Adoption Prayer, Christian Adoption
“The man or woman who is wholly and joyously surrendered to Christ can’t make a wrong choice—any choice will be the right one.”
-A. W. Tozer
Infertility can have a crushing impact on your life. It can bring everything to a grinding halt and leave us wondering which way to turn. Many times, couples who have been told that a natural conception is impossible, try to rush into assisted reproduction treatments or adoption. When you rush into something like adoption, you risk treating the child you adopt as a substitute for the child you never had biologically. You need to take time to deal with your feelings of frustration and depression, coming to terms with your infertility. If you choose to go the assisted reproduction way, you need to understand that no doctor can guarantee you a 100% success rate.
One way to deal with infertility and the uncertainty over your future is to surrender yourself to God’s will. Imagine a pyramid with God on top and you and your spouse at the two ends of the base. When you both move up towards God in faith, it will not only bring you closer to Him but also bring you closer to each other. The Bible says that God finds us more valuable than the birds of the sky. If He can guide the birds in their migrations, surely He wants to guide you to make the right decision concerning your future as a parent.
Oswald Sanders gives us a beautiful lesson on how to know the will of God – he says he first gathers all the information and facts needed to arrive at a decision and lifts them up to God, praying over them in His presence. He then waits on the Holy Spirit to move his mind in the direction of God’s will! He goes on to believe that God guides him by presenting reasons to his mind to act in a certain way.
If you are struggling to understand God’s will for your future as a parent, I urge you to spend time in prayer seeking His guidance. Be confident that He wants the best for you and is willing to do more than you dare to ask or dream! (Ephesians 3:20)
Adoption Prayer, Domestic Adoption
God moves in a mysterious way,
His wonders to perform.
— William Cowper
It is every woman’s dream to hold her first baby in her arms. There is nothing more painful yet joyful as giving birth to your child. You think you are ready to start a family and imagine everything will happen “just as planned.” After all, isn’t that how it is with all the other women you know? But, after 12 months of ‘trying’, you find out that you are now medically an infertile couple. It is devastating news and one that you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy. But, is it the end of the road? Will you never become a mother? Do you feel God has let you down?
I want to encourage you to meditate on those biblical verses that talk about God’s will and plan for His children (Psalm 25:12, Psalm 32:8, Psalm 37:4,7, Proverbs 2:6-9, 1 Cor. 10:13, Isaiah 58:11) God promises that He has plans to bless us and not harm us…plans to give us a hope and a future. There are times when the plans in our head do not match the plans that God has prepared for us. But, if you trust in Him and take that leap of faith, you will be pleasantly surprised at how God was able to work your darkest hour into a bright and sunny day!
Whether you want to try assisted reproduction treatments or want to consider adoption, invite God into the situation. Trust that God, in His wisdom, is trying to make something out of you through this difficult time. Ask Him to guide you towards His divine plan for your parenthood and show you what He wants you to do. If you are considering adoption, take a step back and check if your motives are pure: Do you want to become a parent or do you want a biological child? You cannot adopt a child for selfish reasons i.e., to make you a mother or to fill a void. An adopted child is no different from a biological one. The former is born of your heart while the latter is born of your body! God has prepared a child for you. Be strong and persevere in prayer until He leads you to your child.
Adoption Prayer, Christian Adoption
Prayer delights God’s ear, it melts His heart, it opens His hand: God cannot deny a praying soul.
—Thomas Watson
It is so important to involve God in our everyday lives by talking to Him. Yes, talking to Him and not praying at Him! Many people confuse praying with reciting a list of requests and needs or using flowery language to impress God. In truth, prayer is simply talking to God. God loves to be a part of every aspect of our lives, from the mundane to the toughest situations we face. Adoption is one of the biggest decisions a couple can make and it can be a very confusing, difficult, and frustrating process. If you try to do it on your own, you will most likely end up jaded and feel tempted to give up when you meet the challenges of adoption. But, with God’s help, you can not only pull through but also allow Him to prepare you for parenthood.
I read this quote recently and realized how true it is when applied to our prayer lives: “Trams and trolleys and some buses have long poles which reach up and bring electricity and power to the motors from overhead wires. The pole may be within an inch of the wire, yet no power can pass; the bus or trolley stays in the same place. The people inside can sing and shout and preach and hold a great meeting, but when they get out they are still at the same place.” If we are not connected to God through prayer, we cannot progress spiritually.
No amount of preaching, praising, and worshiping can substitute for the quiet time we spend at the Master’s feet, sharing our deepest hurts and sorrows, and listening to His response. Your prayer life will establish your walk with God and will help you determine if you are on the path God has chosen for you. When you open your heart and talk to God, He will show you what He has called you to do. The answers may not be what you want to hear, but I promise you that there will always be an answer!
Adoption Prayer, Open Adoption
When life knocks you to your knees—well, that’s the best position in which to pray, isn’t it?—Ethel Barrymore
Finding out that your teenage daughter, whom you thought was sexually inactive, is pregnant can be devastating for any parent. But, it is even more shocking when you thought you had raised her in a good family with firm Christian values. While this is an incredibly difficult time, it is also the exact time when you need to turn to God and ask Him to help you handle the situation.
Remember that your daughter is scared right now and needs your unconditional love and forgiveness. She needs her parents to help her make tough decisions concerning her future and the future of the unborn child.
While you may be tempted to give in to your emotions, you can learn how to hold tight to God through this wonderful example. Greg Asimakoupoulos narrates the incident of a pilot called Henry Dempsey. On a flight from Portland to Boston, Dempsey went to the rear of a small aircraft to investigate an unusual noise he had heard. When he reached the tail section, the plane hit an air pocket and Dempsey found out, too late, that the noise was coming from the rear door that wasn’t properly latched. The door flew open and Dempsey was sucked out of the plane. The co-pilot quickly alerted the nearest airport and made an emergency landing. While helicopters searched the ocean for Dempsey, they actually found him clinging on to the outdoor ladder of the aircraft. He had caught the ladder as he fell out and held on to it for 10 minutes as the plane flew 200mph at an altitude of 4,000 feet! Asimakoupoulos says “Things in life may feel turbulent, and you may not feel like holding on. But have you considered the alternative?”
Hold on to God because it is never too late for your daughter to make the right decision – a decision to choose life with a Christian family. http://mydaughterispregnant.com/ is a wonderful resource for mothers wanting to help their teenage daughters do the right thing.
Excerpt from Robert J. Morgan, Nelson’s Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations, and Quotes, electronic ed., 622 (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2000).
Christian Adoption
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