Dear Mama: God’s Not Done With Your StorySample

The Prayer That Got Me Arrested (Rebecca’s Story)

Dear Mama,

Have you ever prayed something so bold, so raw, that you weren’t even sure if you meant it—but you were desperate enough to say it anyway?

Rebecca’s mom did.

Her daughter was living under a bridge, lost in addiction, separated from her children, and barely surviving. She’d overdosed again. The spiral was only getting darker. So her mother, heart breaking and hands folded at an altar, prayed a prayer she never imagined she’d say:

“Lord, have my daughter arrested. Better a jail cell than a grave.”

Within days, that prayer was answered.

It wasn’t punishment—it was protection. Jail became the place where Rebecca slowed down, sobered up, and finally opened a Bible for the first time in her life. And there, in the stillness of a cell, she met Jesus.

Maybe you’re the one who’s praying for a daughter right now. Maybe you’re the one who was the daughter. Either way, you know this kind of pain—the kind that makes you cry out prayers that are messy, painful, and a little scary.

Mama, I want to remind you today: Your prayers are not pointless. They are powerful.

When we pray, we’re not just talking to the ceiling. We are petitioning the King of Heaven—who hears us, loves us, and moves on behalf of His children.

James 5 says, “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” That doesn’t mean you have to be perfect. It means you keep showing up. Keep lifting up your child’s name. Keep bringing your heartbreak to the throne of grace.

Rebecca’s story didn’t end in jail—it started there. That moment cracked open a door she never thought she’d walk through. She found safety. She found purpose. She got help through a recovery program, found her identity in Christ, and started building a new future.

She once thought she was worthless. Now she knows she’s chosen.
She once thought she’d never be a mom again. Now, she’s leading other women out of the same darkness she once lived in.

Jesus doesn’t just answer prayers—He exceeds them.

So, Mama, if you’re praying the same desperate prayer on repeat… don’t stop.
If your child has wandered far… don’t give up.
If you feel like you’re out of words… just whisper His name.

Sometimes, the very thing that appears to be the end might be the moment when God begins writing a whole new chapter.

Reflection:

1. Have you ever prayed a “desperate” prayer for your child or yourself? What was it?
2. Is there someone you’ve been praying for who feels beyond help? What truth can you speak over that situation today?
3. What might it look like to surrender your child or loved one fully into God’s hands?

Prayer:
God, thank You that You hear even the desperate prayers. Thank You that You care more about our children than we ever could. I lay down my fear and take hold of Your peace. Give me the courage to keep praying, even when I don’t see the answer yet. Protect my child. Reach them, wherever they are. And if I’m the one who needs to be found, please find me. Arrest my heart if You must. Just don’t let us go. In Jesus’ name, Amen.