Have You Ever Had Your Heart Broken…by God?

Be careful what you pray for, because you might just get it!

For years, long before I started this work, I prayed and asked God to break my heart with the things that break His heart so I would know where He wanted me to serve.

My heart was always broken whenever I watched, heard or read about hurting children.

This brokenness is what led me to discover my passion and also what compelled me to make the leap from corporate America to my current ministry.

Over time, it became so difficult to hear these stories that I finally told God that I changed my mind.

My heart could no longer handle feeling the pain that He felt; so I asked God to forget that I ever prayed that prayer.

Have you ever wanted to just tell God, “Just kidding, just kidding; that’s not what I REALLY wanted?” I’ve certainly told Him that over the past 17 years.

But I’m not sure God allows us to take back our prayers, because even after telling Him not to break my heart anymore, my heart still breaks when I hear or read stories from students.

Following are some of the heart-breaking stories I have heard:

• The young lady was raped by her biological father and as a result resorted to sex, drugs, cutting and even multiple suicide attempts in order to medicate her pain.
• The young man who is 14 and homeless (sleeping on various friends’ couches) because his mother abandoned him and his father is incarcerated. As a result, he joined a gang and started selling drugs.
• The 8^th grade girl who has a 5-month-old son. This young lady had also been molested by a friend’s stepdad, raped by a man in her apartment complex and impregnated by a 19-year-old man.
• The 16-year-old ex-prostitute who had lost count of the number of her previous sexual partners.
• A young lady who was raped by her uncle repeatedly, later impregnated by that same uncle who then beat her until she miscarried the child. By her own admission, she has tried every drug available and cannot even count the number of her previous sex partners. Though she says in her letter that she’s not as sexually active as she has been, she shares, “I am still on drugs. I don’t love. I don’t feel. I don’t care!”

Mind you, these are all teenagers. Not adults, TEENAGERS!!!! Teenagers who should be enjoying their teen years stress-free, instead of dealing with such horrific experiences.

How do you help kids who’ve experienced so much turmoil at such a young age?

“My” Prayers Alone Can’t Fix Teens’ Problems

When I hear these stories from students I feel so helpless.

I’m embarrassed to say that I have often left them feeling inadequate because “ALL” I had to offer them was prayer.

Even though I can’t mention God in the classroom, there is no law that prevents me from praying for them outside of the classroom.

I’m sure you’ve been there before, where you wanted to be able to FIX someone’s problem, and not just PRAY that their problem would be fixed.

This is how I feel when students tell me about their situations at home.

A friend reminded me that I had to realize that I could not do the work of the Holy Spirit and should just turn these students (and their heart wrenching situations), over to God!

Though I agreed with her advice, it was much easier said than done.

Until one morning while lying in bed I realized that she was on to something.

I can offer these young people something even better than just “my” prayers:

Enlist an army of intercessors who will bombard heaven on their behalf!

Calling ALL Prayer Warriors!

I’m hoping to find an army of people who also want God to break their hearts for the things that break His heart!

Are you in?

If so, would you please commit to pray with me regularly for young people everywhere?

Some specific issues to pray for based on what I’m seeing in the schools are:

• For teens to find their purpose, or as I often say, their “YES,” so it will be easier to say “NO” to anything that could hinder them from fulfilling their potential.
• For those teens who don’t have responsible parents, please pray that they will meet other positive adults to guide them.
• For teens to be protected from sexual predators and the dangers of technology (i.e. sexting, pornography, etc.)

During this holiday season, I can’t think of a more rewarding gift to give our daughters and sons.

And from my family to yours: I pray you have a Merry Christmas surrounded with the people you love!

P.S. If you’re willing to join the army of intercessors, just  type, “I’m in!” in the comments below.

P.P.S. In order to enlarge our army, make sure you share this post on your social media profiles.

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