Pray for Sharpening
It was always my father’s job to cut the meat, whether it be the Thanksgiving turkey or the Sunday roast. I remember how he would open the knife drawer and look through, pushing some aside looking for ‘that one’ that would do the job.
There were knives in the drawer that were the favorites and then there were those that were hardly ever used. The former had a nice blade, the latter was dull and almost useless. Dad would pull out a knife and inspect the blade. Then, if his chosen knife needed to be sharpened, he would take hold of the long wand-like tool that was textured and rough. It sat in the drawer alongside all of the knives.
As I watched him, Dad would swipe the blade of the knife back and forth along the sharpening tool, both sides, up and down, back and forth. It would make a scraping sound that was rhythmic and musical and it required that he was attentive to the process. The friction and abrasion of the knife edge against the rough, textured tool made the knife sharp and ready. Once he was finished, the knife was sharper than ever and ready to use. He would give it a quick polish and then set into the carving of the meat.
The knife sharpening rod went back into the drawer. Interestingly, though the rod always stayed in there with all of the knives, proximity to the sharpener did not mean all the knives remained sharp. It was only when a knife interacted with the rod that the knife experienced sharpening and was ready for the task it was created to do. Proverbs 27:17 “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” Iron only sharpens iron when there is friction and different textures or edges interact with each other to refine and define one another. If the items are identical, sharpening won’t occur.
If we surround ourselves with people who only agree with us, who think alike all the time, who don’t challenge us, guess what? We become dull, myopic, and insular. If we’re honest, we can become selfish, thinking that our way is the right way because everyone around us thinks so too. If we’re not challenged at all, we lose our sharpness. But when we encounter those who think differently, who may worship differently, who stretch us to think about why we believe what we do, we are ‘sharpened’. The friction wears down the parts of us that would cause us to be dull and ineffective and sharpens the edges of our resolve and conviction. No, it isn’t pleasant, but the alternative is even less appealing because it alludes to spiritual dullness. It doesn’t mean we become like the other…the knife didn’t become the sharpening rod. But instead, it became a better version of what it was created to be.
As parents, we don’t like to see our sons and daughters experiencing discomfort or pain. We don’t enjoy seeing them face difficult things. Our ‘momma heart’ aches to see them struggle. Our natural reaction might be to try and ease the situation, soothe the irritation, or fix the problem. Yet, would we interfere with God’s work in their life? Consider this, that friction, discomfort and irritation they are experiencing might be God’s way of smoothing out their rough edges. It might be God’s brake pedal, slowing them down so they don’t rush into something that is not His will or giving them space so they can hear His voice and see His hand. Maybe God needs to soften their heart and sharpen their mind so they are ready for what He brings next. Godly friction can bring rewards.
Let’s pray for some sharpening friction in the lives of our sons and daughters. Let’s pray that they can have perspective on the process and gratitude that the Lord is preparing them for what’s next. And let’s pray that we, as parents, have perspective too- not feeling the urge to step in and fix it, but to pray that God uses it for their good and for His glory.
“Father, I pray for (name) today. I know things are difficult…or maybe soon will be. Give (name) strength to endure and perspective to understand that You are enthroned as the Holy One (Ps. 22:3) and that You use difficult circumstances and people to refine us and sharpen us. No one, no thing, no event, or authority can interfere with Your plan and purpose, nor will it ever be out of Your control. That’s a comfort, Lord.”
“I pray for sharpening in (name)’s life. I pray that You would bring people and events into their life that would stretch them, teach them, and make them more like Christ. Refine them to be what You created them to be. Challenge their thinking, Lord, so that they know what they believe and why. Sharpen them so they would live their faith with conviction, regardless of the responses or reactions of those around them. Lord, let them be a ‘sharp knife’ that is willing to experience friction because they know it prepares them for what You are calling them to do. Don’t let them sit dull and idle, unusable because they’re unwilling to be sharpened. Let (name) crave Your sharpening because they know it will equip them to be used in effective ways to accomplish Your will for their good and Your glory. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Pray without ceasing.
Passing through the Valley
“Blessed are those whose strength is in You, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.” Psalm 84:5-7
The Valley of Baka in Psalms is also known as the valley of weeping. We can all likely look to a time when we experienced a difficult, dark time. Maybe we encountered hardship and it seemed as if we were in a dark valley of grief or sorrow that weighed us down and seemed to last longer than we had strength to endure.
It’s one thing to go through it personally, but ask any parent who has watched their son or daughter go through hard things and they’ll tell you, it’s not only difficult, it’s downright painful. We want to fix it. We want to bring it to a quick end. We want to make everything okay and get things “back to normal”, yet, we’re powerless to do it.
As parents, the valley experience of our children calls us to a deep and abiding faith in Jesus. It calls us to trust Him more than we can see in front of us. It calls us to rely on His strength and Sovereignty over our own power and ingenuity. It asks us to relinquish our parental ‘controls’ and trust in the One Who parents them best. The valley is a tough place to be, that’s certain. And, as parents, we can either be the voice of spiritual encouragement that points our son or daughter to Jesus, or a detractor that pulls their focus to their current situation and supports their despair.
But Psalm 84 gives us a beautiful, powerful picture of the valley as a place of victory, not defeat. Yes, the Psalmist writes about being in the valley of weeping, but he says, “Blessed are those whose strength is in You, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.” Blessed. It’s the Hebrew word “eser” and it means “happiness, or how happy” (1). Our sons and daughters can experience deep happiness and joy, in spite of the valley experience if they’re focused on Jesus! They may be in the valley, but if they’re still pursuing Jesus, they are blessed!! Their location and their situation do not determine their joy. Jesus is joy!! That’s a lesson we should all be reminded of daily.
The second thing to remember is that the valley isn’t their destination, it’s just a part of the journey. And the valley shouldn’t be the focus of their heart, the passage to Jesus should be their focus! The joy is generated and determined by the Source of their strength. The One who walks every step of the way with them through the valley and the One in whose Presence they long to stand. The journey is one of reliance on Jesus and trust in His Presence and leading.
Not only will the valley bring blessings, but it can become a place of refreshing. Imagine that! A valley of weeping becomes a journey of refreshing?! “As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools.” The word “spring” in Hebrew is the word “mayan” and it means "fountain or source of satisfaction” (2). Psalm 87:7 gives us another perspective on Who and what that fountain represents, “All my fountains are in You.” In other words, all of my blessings and Source of joy, delight and pleasure are in You, Lord. The valley doesn’t supply the source of satisfaction, the believer traveling the valley does through his full reliance on Christ and his delight in His presence. So, if our sons and daughters are in the valley, they can make it a place bubbling with delight, joy and pleasure if they remain focused on and grounded in the Lord. Blessings bubbling over, generatd by the Source of Life.
Then, there are the autumn rains. To some that may seem odd, but in Israel, the hot dry summer gives way to autumn rain that softens the soil and makes it pliable, easily broken up for cultivation and planting. It creates fertile ground- and isn’t that what God seeks to create in our hearts? The autumn rains in the valley of weeping can soften hearts and make them ready to receive the Word and be fruitful. The springs and fountains of delight, pleasure, and joy along with the refreshing, nourishing rains that soften the hardened ground make the trek through the valley a journey from strength to strength. This word, strength, is “hayil” in Hebrew and it means “resources, ability, and might” (3). Do you see? God uses the valley to bring joy in Him- not generated by our circumstances. He brings delight, not in the location, but in His Presence. He brings growth because of the believer’s focus and reliance on Him, not on the situation or location. He draws the traveler to Himself and in doing so, the situation and location become secondary.
Finally, the destination of walking through the valley is the anticipation of standing before God, in His presence. Psalm 16:11 says, “You make known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your Presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.” If our heart is set on pilgrimage to God’s presence and Jesus is our Guide and Companion, there is strength and joy in the journey because we know the valley isn’t the destination, nor does it hold what we’re seeking, and there is so much more that awaits us. We will ALL stand before the Lord, whether we intend that as our destination or not. It is determined beforehand for us.
How will we pray for our sons and daughters in their faith journey? Will we pray the valley is short and the weeping is minimal? That’s likely and why wouldn’t we? God understands our parent-heart well. But, maybe we should pray that the focus of our son or daughter is Jesus alone and that He would be their source of joy, delight and strength. And maybe, just maybe, we should pray for autumn rains that soften the ground of their hearts so they can receive the Word of God and bear fruit. Perhaps we should pray that their journey is not just a short one, but is one of moving from strength to strength until they appear before God in Zion and that ultimately, they would hear, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”
Let’s pray that the valley is a place of blessing and growth and that if He wills, the Lord would allow us a window on all of it while we lift our sons and daughters in prayer. There are features of the valley experience that can lead us and our sons and daughters to a stronger, more certain faith. And yes, even deep joy. That’s how we can pray effectively and fervently for their journey.
Pray without ceasing.
1. H835 - 'ešer - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (kjv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h835/kjv/wlc/0-1/
2. H4599 - maʿyān - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h4599/niv/wlc/0-1/
3. H2428 - ḥayil - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h2428/niv/wlc/0-1/