Not Adding, Just Applying

We are studying Matthew is BSF this year. The past few weeks we have been learning about the Sermon on the Mount. Prayer has been on my mind and heart. How important it is for our relationship with our Father. He doesn't need us to pray, He wants us to pray, and He wants to bless us through prayer. I've had the Lord's prayer memorized for a while but it's only since we started Matthew this year, that it's been heavy in my mind. I find myself reciting it over and over during the day and falling asleep with it in my head. Slowly repeating, hanging on each word, each phrase, trying to suck the spiritual juice out of it. 

Christ gives us a simple but specific outline of how to pray. He says "Pray then in this way". The Lord's prayer can be applied to all prayer, obviously, but adoption is what's on my mind (shock!). I've decided to apply His directions and write a prayer specific to our adoption. I am not changing or adding to the Bible! I am following the blueprint Christ gave us for prayer. So here is my prayer for our adoption.

My Father, Abba, you adopted me, and made me Your child through Christ.

Your name is Holy and Perfect. 

I eagerly anticipate the day You call us home.

Until then, our desire is to be parents. I pray that Your will is done in our family, and that Your power is seen through our adoption.

Give us Your strength and wisdom to endure this wait. Help us to trust Your perfect plan.

Forgive me for my impatience and my desire to take control. Give me gentleness and grace for those who don't understand this trial.

Keep me focused on You Father. Keep me focused on Your word, Your promises, and Your love. Keep me from the temptation to compare my life to anyone else.

You are sovereign. You are powerful. You are eternal. In Jesus' name, Amen.

When I sat down to write this, I didn't realize how much I would camp on the first two sentences of the verse. After acknowledging that God is my Father, in a very literal, personal, intimate sense, I paused on that line "Your kingdom come". Honestly, I almost skipped it in my prayer. I want so badly to be a mother that asking God to come soon feels counterproductive. Wait!!! Don't come yet!!! I haven't experienced motherhood!!! Short sighted Kristen. I sat here a good while writing and rewriting, arguing with myself and God. Asking Him to come back and take us home has nothing to do with our adoption! But it does!!! This need I have to be a mom is small, microscopic, in comparison to my need for salvation and my desire to be with God for eternity. 

After writing those first three lines, I did a "back-at-the-ranch" detour. "Until then." Yes I want Christ to come again, but until He does, I still live the life He has given me. In this life that is His, I want to be a mom, we want to be parents. We want to raise children who glorify Him. And so, we make the desires of our hearts known and pray that His will, not ours, is done in our family. He will give us the tools we need.