Once again, the power of prayer was made clear to me this week. I visited with a good friend at church, and we chatted about the baby boy in my womb. She reminded me of the moment when the seed was truly sown for this little boy. It was a long time ago.
My friend and her husband were traveling to Israel nine years ago. My husband really wanted to go on this trip, but I was newly pregnant with our second child. It’s always been a dream of his (and mine) to see the Holy Land, but since he couldn’t go, he asked our friends to do something for him while they were there. He gave them a slip of paper, and asked them to place it in the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. On the paper, he had written a prayer… the longing and desire of his heart.
The Wailing Wall received its famous name from the British in 1917. During their rule in Israel, they witnessed the ongoing presence of Jewish people praying and weeping at the last standing piece of the Temple wall (built by Herod in 19 BC). This piece of wall is actually a retaining wall that supported the extended Temple platform that Herod built. The Jewish people have been visiting the Wailing Wall as a place of prayer since about 400 AD. They come to mourn the destruction of the Temple and to make requests of the Lord. They believe that there is something very powerful about the wall. To them, it’s a holy site where God’s presence once dwelt. They believe that there is no place on earth closer to God or to heaven.
It has become very common for people who visit the wall to insert their prayers on a piece of paper. Since my husband couldn’t go to the Holy Land, this was his wish. To have the prayer of his heart placed inside the Wailing Wall. What did he write on the paper? He asked God for a son.
I had completely forgotten about this time in our lives! It was shortly after our friends’ return from Israel when we discovered that our second child would be another girl. We were happy to have a healthy child, but the longing remained in my husband’s heart in the days that led up to our daughter’s birth.
I moved on, became busy with two little girls, and was honestly content with the size of our family. It wasn’t until 2 years ago when the Lord asked me to have another child that I thought about how much my husband had wanted a son. Even when I talked with him about the Lord’s apparent plan to give us another baby, it seemed that even my husband had forgotten how much he desired to have a son nine years ago.
But the Lord never forgot. He heard those prayers. He knew the longing of my man’s heart. He waited until the time was right, and brought the answer to prayer.
This time I knew, even before I got pregnant, that this baby would be a boy. The Lord made it very clear to me that this child was a blessing to my husband, and that it would be a son. When my friend reminded me this week about the Wailing Wall prayer, I realized once again just how amazing God is and how powerful our prayers are. Nine years seems like a long time to wait. My husband had long since left that request at the foot of the Father’s throne. He trusted God with his heart’s desire. Even when the years went by. And now here we are, just seven weeks away from meeting our little boy.
This nine year old story is a challenge to you and me today. What do you need to bring to the Wailing Wall? What is the desire of your heart? Write it down, roll it up, and place it in your wailing wall. In essence, you will be laying it at the foot of His throne. Let Him take His time. Let Him shape your dream and your desire. Let Him answer you when He knows that the timing is perfect.
What have you been waiting for? Does it seem like it’s too late? With God, it’s never too late. My husband will finally experience the joy and desire of his heart at 47 years old! Don’t let the enemy tell you that it’s over. Your future is being written by your Loving Father. Rest in Him, knowing that He has you in His hands.
This is what the LORD says: “In the time of my favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you.” Isaiah 49:8