail of your life and will work them all out for your good (Romans 8:28).

Adoption is one of the most life-changing decisions a couple can make. For some it can be a natural and spontaneous outpouring of their love and desire to make a difference in a child’s life. For others, it can be the result of infertility and many years of exhausting and traumatic medical treatments gone in vain. Whichever be the case, it is still a very big decision; one where you need to involve God right from the word ‘go’.

Involving God in your adoption plans is the best way to make sure that your plans are in alignment with His will and plan for your future. Praying to God can be compared to the amount of time people spend in National Parks. A survey in 1983 found that the average time spent in all forty-eight parks was a paltry 4 and one-half hours! You cannot expect to experience and enjoy the magnificent scenes of nature within that time frame. You cannot listen and smell nature in all her glory when you run through a national park. Sadly, most Christians run through prayer the same way. While God doesn’t time the length of our prayers, it is our loss when we don’t wait on the Lord, meditate on His Word, soak in His presence, and listen to His still small voice. Spend time with God and surrender your adoption plans to Him. Acknowledge that His ways are not your ways and His thoughts are not the same as yours (Isaiah 55:8-9), but they are far higher than our highest thoughts. Yield to His will and ask God to show you how to make the right decisions to stay in His perfect will.

 
 

God Expects You to Keep Your Word, Just As You Demand the Same from Him

If a man vow a vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth. (Numbers 30:2)

Our God always keeps His word (2 Chr. 21:7) and He takes delight in His people when they keep their word (Proverbs 12:22). When we expect God to stick to His word and never break a promise, isn’t it important, as believers, to model the same in our everyday lives?

Open adoption encourages adoptive families to maintain contact with the birth parents. Traditionally, the adoption process was geared towards the child and the adoptive families and did not take the emotions of the birthparents who give up their children for adoption. Birthmothers in particular had no option to receive any input about the future of her child and was simply expected to ‘move on with her life’ post-adoption. This was not only unfair but it also left the children wondering about their heritage and their past when they had no contact with their biological parents. Open adoption now paves way for uniting both adoptive and biological families in ensuring the emotional security of the child.

If you have opted for an open adoption and vowed to be in regular contact with the birth family, you must keep you word. Your child’s birth family deserves to know about the condition of the child they have given up. It will give them an opportunity to know they did the right thing in giving their child to you and will make them happy to see the child enjoy the life they feared they couldn’t give.

God expects His children to keep their promise, no matter how uncomfortable or unpleasant it could be to do so. If you break your word, it reflects poorly on your integrity and that’s not pleasing to God’s eyes because righteousness and integrity are the two main characteristics of a Christian.

How difficult can it be for you to maintain contact with the birth family? You need not write them letters every single day! A simple card with a photo of the child or a brief note letting them know that they are in your thoughts and prayers will go a long way in establishing a healthy relationship with them. It doesn’t take too much of your time and it will not reduce or somehow alter your role as the child’s parents. In fact, you will earn much love and respect from your child. Your child will live in total security and peace about his life and that’s the most important thing for any parent. It will also be a wonderful and godly example of true Christian love and commitment and will turn out to be a blessing for you. Remember, you are the best role models for your child. When you honor your word and keep a promise, you will find favor not only in the eyes of your child and his or her birth family, but also with God. Don’t miss that opportunity to be a blessing to others!

 
 

How to Make Decisions from Your Heart and from Your Head

“Learning what to choose, and how to choose, may be the most important education you will ever receive.” –
Dr. Shad Helmstetter

Decisions, decisions, decisions. From the time we wake up to the time we go to bed, we are confronted with a whole range of choices. Every day decisions such as what outfit to wear to work or what to cook for dinner are a matter of routine and aren’t that difficult to make. But, there are certain major decisions in life that need careful prayer, thought, and agreement with spouse in order to give you peace and happiness.

A mature believer will seek God’s will and wisdom when faced with major decisions. Choosing to adopt is probably the biggest decision you will ever make as a couple. Therefore, you need to use not only your heart but also your head when making decisions on anything relating to the adoption process.  Why is this important? Well, every decision you make as a couple regarding adoption may have serious and lasting consequences. That’s why, while you use your God-given abilities and knowledge, it is also important to prayerfully seek God’s perfect will for your future.

Adoption is heart-based and it involves all your emotions. But, it is not wise to make all the decisions in your adoption process based on your emotions. There are practical aspects to adoption, which have to be dealt with your head. Many couples rush headlong into adoption in their effort to bring home a baby as soon as possible and they end up being heartbroken because of some complication that could’ve been avoided had they used their head and their heart in decision-making. If you are one of them, it is not too late to make adoption work for you!  Learn to forgive yourself and learn from your past mistakes. The next time you face a similar situation, you will know to weigh all the pros and cons before you make a decision.

As a Christian, invite God into the decision-making process. Seek his guidance and ask Him to show you how to make wise decisions that are in alignment with His will and His Word. Apart from praying, you must be committed to knowing His Word. Knowing God’s will at a time when you have to make a major decision will equip you with a biblically informed way of thinking and help you make the right choice. As Paul shows in an example in 1st Corinthians 6-10, before you make a decision you need to find out if your decisions will bring strength and encouragement to your life and ultimately glorify God.

At the end of the day, God honors every prayerful effort and intention. He knows you can’t ‘know-it-all’ before you decide. Only He can! So, trust in Him and prayerfully consider every decision before you move ahead.

 
 

Adoption Prayer Bracelets – A Wonderful Reminder to Pray for Adoption

The Adoption Prayer Bracelet was inspired and designed by Christian adoptive mother Mardie Caldwell. Enduring seven pregnancy losses, adoption was the answer to her prayer of becoming a mother.

Each and every adoption prayer bracelet is lovingly handmade and created with prayer and patience in the United States. Each bracelet includes a 1″ custom heart shaped pewter adoption prayer charm stating “My Adoption Prayer” on one side… and “Pray Without Ceasing, 1 Thes 5:17″ on the other. All proceeds go to benefit Lifetime Adoption Foundation, a nonprofit charity focused solely on the needs in adoption.

With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, we are excited to share a special on Adoption Prayer Bracelets just in time for the holiday. Get Free Priority Shipping with coupon code HEART! To view bracelet color choices and order, visit www.AdoptionPrayerBracelet.com.

 
 

Knowledge is Power…Ignorance Can Derail Your Adoption Plans!

adoption knowledgeKnowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family
– Kofi Annan

We’re familiar with the phrase ‘knowledge is power’. Truth be told, while we are familiar with this adage, we often forget to apply it in our everyday lives. This is especially true when it comes to reading and understanding important documents and contracts. We just run through the pages or give a cursory glance at the contents, before signing on the dotted line. Some don’t even do that!

The adoption process can be quite challenging and time-consuming. The prospective parents have only one thing on their mind – to bring their baby home. And that’s perfectly natural. Couples who have gone through unsuccessful assisted reproductive treatments like IUI, IVF, or ICSI suddenly have the hope of bringing home a baby of their own. They are excited and anxious at the same time and their emotions are understandable. But, the adoption process is pretty vigorous. It requires couples to spend time with the agency and the adoption professionals, as well as reading through the adoption contract to understand the terms of the adoption process.

If you have trouble paying attention to anything in print, you may have to take it up with your school! From grade school to college, many students just go through the motions of reading and writing, creating a veritable treasure trove of disinformation: a) In Guinessis, the first book of the Bible, Adam and Eve were created from an apple tree. B) Moses went up on Mount Cyanide to get the ten commandments; he died before he ever reached Canada c) Socrates died from an overdose of wedlock d) History calls people Romans because they never stayed in one place for very long. e) The pyramids are a range of mountains between France and Spain. While it may be very funny to read, we can all learn something from this – we must spend time in preparation when we are faced with life-changing decisions and we surely need to pay attention to what we read!

If your adoption is not complete and you have not read your adoption contract yet, I strongly recommend picking it up right now and spending time reading it. Don’t try to read it in between work or when you are mentally occupied with other things. You have to be mentally present when you read the contract. Ensure that both you and your spouse understand the entire terms of the adoption contract. A poorly read contract may cause you a lot of confusion and frustration in your adoption journey. If you have any doubts or questions, get in touch with your adoption professional. It is always better to be safe than sorry!