The Long Grind of the Battle

God, despite the time stamps on this and the previous entry here, it has not been 8 months since I have prayed for Tue and his relationship with You. I have avoided Christian jargon in my prayers, such as praying for his salvation. In fact, Father, the jargon we listened to on the recent Sunday that we were together in Harrisburg prompted some conversation. "Cast your cares on Him...." We just don't use that language in common conversation anymore! "Humble yourself" is another example that the contemporary young adult might resist, although it is more aligned with the idea of asking for help and more acceptable in our therapy-sensitive culture. (Tue questioned the first and not the second.)

So, Father, the follow-up conversation with Tue after the worship service where these verses were mentioned was encouraging. In addition, when I challenged Tue about the song including the line "Nothing I can do to make You love me less," he obstinately said, "Well, I am going to keep saying it!" even though my heart said that he saw the point. Later in the day, when he exclaimed like a kid about his favorite Yasso bar, I emphasized that this was an act to show him that I love him.

These days make it challenging to share our faith (is that more jargon?) with unbelievers (yep, more jargon).  You get the idea, Father God. Please keep after Tue in a relational, gut-level, natural way. May Tue have an experience, a conversation with Jesus, that brings that "conversion" to ... well, to You.  Not to a denomination or a religion, but to You. I would love to see Julie's relationship with You refreshed, too!

All in Your name and for Your glory~~Amen.

(PS Any news about his bar exam?  Please let him pass in PA.)

Finishing Strong

 Such a short interval for prayer, Lord God, but You listen to the shortest ones.  Please help Tue to finish the bar exam strong, and clear his mind from the distractions and errors and bring to it the important points to include in his answers.  May he know that You are helping him.  In Jesus's name, Amen!

Pray, Pray, Pray!

Father!  Lord our God, King of the Universe, Omniscient One, Giver of the Law, please, PLEASE, pour out Your Spirit on my son-in-law during this bar exam and for Your purposes in and through him.  My most fervent prayer for Tue is a saving, loving relationship with You--but I will admit that another pretty fervent prayer for him is a passing grade on this exam.  Ideally, the latter could lead to the former.  (I would not dare tell You how to do this, though.)

Lord God, would You touch Tue's heart and mind with peace and clarity right now?  With his next breath, give him an insight, a correction, a realization of Your presence and involvement with him.  Let him recognize not only his own preparation and competence but also, and most importantly, You as the Source of the Law and all wisdom.  If he is anxious, calm him.  If he is confused, clear his mind.  If he is forgetful, remind him.  If he needs words, bring the right ones to him.  If he is tired, refresh him.  May he be filled with joy in seeing how You have smiled at him and provided him with everything he needs to pass this exam.  You know--I know You know--his heart leans hard toward justice and mercy.  PLEASE bless that wonderful heart with a passing grade.  It would not be for him only, or even for him and Julie (my daughter, with a similar heart), but also for You and Your Kingdom.  In Jesus's name and Spirit, Amen.

How Do I Help?

 How *can* I help, Lord my God?  Tue's bar exam is tomorrow and Wednesday, and he apparently just learned that he must travel to Lancaster and stay in a hotel to take the test.  According to Julie, he is "emotionally" "not feeling good."  Oh, dear God, I want to help, encourage, and reassure, but I don't believe I have that opening.  

But You have openings, and I have access to You to beg You to intervene.  God, You have all wisdom, knowledge, and power.  Nothing can happen without Your permission and provision.  Is there a way that You can calm Tue's heart and mind?  Maybe Julie can speak comforting and cheering words that come from You.  

Father God, would You do what might feel to Tue like a miracle--allow him to pass that exam?  May he know Your intervention!  May he give You glory and praise.  May he submit to You, knowing or beginning to know how eternally much You love him.  For You and for Tue I pray~~Amen.

Pray Constantly

 Almighty and Omniscient God, please impart Your knowledge and wisdom to Tue in his preparation for the bar exam.  The law is weird, dear God, at least man's law.  Your law is perfect.  Psalm 19:7a in the New King James Version captures my desire for Tue, more than my desire that he pass that exam:

"The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul."

 Help him, God, with diligence, recall, logic, and discernment.  Prepare him by leading him in his study to the topics that You know will be addressed, and provide him, please, with the material and the coaching to sharpen his abilities to organize his thoughts and answer correctly and effectively.

(By the way, Father, my mother-heart also wants to sneak in a prayer for my daughter as she loves, lives with, and supports this guy.  Strengthen her spiritually and physically and emotionally!  She is carrying a lot of the burden of making this house purchase happen.)

In Jesus's name and for the sake of conversion~~Amen.

Tue Times Two

You answered the prior prayer for the bar exam, but not in the way I might have wanted.  Still, omniscient God, You did answer, and I ask again for Your intervention for Tue.  Please help him with self-discipline, organization, recall, and discernment.  It sounds like there are "good" answers and "better" answers!  I am still lobbying for his heart for You, and I am confident without any doubt at all that Your desire is even stronger than mine.  Please grant him, and Julie, this great favor.  For Your sake and Your glory (and their faith and relationship with You)~~Amen.

Retroactive Prayer

 Since You are the infinite God above time and space, would You accept this particular prayer entry and make it retroactive? I think I was and perhaps still am somewhat, a little, distracted by my own distress this morning. 

BUT~for Tue, please again show great grace in his bar exam. He said, and both Julie and I expected, that today's portion of the exam was more challenging. But You are greater! May Tue's uncertainty not reflect poor performance but only his humility. May You have chosen the correct answers for him, despite his second-guessing them. May the scorers be wise and gracious, not picky and irrational. (Having taken some of those tests, I know that some answers considered "correct "reflect questions that are vague and/or poorly worded.) Remember, God, that Tue made a bargain with You. Please hold him to it by being the source of his success. May he succeed for Your glory! In Jesus's wise name~~Amen