Does God Have Foster Children?

Not all, but a lot of foster children struggle with feeling and knowing that they are loved and accepted. A life with so much hurt and rejection makes it extremely difficult to trust. Trust was broken. Sometimes they act out because of their lack of trust and because of all the pain. They misbehave, break the rules, throw fits, and run away. They don’t know where they belong. They long for a sense of legitimacy. It is a very complicated task for a loving foster parent to convince a wounded streetwise child of their love. How they handle the acting out will make or break the situation. If they are harsh and unloving, they will lose the heart of the child forever. But if they love unconditionally, there are times that the child’s heart will soften. The foster parents who are able to communicate to the child the honor of being chosen, will win the heart of the child. But ultimately, the choice belongs to the child on whether to believe them or not.

Sometimes we act like a foster child with God. This world is hard on us and we often feel hurt and rejected. If our authority figures have broken our trust, then it’s hard to trust God. We tend to doubt God’s love and acceptance so we test it. We misbehave, break the rules, throw fits, and run away. How God handles our acting out makes or breaks the situation. The Good News is that our loving Father God responds to us with grace. He made provision for us by sending his son, Jesus, to pay the price. God loves us and is never harsh with our brokenness. He gave us the honor of being chosen. He has given us our legitimacy. We have been adopted/grafted in. We are bloodline legit—the blood of Jesus pulses through our veins. We are God’s children. Now we have a choice to make. Are we going to believe God or not?

So to answer the question: Does God have foster children? The answer is, no. He has adopted us and brought us into full inheritance. Let us whole-heartedly embrace what God extends to us.

I invite you to pray with me:
Thank you, Father God, that you chose me. I now choose to be a part of your family through the precious blood of Jesus. I hand over to you all of my hurt, rejection, fear and broken trust. I hand over to you the people who hurt me and I release them from my judgment into yours. I invite you, Jesus, into the hurt and broken places to bring healing. Thank you, Father God, for your forgiveness, your kindness and your grace. Thank you for adopting me and grafting me in. Thank you for making me your legitimate child. Thank you for full inheritance. Thank you for your love and acceptance. I choose now to believe you and to receive all of what you have for me. Amen.

Romans 5:8 (NLT)  But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
Isaiah 42:3 (NLT)  He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. He will bring justice to all who have been wronged.
Romans 2:4 (NLT)  Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?
1 Peter 2:9 (NLT)  But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.
Ephesians 1:5 (NLT)  God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.
Romans 11:17b (NLT)  …And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God’s special olive tree.
Ephesians 1:11 (NLT)  Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.
1 John 3:1a (NLT)  See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are!...

God Wants to Hear What I Have to Say?!?

Prayer. What an amazing invitation from our Heavenly Father to come into close relationship with him! That is what prayer is. It is having a conversation with the Almighty God. It means that we get to have the ear of the Creator of the Universe. The Most High God listens to us and wants to hear what we have to say. There is no greater honor.

 

Do you have something breaking your heart? Do you have something stressing you out? Do you need help with something? Is there something you are ashamed of? Do you have something to be thankful for? Do you have a creative idea? Or do you need a creative idea? These are all times when God is calling us to pray.

 

We are so limited in what we can do. But God is not limited. He is all powerful. The question is, how do we get our limits and God's power working together? The answer = prayer.

 

God has a plan for everyone, in all things. The purpose of prayer is for us to partner with God according to his plan—it’s not necessarily about getting what we want. Even though he is all powerful, God chose to partner with us in what he is doing here on earth. Our part is to talk to God about everything, then God decides what to do with it. Contrary to popular teaching, God does not always get what he wants (2 Peter 3:9). Partners work together and if one is not doing their part, then things won’t work out as well. There is a lot that God does here on earth because of the cries of his people. He hears our hearts cry when we use our words or when we pour out our tears (Isaiah 38:5, Psalm 56:8). He needs to hear what we have to say in order to accomplish his will here on earth. I pray because I want to be part of making a difference.

 

God wants to hear what we have to say. He wants us to come to him and talk to him about everything (Matthew 11:28-30). He wants us to cast our care on him (1 Peter 5:7). He wants to be the one we come to. He wants to be our resource. He wants to be there for us. When we choose God as the one we go to, that is actually faith. It is pleasing to God. We need to come to him with this attitude and heart-posture. We don’t have to come pleading with God in an attempt to talk him into caring about something. He already cares more than we do. So start there and just tell him what is on your heart and in your mind.

 

When we do not unload our burdens to God, they tend to accumulate and that feels a lot like anxiety. Anxiety can actually be a call to pray. There have been so many times when I feel disturbed deep inside and I can feel the accompanying anxiety. Then when I pray it out, I can feel the disturbance leave. I know that I'm done praying when the disturbance and anxiety are gone. Jesus has it. God does not fully "have" it if we have not "given" it to him. The way we get change here on earth is through prayer. Because prayer is our way of handing it to God.

 

There are times when I don't know how to pray about a situation. I really don't know what to say to God. I want the Spirit of God to pray through me. So what I do is ask God, "How do you want me to pray? Would you please show me your heart in this situation? Would you please put your words in my mouth that I can offer them back to you?" I then still myself and quietly listen. Then I open my mouth and pray what comes to mind. I have seen God do amazing things through those prayers!

 

I invite you to join me in prayer.

Father God, I come to you now acknowledging your goodness. You are all powerful and all wise. You know exactly what is best in every situation. Thank you that you care about me and my situation. Thank you that you hear me and care what I have to say. God, I care what you think. I want to hear what you have to say. You are always good and kind. Thank you that you take the heavy end. I agree to let you have what is weighing heavy on me. You are the one I choose to come to. I fully surrender to you. Please show me how to pray. Please give me your heart and your mind about things. I welcome you to put your words in my mouth that I may pray them back to you. Thank you that you receive me and what I have to say with open arms.

(Tell God all about it...)

God, I receive your rest (Matthew 11:28) and thank you for it. Amen.

 

Additional scriptures:

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 (1 John 5:14-15 NIV).

 

But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt...(James 1:6a NIV).

 

Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. (Psalm 126:5 NIV)