Scripture:
1 Corinthians 15:1-8
John 14:6-14
Reflection:
Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father. And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it. John 14:12-14
When my kids became teenagers, I started to worry that they might not make it to heaven, and that would be terrible! I prayed often for their salvation, but I was overly upset about it, and I couldn’t get the fear to lift. One day I asked the Lord if He could help me come to peace about it. He said, “What does it say in scripture?”
I said, “That you wish all to be saved.” (1 Timothy 2:4)
And He said, “And what else does it say?”
And I said “If we pray according to your Will, it will be done.” (John 14:13-14)
And He said, “Yes!”
When you pray for someone’s salvation, you are praying according to God’s will, and He will answer that prayer in His way and in His time. I remember at one mission Father Cedric inviting people to pray for their kids who had fallen away from the faith for “tribulation in the morning, noon and night!” Sometimes it take a real crisis for people to wake up and it is often the hard times that lead us back to Jesus.
Don’t ever stop praying for the salvation of others. It’s one of the greatest things we can do! I haven’t stopped praying for my kids and now I pray for their kids, too. But I also don’t worry about it anymore. I believe with all my heart that they will all make it to heaven and we will have a great reunion one day!
Thank you Lord for your word and promises to us. Help us trust in You.
Janice Carleton and her husband Jim live in Bainbridge Island, Washington, and partner with Passionist Fr. Cedric Pisegna in Fr. Cedric Ministries. She is the mother of 4 grown children and grandmother of 6. Janice also leads women’s retreats and recently published her second book: God IS with Us. Visit Janice’s website at http://www.janicecarleton.com/ or email her at [email protected].