Part 2: The Role of Prayer
Now that we have discussed why we are doing a “How to Build an Orphanage” series, let’s look into the first step. It’s human nature to think that the first step in such a large undertaking is to draft up a plan. After all, the Bible repeatedly emphasizes the need for us to care for orphans. God, Himself, is described as “…a father to the fatherless and a defender of widows, who sets the lonely in families and leads prisoners to prosperity, while the rebellious dwell in a parched land” (Psalm 68:5-6). Care for orphans is so personal to God that it is stated in Matthew 25:40: “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” So naturally, we must come up with a great foundation through a plan, right?
Proverbs 16:1-4 (NIV) says, “To humans belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the proper answer of the tongue. All a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord. Commit to the Lord, whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. The Lord works out everything to its proper end— even the wicked for a day of disaster.”
We may have our plans in order, but they do not trump God’s will for our lives. Even if our plans and motives are good, if they are not God’s will for our lives, our plans will not prevail. So, how are we to care for orphans if we are not to rely on our planning? The answer is prayer.
Prayer is how we communicate with God and should be the essential first step of every decision we make. It may seem like a small task on our to-do list in life, but it causes more change than we think. 1 John 5:14-15 states, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of Him.” So long as what we are praying for aligns with God’s will, not only will that request be heard but also answered.
We know that helping orphans aligns with God’s will. However, many of us don’t know what God’s specific plan is to help them. Maybe He’s calling you to build an orphanage, or maybe He wants you to support orphans in other ways. The only way to know is to ask Him how He is calling you to carry out His will.
Some of you may be thinking that “just praying about it” is an oversimplistic answer, but it is the truth.
The power of prayer is stronger than any plan we can come up with. It is stronger than human error. Romans 8:26-27 states, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.”
How awesome is it that even when we don’t know what to say or what we need, the Holy Spirit can interpret the groans of our heart and act as a mediator between us and God. What better way to start helping orphans than by asking for God’s will? Will it not be revealed to us if we ask? Even if we don’t know what to pray for, will the Holy Spirit not intercede for us?
If you want to build an orphanage, it’s critically important to pray.
A special “THANK YOU” to Paige Slatton for contributing this blog post!
