Pray Down the Number

I love orphan and adoption ministries. I love reading blogs written by people who have a heart for orphans and adoption. I love babies and children and I love it when God uses me to be His hands and feet. It is amazing, awesome, and so incredibly humbling that He, the God who created the Universe, cares anything at all about me and believes in me enough to allow me to work with Him. I know me, and sometimes I don't like me very much. God knows me even better - and He loves me anyway! It is so crazy that it makes me laugh right out loud sometimes!

I have read these two blogs for some time now - Oatsvall Team and Joining the Journey. These two ladies teamed up a few years ago and started the orphan ministry 147 Million. Together they help raise funds and awareness for adoptions all over the world.

Recently, I learned of an idea that one of them had that is multiplying daily. The idea is that every day at 1:47 pm we all stop what we are doing and for just a few minutes pray for orphans around the world. Pray for people you know who are adopting, pray for the 147 million children who go to bed at night without a kiss from their Mommy and Daddy. Stop and let's cumulatively storm the gates of heaven on behalf of the least of these. Then, let's watch and see what our God will do.

It is 2:00 right now and 13 minutes ago, my phone alarm went off and the message "Pray Down the Number" popped up on my screen. I got on my knees and I prayed. As I did, I imagined hundreds of others on their knees before the Throne of Grace and I imagined the smile on the very face of God as He heard the prayers of His children.

"Let my prayer be counted as incense to you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!" Psalm 141:2


I am so excited about what God is going to do with this.  It is such a simple thing that He birthed in another Mom's heart.  Because she obeyed, hundreds and soon hopefully thousands, of people are praying at the same time to decrease the number of orphans in the world.  It is not an impossible feat - if we work together, if we listen to the still small voice that prompts us, and if we obey.

"Give ear, O Lord to my prayer, listen to my plea for grace." Psalm 86:6