How to Worship While You Watch and Wait

I could see this day coming, but I felt powerless to stop it. When it came, I felt my heart breaking while my knees bent in soul-searing pain. “Oh, God! The Enemy cannot have my son!”

Growing in God’s Word

Growing up as a people pleaser, I didn’t handle criticism well. Wondering if I was truly loved often left me heart and mind unsettled.

But as I grew in Christ, I learned my worth doesn’t depend on what people say—it depends on what God says in His Word. Becoming a woman of God’s Word anchored my heart in truth.

Then I became a mother. I promised myself that our kids would never wonder if they were loved. They would hear who they were in Christ, and we would do our best to teach them the importance of God’s Word in everyday life.

Mike and I made a determined effort to live before our boys the same way we lived before the community and churches we served. As long as our children were under our roof, I fiercely protected them from the schemes of the enemy with every fiber of my being.

Disbelief in My Soul

January 10, 2021, was the night my soul was seared with grief beyond anything I’d known.

Our oldest son—no longer a child, but a man making his own way in the world—wrote a public post on social media declaring that he no longer believed in God. Worse, he told the world he had been raised in a “cult.”

We knew he was wrestling with his faith, but we never expected this. My heart felt crushed. Our phones rang with calls and messages from friends, but we were still in shock. How could this be our son?

The Enemy Cannot Have My Son

Worship isn’t just what we do on Sunday morning; it’s how we respond when life demands a choice. To whom will we bow our hearts, souls, and minds?

In those first days, I did the only thing I could: I cried out to God.

• When I couldn’t think straight, I cried out to God.
• When no words would come, I cried out to God.
• When grief pressed the air from my lungs, all I could pray was this declaration:

“The enemy cannot have my son.”

That remains my prayer today.

Holding On to God’s Promise

When our boys were teenagers, I prayed earnestly for God to raise them as men who loved His Word. In answer, the Lord gave me a Scripture—a promise I have held onto ever since.

Though I haven’t yet seen the fulfillment with my eyes, I believe God will keep His Word. He does not change, and His promises never fail.

 Worship in the Waiting

These last four years have been a mixture of pain and grace. Our relationship with our son has had its share of difficult moments, but there have also been many good ones. We love him no matter what. We don’t pressure him to believe as we do, and he doesn’t insult us with disrespect. It’s a process—but God is faithful.

Worship, I’ve learned, is not based on feelings. It’s a choice.

I refuse to bow to the lie that we were terrible parents or that our home was “cult-like.” Our house was filled with laughter, Friday-night hangouts, friends who felt welcome, loved, and fed. 

The enemy may whisper lies, but I know the truth of who we are in Christ.

So we worship in the waiting. We trust that God is working all things together for good and for His glory—not only for us, but for our son. We believe he will one day return to Jesus and that his testimony will bring others to faith.

Even if I never see that day with my own eyes, I know God will honor His promise.

How can I say this with confidence? Because I know God’s Word. I am choosing to live God’s Word in everyday faith. And I am determined to share God’s Word every chance I get.

How To Worship While You Wait

Confidence in the Word of the Lord is the most powerful tool a Christian woman has when life’s storms come- and they will come. When the enemy of our souls wages war against us, we need a sure foundation on which to stand. We need to know God’s Word.

1- Remember the Word of God 

 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.  2 Peter 3:9 NIV

2- Believe that God can Accomplish What Seems Impossible

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine,
according to his power that is at work within us,  to him be glory in the church and
in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen.
Ephesians 3:20-21 NIV

3- Don’t Let Fear Win

God did not give us a spirit that makes us afraid but a spirit of power and love
and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7 NCV

4- Practice Gratitude 

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1Thessalonians 5:18 NIV

5- Don’t Stop Praying

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with 

thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7 NIV

6-Find Your Battle Song and Sing It

He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the
LORD and put their trust in him. Psalm 40:3

My friend, who are you praying for today? A son or daughter? A friend or loved one?

Let’s trust God’s promises together and find the peace that surpasses understanding—even as we worship in the waiting.

My friend, who are you praying for today? A son or daughter? A friend or loved one?

Leave a comment if you’d like us to pray for your loved one, too. 

“Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”
— Luke 1:45 (KJV)