Texted to pray

5:42 p.m. Today's project started at 6:03 a.m. when I got a text from my youngest son Steven, saying , "Praise God, the headache is gone."



Steven had just gotten up in San Jose for his bodybuilding show at 6:30 p.m. What a praise report after his frantic text message of 8:50 p.m. last night!



Yesterday afternoon, he drove north from Fresno, and found cheap lodgings. His message to me last night read, "Pray for me I have the worst migraine I can't even get out of bed right now."

I texted all of Steven's siblings, his dad and I prayed, and then I thought, let me notify my almost 600 Facebook friends, and especially the "Post a Prayer" FB ministry administrated by my dear friend Linda Martinez. I answered my son back, "go lie down in the dark," but he reminded me that he had to apply his body color and needed to eat at 11:00 p.m. per his very strict dietary routine. While I stayed in communication with Steven all evening, prayer was flowing forward from around the country for him.

It was humbling and inspiring to see believers praying, and I posted many thank yous! Yet, despite the hope and faith I had in God's ability and willingness to heal, the devil had these barbs to toss at me:

1. Should you have given Steven $30 for a room?


2. What if it's not God's will for him to compete?


3. Isn't it a sign he shouldn't be in San Jose, since his sponsor fell through on the lodging?


4. His migraine won't go away, so all that time and money wasted!


5. What if it's an aneurysm?


6. He'll die all alone.


7. Better find out what motel he's in, in case he dies!


8. Then it will be your fault because he wouldn't have had money to stay in a motel!

From the "practical" to the absurd, were the tormenting thoughts that hit me because my child was hurting 6 hours away! In confronting these taunts from the accuser of the brethren, the old serpent, the devil (Revelation 11:10, 20:2), I kept praying and calling to mind the prayers of the saints on my son's behalf! (I did ask Steven where he was staying, and was glad he had a bed instead of his original plan of sleeping in a hotel lobby!) I love the way Revelation 5:8 speaks of the prayers of the saints being in the presence of the Lamb in heaven, as "golden bowls of incense." I felt and was bolstered by my friends and acquaintances, brothers and sisters in the Lord, praying for a young man most won't meet until we are all together in heaven!

There's no telling right now how Steven's bodybuilding contest will go, but he is healed and competing, with music from Christian rapper LeCrae for his theme song. My prayer is that the lyrics will be edifying for believers and convicting to the unsaved. My answer back to him on receipt of the good news of his migraine being gone was, "Now go out there and give God the glory!"

And that's the answer to this mom's prayers!