Dear Editor:

A while ago I was visiting with a person sharing with me their concerns for their young adult child’s doubting his Christian belief. As a parent I can understand worrying about our kids regardless of their age and state in life. As they go off to college and are exposed to ‘theories’ that deny God and the Bible’s validity, they may start doubting their faith. However, at times, we forget that once we baptize our children in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, that they are dedicated to God for all eternity. As Christian parents, we raise our children in the church and give them the foundational basis they need for spiritual growth. We cannot give up hope when our children become adults and question their faith. Actually, questioning their faith is a positive step forward towards finding answers that will validate their faith. They are on a quest and sometimes it takes a while before they find their way. Instead of giving up any hope of them returning to their faith, we need to continue to pray for conversion and at the same time believe that our prayers are heard and will be answered. 

God hears all our prayers even when we are praying with doubt in our hearts or not fully believing that God will answer our prayers. Some of us start begging instead of praying with conviction.  We need to turn to an inspiring passage in the Bible and look to Daniel 10:2-14. When Daniel had learned about an upcoming war and had prayed and fasted for three weeks without any response from God, he did not despair. On the 21st day Archangel Gabriel came to Daniel and told him “Don’t be afraid, Daniel, for from the very first day you applied your mind to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard. I have come in response to your words. However, the prince of the kingdom of Persia was opposing me for twenty-one days. But Michael, one of the leading princes, came to help me, because I was left there with the kings of Persia. Now I have come to help you understand what will happen to your people in future days, for the vision pertains to days to come.” The Archangel Gabriel tells Daniel, “From the very first day you applied your mind…your words were heard.”  From the moment we trust in God through prayers, he hears us. 

Not for one moment believe or think that God does not hear your prayers. God hears all our prayers, and he answers them at the proper time despite devil’s attempts to stop him. It took Gabriel 21 days to respond to Daniel and he even had to call in the big gun, AKA, Michael the Archangel. Devil thinks he has power, but we know that we are created in God’s image and belong to the almighty creator of the universe. The devil cannot have our soul unless we give it up to him through intentional sin known as mortal sin and our own refusal to repent. Remember the story of Job and how the devil challenged God. God allowed the devil to test Job because he knew Job’s strong faith and love for God. Devil tried his best to weaken Job’s faith, but Job would not budge. Job and Daniel teach us to persevere in faithful prayers as we intercede for our family and friends. As our heavenly father, God wants to shower us with spiritual gifts but as children, we sometimes are filled with doubt of God’s power. There is an image I love that says ‘you and what army’ as it shows the person surrounded by the army of God, a heavenly host of militant angels. 

Everyone has heard the infamous story of Joshua and the crumbling walls of Jericho, but few may realize that God had sent the prince of heavenly hosts, Archangel Michael, to help Joshua. Joshua 5:13-15 tells us that Joshua was about to wage war on Jericho when he was visited by a man with a drawn sword.  When Joshua questioned the man, he responded “As commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.”  Any battle we are facing whether it is our children questioning their faith or falling into drugs or alcohol use or even if they have fallen into grave sin, we are not alone.  We must give it up to the Lord and believe with all our hear that our heavenly father will hear and answer our prayers and petitions for friends and loved ones.  The devil tries too hard to put doubt in our hearts and make us forget that we belong to God who created the universe and breathed his breath of life in us. God, our heavenly father, is madly and insanely in love with us and he hears us from the moment we start talking to him so don’t give up. 

Autourina Mains; Ed.D

Powell