“I’m so eager to see His victory already!”
I was talking with my dear friend Alison. We were spending the weekend together; two nearly empty nester couples, and I was lamenting some of the areas where my heart yearns to see the LORD’s work in our girls’ lives.
There is great joy in watching how our girls have grown into kind, thoughtful, responsible, strong young women. And yet, there are areas of heartache, a desire for the overcoming of things I believe hinder them.
I continued, “Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3:6 ‘I planted the seed. Apollos watered. But it was God who made it grow.’ As I see it, my husband and I planted the seeds of Truth in our girls’ hearts and our faith community watered. Now it’s God’s turn. He’s up to bat and I’m anxious to see Him hit it out of the park already!”
We both laughed. Clearly, I was being more than a little impatient with God’s perfect timing.
It was good to talk with a friend who has similar longings for her own children. I was grateful for Alison’s gentle reminder that God is sovereign and faithful to His promises.
As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
Isaiah 55:10-11
Our conversation reminded me of those Isaiah verses and made me think of a song by Andrew Peterson, The Sower’s Song.
Sometimes I change the words of a song, turning it into a prayer I sing to God. I have done that here with the lyrics of The Sower’s Song so you can sing it as a prayer, if you want.
A few things to note:
1 – I have inserted (child’s name) where I would sing my child’s name. You may want to change where you sing your child’s name depending on how many syllables the name contains.
2 – I have inserted male/female pronouns where I would sing my child’s pronoun.
3 – I have italicized all areas where I have edited the lyrics.
4 – Lastly, I have kept the final lyrics unaltered because I wait on the LORD in hopeful expectation (Psalm 5:3 NIV) that one day He will lead us in peace – my husband, myself, our children, and all who receive salvation through Christ Jesus, we will all follow Him in joyful celebration.
Click here to listen to Andrew Peterson’s song as you sing it as a prayer.
Oh God, (child’s name) is furrowed like the field
Torn open like the dirt
And I know that to be healed
That s/he must be broken first
I am aching for the yield
That You will harvest from this hurt
Abide in her/him
Let her/his branches bear You fruit
Abide her/him, Lord
May s/he abide in You
So I kneel
At the bright edge of the garden
At the golden edge of dawn
At the glowing edge of spring
When the winter’s edge is gone
Help me see the color green
Help me hear the sower’s song
Abide in her/him
Let her/his branches bear You fruit
Abide in her/him, Lord
Let Your word take root
Remove in her/him
The branch that bears no fruit
And move in her/him, Lord
That s/he abide in You
As the rain and the snow fall
Down from the sky
And they don’t return but they water the earth and bring they forth life
Giving seed to the sower, bread for the hunger
So shall the word of the Lord be with a sound like thunder
And it will not return, it will not return void
(child’s name) shall be led in peace
And go out with joy
And the hills before her/him
Will raise their voices
And the trees of the field will clap their hands as the land rejoices
And instead of the thorn now
The cypress towers
And instead of the briar the myrtle blooms with a thousand flowers
And it will make a name
Make a name for our God
A sign everlasting that will never be cut off
As the earth brings forth sprouts from the seed
What is sown in the garden grows into a mighty tree
So the Lord plants justice, justice and praise
To rise before the nations till the end of days
As the rain and the snow fall
Down from the sky
And they don’t return but they water the earth and they bring forth life
Giving seed to the sower, and bread for the hunger
So shall the word of the Lord be with a sound like thunder
And it will not return, it will not return void
It will not return, it will not return void
It will not return, it will not return void
We shall be led in peace
And go out with joy
And the sower leads us
And the sower leads us
And the sower leads us
Sweet friend, fellow unnester, I pray that singing these lyrics for your young-adult child encouraged your heart and lifted your spirit.
Have you done this before, turned a song into a prayer sung to God? If so, share in the comment section below the songs you like to sing as prayers.
Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, praise His name; proclaim His salvation day after day. Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous deeds among all peoples. For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise.
Psalm 96:1-4a
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