Praying for Girls: Before It's Too Late

A few years ago, I was preparing to lead a high school girls' conference in Louisiana. I had asked the conference coordinator to send me a list of the names of the girls who had registered, so that I could pray over them. As I was going down the list, I came to one name--Shawna*--and I just began to weep. I had never had an experience like this before; I was literally sobbing over this girl, and I had no idea why. I asked the Lord, "What's up with this girl, Lord? Why am I crying over Shawna?" The more I prayed, the more burdened I became. Deep in my heart, I was convinced that this young woman's purity was at stake--her heart, her emotions, her future, and everything else that a girl lays down at the altar of pursuing a premature relationship with a guy who does not have her best as his priority.

On conference day, there were over 50 girls there, and as I made my way through the crowd, I was scanning every girl's nametag for Shawna. I couldn't find her. At the end of the day, the event coordinator wanted to anoint and pray over every girl who was there, one at a time. Since these were her girls, and it was her event, I moved aside to let her do this. She was spending at least ten minutes with each one of the girls, praying, admonishing, and encouraging each one as she anointed and blessed them. After about an hour, another adult leader came to me and said, "You've got to help her--she will pass out before she gets finished!" Well, I don't mind telling you that at that time, I was a little out of my element with the anointing oil and all (Did I mention that I am Baptist??? LOL), but I went to take my place at the front as the leaders shuffled the girls around to form a second prayer line. They handed me several viles of oil and parked an assistant by my side, and as I began, I looked down into the first beautiful face in the line and read her nametag: Shawna.

Yeah. Shawna.

I grabbed her by both shoulders and said (as the tears began to fall) "Shawna--I have wept over you for two weeks! Do you know why?"

And then it all came out: a crush on an older guy...a relationship she was unsure about...the strange feeling she had inside that something wasn't right...but it wasn't too late!!! Oh, praise the LORD--it wasn't too late for Shawna! We prayed and we cried and we hugged and we did, indeed, rejoice. And when I saw her the next day, she had ended it--breaking all ties and getting herself out of the relationship.

Coming up in just two weeks is the Pure In Heart Conference, which is all about capturing the hearts of tweens for the Lord Jesus Christ--before it is too late.

Before they are teenagers in full bloom.
Before they make decisions that could their lives up.
Before a lot of things.

The conference is sold out and with good reason! This event is planned, produced, and fervently prayed over, with the purposeful intention of:

• Bringing moms and tween daughters together (and grandmoms, too)
• Bringing a tween generation to God
• Bringing an adult generation back to (or closer to) God

Do you think the enemy likes this? You're right--he doesn't like it at all!

Here at Mom Seriously, I'm going to spend some time over the next two weeks talking about the conference, filling you in on what I'll be talking to the 11- and 12-year-old girls about, and also asking you to be in prayer for this event and everyone who is a part of it. Will you join me at the throne of God's Mercy? Oh, how I need you to join me in prayer! Will you pray for the girls and women who will be attending this conference? Would you be willing to invest your prayers--and your tears--in girls you do not even know--girls you will probably never meet this side of Heaven?

It's prevention. I think we need to be investing more in prevention, don't you? Even tween girls may be coming with some deep needs, and God can meet those needs! Simply pray, "Lord, may the girls coming to this conference receive everything You have for them in full. You are faithful to supply all our needs according to Your riches in glory" (Philippians 4:18, 19).

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*That is not the girl's real name.