Will Jr. Davis - Pray Big for Your Child: The Power of Praying Gods Promises for Your Childs Life

PRAY BIG
for your
CHILD

PRAY BIG
for your
CHILD

The Power of Praying Gods Promises
for Your Childs Life

WILL DAVIS JR.

2009 by Will Davis Jr.

Published by Revell
a division of Baker Publishing Group
P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
www.revellbooks.com

Printed in the United States of America

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meansfor example, electronic, photocopy, recordingwithout the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Davis Will, 1962
Pray big for your child : the power of praying Gods promises for your childs life / Will Davis, Jr.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 978-0-8007-3246-2 (pbk.)
1. ParentsPrayers and devotions. 2. PrayerBiblical teaching. I. Title.
BV4845.D38 2009
248.3 2085dc22

2008037948

Scripture is taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Dedicated to Will Davis III, Emily Davis, and Sara Davis.
Each of you is an incredible answer to my prayers.

Contents

Thanks to...

Susie Davisfor inspiring, supporting, loving, and putting up with me. Its a pleasure to have a praying woman as the mother of my children.

Cathy Anderson, Linda Ayotte, Lizzie Benigno, Kathy Berke, Wendy Browning, Lisa Davis, Amy Duncan, Jeanne Marie Ellis, Dennis Fasetta, Nancy Fowler, Kerri Gerrie, Richard Hastings, Mike and Connie Helton, Lori Howe, Mike Kampen, Joni Kendrick, Nancy McDonald, Pam Moratta, Susan Murphy, Alan Nagel, Tonya Parrott, Pete Patterson, Lorri Payne, Cindy Present, Mike and Suzanne Schatzman, Jim Shearer, Eddy and Lynne Siroin, Andrea Smith, Les Stobbe, Lori Trenasty, Bill Walker, and Holly Wrightfor sharing their inspiring prayers for their kids.

Sara and Chris Coltharpfor allowing me to participate in one of the coolest weddings ever.

Rebecca Davisfor standing up for your faith and for setting a great example for my girls.

Nancy, Mackenzie, and Eric Fowlerfor being godly, inspiring people. Im totally proud of you and love you all.

Mallory McGeefor inspiring me and for representing Christ so well.

Andy and Lynn Neilliefor being great friends and for modeling stewardship for Drew.

Lorri and Terry Paynefor being great friends, for supporting Pray Big, for having a godly family, and for contributing to this project.

Gary, Tracy, and Sydney Ramirezfor being great friends and for sharing your inspiring story.

Steve and Jillynn Shaverfor being a great example of praying parents.

Andrea and Curt Smithfor loving, serving, and supporting Susie and me.

Michael and Debbie Spellfor raising godly kids and for providing an inspiring teaching moment.

Rebecca Welchfor risking your life to save others.

David Guionfor being a great friend, a godly worship leader, and a mighty man of God.

Buddy and Melody Whitefor teaching me about generational momentum, and for changing yours.

Heather and Bobby Zuggfor raising godly boys, for being awesome Christian parents, and for taking time to help me on this project.

Kimmie Grimes, Shane Major, Hudson Baird, David Booth, and Hannah Parrottfor being great examples of kids with a mission.

Erika Dunham, Kelly Carter, Kate Stafford, and Megan Staffordfor being married to Jesus.

Joni Kendrickfor a decade of friendship, love, support, shared vision, and community. You are a great friend and you inspire me as a parent.

Wendy Browningfor great support and friendship, and for proofing the manuscript.

Terri Crowfor being a godly woman, a great mother, and a true servant. You are also the greatest proofreader of all time, period.

Tonya Parrottfor great support and for contributing to this manuscript.

Steve Shaver and Julie Washingtonfor leading ministries that prioritize and disciple kids. You both have taught me so much. I love serving with you.

Les Stobbefor continued support and friendship.

The ever-growing ACF stafffor supporting me, for embracing the ACF vision, and for being a blast to work with. I love you all.

The ACF overseers and boardfor inspiring and courageous leadership, and for encouraging me to write.

The people of Austin Christian Fellowshipfor believing God and serving Jesus.

Vicki Crumptonfor great coaching, vision, and support. I love working with you. Thanks also for countless small talks about bikes, dogs, cats, trails, life, etc.

Suzie Cross Burden, Deonne Beron, Jessica Miles, Twila Bennett, Cheryl Van Andel, Karen Steele, Brooke Nolen, Debbie Deacon, Lonnie Hull DuPont, Claudia Marsh, and the incredible people at Revell and Baker Publishing Groupfor everything youve done for the Pray Big books. You are all incredibly professional, godly, and a pleasure to work with.

1
MARIAHS MIRACLE
(AND HER MOTHERS PRAYER!)

M ARIAH APPROACHED THE beginning of middle school as a happy, normal sixth grader. She was a good student, she would be attending her neighborhood school with her best girlfriends, and she was excited about the new adventure. But that all changed on the first day of school. Mariah basically experienced the equivalent of a panic attack. She started crying uncontrollably and inconsolably. Tragically, the scene was repeated almost every day of that school year. Her mother would drive her to school but was often unable to get Mariah out of the car. Other days, Mariah would make a brave attempt to face her school fears, only to spend most of the day in the counselors office or crying at her desk. Her new adventure had turned into a nightmare.

During that time, Mariahs parents did everything they could to help her. They prayed for her and with her. She started seeing a professional Christian counselor, and her school counselor worked with her every day. She also started taking antidepressants.

The next year, as Mariah was about to enter seventh grade, she and her parents agreed that she would try a new school. It was a Christian school with a great reputation. Things started off smoothly enough for Mariah, but within just a few weeks, the panic attacks were back.

Mariah bottomed out in the late fall of her seventh grade year. Her mother, Kathleen, wrote, It was the most gutwrenching thing Ive ever experienced, watching my child just try to slog through such misery. She was crying out to God. She was begging me for help.... Its so hard to convey how severe this was. Im not talking about a bratty kid crying and refusing to get out of the car. Im talking about true hysterics, rocking, making guttural sounds, etc.

Things were so bad that Kathleen and her husband drove Mariah to a local psychiatric hospital. They basically told Mariah that if she couldnt gain control of her fears, they would have to hospitalize her. It wasnt a threat; these Christian parents really didnt know how to help their daughter. The drugs, therapy, and prayers didnt seem to be working.

Mariah reluctantly agreed to give school another try. Kathleen remembers dropping her off and watching her frightened but determined seventh grader weeping as she disappeared through the schools doors. Kathleen wrote, I got in my car and started sobbing, and then I prayed for her like I had done every other day. I was praying things like, O God, please help Mariah. Please, please, please. God, I know you hear her crying out to you. Why wont you help her? Please just help her put one foot in front of the other and make it through the day.