One Year After Christian Mother Suddenly Dies, Book of Prayers She Was Working on Released
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Just a year after a Christian mother’s sudden death, her final work, a collection of prayers for young girls, has been published.
Wynter Evans Pitts was a mother of four, niece, cousin and friend. Her passion to instill a love of God in young girls, like her daughters, touched countless lives through her Christ-centered magazine called “For Girls Like You.”
When the 38-year-old woman unexpectedly died in her sleep on July 24, 2018, her family was understandably distraught.
Wynter was the niece of pastor Dr. Tony Evans of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Texas and the cousin of Christian author, speaker, and actor Priscilla Shirer.
Just a day after Wynter’s sudden death, Dr. Evans and his four children — Priscilla Shirer, Chrystal Evans Hurst, Anthony Jr. Evans, and Jonathan Evans — sat on stage in front of the Texas congregation. The family allowed those in attendance to listen to their “counseling session” where they openly and honestly talked through their pain, grief, and most importantly, the hope they still had thanks to their faith.
Dr. Evans shared that his belief in God’s sovereignty and goodness has served as an anchor for him as he grieves his niece’s death, which occurred only six months after his brother’s death.
He explained that faith was not synonymous to emotion but instead is “demonstrated in your movement.”
For example, Jonathan Pitts, Wynter’s husband, grieved his wife’s death while simultaneously praising God. Just moments after telling his four daughters that their mother had died, he began singing a song of praise; the rest of family soon joined in as well.
Jonathan later shared in more detail on Instagram how he rested firmly in his faith while grieving the loss of his wife.
“You can never know for sure if you are young or old because you don’t know when the Lord will call you home,” he wrote. “So if Wynter’s life and sudden passing teaches you anything, learn to live every day in light of that fact. God is a good father. He did not stop loving Wynter when she left this earth. His love only got more real to her. I find solace in that fact.”
Alena Pitts, Wynter and Jonathan’s oldest daughter, also publicly shared on her mother’s magazine account how she was navigating the heartbreaking loss.
“I serve a big God. Obstacles will be thrown at me but my God is still there. He knows what he’s doing and he’s got a plan. I say this not by sheer will but through faith,” Alena wrote.
“But I’m reminded He’s in control. So even as I weep and grieve, I can smile with joy because I’ll see her again.”
Now just over a year later, the book of prayers Wynter was working on before her death has been published. “I Am Yours: Prayers for God’s Girl” is a tool for tween girls that helps foster a interactive relationship with God through prayer.
Shirer, who wrote the foreword for the book, hopes that the book will build up “mighty prayer warriors” across the world.
“It’s like Wynter left her last will and testament on paper, writing out her spiritual legacy in thoughtful, beautiful prayers for her four beautiful girls … and for yours,” Shirer wrote on Instagram.
In a sweet video, Wynter’s daughters read a few of the prayers their mother had penned shortly before she passed, showing how Wynter’s zeal to share Jesus with her four daughters will impact countless other girls.
“Inside its pages are the final words of a woman who knew why she was placed on this earth. Wynter lived content in this life. She carried herself with a peace and calm about the past, present and future,” her husband wrote on the magazine’s Instagram page.
“But she had one Holy discontent. God place it inside of her for her daughters,” he continued. “When she leaned into her purposes on earth by way of that Holy discontent, she was able to compile an arsenal of resources for her girls and yours.”
“She set out on a path to reach her four girls and God would give her countless more spiritual daughters that will forever hear her words reverberating in their head.”
Wynter’s family is certainly keeping her legacy of helping young girls build strong relationships with the Lord alive though this book and through sharing how they have leaned on their faith in the midst of grief.
Alena wrote an emotional yet extremely wise post on the anniversary of her mom’s death in which she shared that the past year had been full of tears and prayer, but also with laughter.
“(B)elieve it or not,” she wrote, “Throughout these ups and downs, a constant has remained: God.”
Jonathan also recently reflected the perspective he has gained over the past year.
“I’ll spend the rest of my life thanking God for the season He gave me with you,” Jonathan said. “Though the season is over, the harvest from it will be growing in the hearts of the countless people your life touched.”
“Your daughters are walking, talking, singing and joyful testaments of your life. We miss you daily but have full confidence we will see you soon. Until then, we remember you and we worship a God, namely Jesus Christ, who knows exactly what He is doing.”
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