The Prayers of a Mom with Angela Bassett

Angela Bassett has played a myriad of historical women including Rosa Parks, Coretta Scott King, Katherine Jackson, and Tina Turner. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress and won a Golden Globe for her role as Tina Turner in What’s Love Got to Do with It?  We interviewed Angela Bassett three years ago and talked about how she tries to live out her faith, how she prays for her kids, and what to do when someone wanders from the faith.

“We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers.  We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you,” 1 Thessalonians 1:2-4

Bassett shares what her prayers are for her kids.

“My biggest prayer is not to mess them up. God gave them to us and we have to guide them and impart to them what we have learned. I always pray that good people would come into their lives. Whether it is friends or their future partner, I pray that good people would come into their lives. And when other people do, [I pray] that they would have a discernment to be wise and kind, but discerning. They are in the second grade, but I already talk to them about peer pressure and prepare them for what the are going to see in high school. I pray that they would know which is the right way to go, and which is not the right way to go. My prayer is that they would have the courage of their convictions.”

“because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.  The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it,” 1 Thessalonians 1:5-9

Bassett opens up on how she tries to live out an authentic faith.

“I try to live it out by remaining humble, grateful and appreciative. I have been trying to be more thankful lately. Whatever it is, I am trying to be thankful. Sometimes it’s what I want and expect, and other times it is not what I want at all. I am trying to find a way even when it isn’t what I want or the best circumstance, to find a way to be thankful. I want to be able to learn and grow from the situation personally. We grow best when we are tested and tried and come through it. It is hard to be thankful when it is falling apart and when people are gossiping about you.” 

Bassett encourages those who have a family member or friend who has wandered from the faith.

“We can’t hold on too tightly to people. We have to allow people to discover and express themselves. To the best of our abilities, we have to try to not judge others and put ourselves in the seat of judgment. As long as there is breath, there is an opportunity for forgiveness, healing and reconciliation. We are born to be in relationship with one another. It is hard to do that when you shut down or shut someone out or cross someone off your list because they don’t agree with the way you think or see things. There are some things that we can take a hard line on if they mean a lot to us, but we are not clones of one another. It is exciting to think that there are different ways of looking at a situation. There are different perspectives.”  

Risen Reflections

Live out your faith. It can be a simple act of service, asking a co-worker if you can pray for them or sharing your testimony with a teammate. Ask God this week how he wants you to take a step of faith to share with those around you that you are a believer. You don’t have to be perfect. God will give you strength and the words to say and remember that no one has a perfect life.

Pray for another person. If you have a child or children, take time this week to pray for them and their friends. Pray that they would become the men and women of God that he created them to be. Ask God to guide and direct them and give them wisdom and that the Holy Spirit would convict them when they make unwise choices. Pray for protection and that they would be lights to their classmates, teachers, teammates and friends. Also, pray for opportunities as a parent to share your faith with other parents. If you are not a parent, pray for the children around you. They can be a niece, nephew, child in your class, on a sports team you coach, or in your neighborhood.

Pray for the prodigal to come home. Each of us has a prodigal in our lives. It can be a friend, family member or a friend of someone in your small group. Commit to praying for that person. Take time this week to look up the story of the prodigal and ask God to give you a new perspective on it.

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