Victorious

Way back at the beginning of February, I was praying over a potential match.  As I prayed for the birth mother, her child, and the uncertainty of adoption, I clearly heard the phrase, "Your child will be victorious."  I've clung to that, particularly in times of being presented to situations that were riskier than others.

In March, we asked our prayer warrior friends to pray for us concerning a potential match involving a 6 year old boy.  We were torn.  We know it's harder to place older children but we had decided we didn't want to mess with birth order this time around; we wanted a child age 5 or under.  As our friends searched God's heart with us, one friend came back with an interesting word from God, "Disabled."  Confusing, to say the least.  While I had grown up with the passion to adopt 20 or more special needs children, the Good Doctor had no such passion.  And by this point, I wasn't sure that adding a disabled child to a home with such large numbers was the greatest idea.  But like any word that comes from these trusted Christian friends, I pondered it in my heart and added it to my word - disabled but victorious.

We did decide to present to the situation with the 6 year old but another family was chosen.  And as only Jesus can do, it was sealed with a Heavenly surprise: The chosen family "just happened" to be on their way to a spring break vacation, traveling through the area where this mother and her son lived.  They were able to stop in and meet them right away.  So I tucked both of these words away and they became part of my prayers for our future child.  I wrote the word VICTORIOUS in the center of a page in my journal and circled it.  I told God I wasn't going to stop praying until our victorious child was home.  Little did I know what was coming.

1 Samuel 1:27 - I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of Him.

When each of our children was little I chose a Bible verse to pray over them.  For some, the verse came to me when they were very young.  For others, I went through several verses before settling on "the one."  It's amazing to pray each child's verse over him or her and to see how fitting it is for his or her situation.  Their verses are posted on their pictures that hang in the hallway so we can all be reminded of God's promises to them.

As I started to explore verses for Victor, I found several that speak to victory.  Someday I'll narrow it down to just one, but for now, please join me in praying these over Victor.  The neat thing about the Psalm 20 passage is that during our wedding ceremony, John and I shared Bible verses that would guide our marriage and verse 7 of this passage was one of the verses we read that day.

1 Corinthians 15:54-58

When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”^[a]

 “Where, O death, is your victory?
    Where, O death, is your sting?”^[b]

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

1 John 5:1-4
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands.And his commands are not burdensome,  for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.  Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

Psalm 20: 1-8

May the Lord answer you when you are in distress;
    may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.
 May he send you help from the sanctuary
    and grant you support from Zion.
 May he remember all your sacrifices
    and accept your burnt offerings.^[b]
 May he give you the desire of your heart
    and make all your plans succeed.
 May we shout for joy over your victory
    and lift up our banners in the name of our God.

May the Lord grant all your requests.

 Now this I know:
    The Lord gives victory to his anointed.
He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary
    with the victorious power of his right hand.

Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
    but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
 They are brought to their knees and fall,

    but we rise up and stand firm.