God's Got This: A Strategic Prayer Guide for Your Adoption JourneySample

"Surrender - Beautiful, but not Easy!" You are moving into new prayer territory. Surrender is the name of the game, when considering moving forward with an adoption. This is the unknown space I have always thought of as the second “try-mester,” because truly adoption can be very trying! As you pray over a possible next step, I encourage you to look at the time as an opportunity to practice peace - because the alternative is what I did, and it just wasn’t pretty. Having asked God to help me move heaven and earth to get the paperwork done, I suddenly hit a strange impasse. Hurry up and Wait! After procuring all the required medical tests for the adoption, I had been poked and prodded to the point that I was pretty sure I could administer both criminal and medical tests with relative ease. I had begged government officials to move this case quickly. I flooded the FBI with (well-warranted, I might add) phone calls and even sent thank you notes. Now what? About the time that your paperwork is turned in, you will probably be notified that it is time for your home visit. Admittedly, this can feel kind of scary. Be encouraged that the sooner you get placed on the home visit schedule, the sooner your adoption clock will start! This is when your faith will be tested, as you have no control once the paperwork is sent. Remember that it is okay for you to give up control, because God is in control. After all the forward momentum, waiting and wondering didn’t feel very good. When I felt uncomfortable and needy, God moved. But He didn’t move in my circumstances; He moved in me. He taught me patience, the “Big P.” I had to remember Psalm 37:3, “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him…” I often pray for peace, not patience, because I know my Jesus! The only way to get patience is to embrace the wait! When you walk toward this total adoption milestone, know that you are walking into a divinely gray area. You may not be able to see the entire pathway, but God will light each step in front of you as you learn to lean on Him. It may not be easy, but you can find peace during the wait. The surrender is truly beautiful.