Suplication for Our Children

Because of what Jesus did on the cross, dying for our sins and imputing His righteousness onto us, reconciling us with God, we are now able to approach the throne of grace with prayer and supplication. We can go to God anytime, 24 hours a day. This is an amazing gift we have, and it shows the heart of our loving Father. His door is always open to us, and as parents, we must do the same. Are our doors always open for our children? Are we listening to the world around us, or are we swallowed up in our own thoughts and ideas? If we close our ears, whether intentionally or by accident, not realizing how we are living, we can miss a lot. We miss when they are talking, we miss when they are being led astray, and we miss when they need our love. We miss a lot, and as parents, we need to be vigilant when it comes to our children. When they are growing up, when they are little, they demand our attention, but as they grow older, the less and less they seek our approval. They find their own mentors and influences from the world. Who is influencing your children? If we don’t regulate what they are doing with utmost care and precision, a lot can fly under the radar.

We must be careful to recognize the signs and symptoms of suspicious behavior so that while they are under our roof, we can exert some control over guiding their lives and pointing them in the right direction—the direction of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We know that the only way to live is to be under their control, and only complete submission to them is the way to find peace in their lives. We must teach them and pray earnestly for them on a daily basis and keep our ears and eyes open.

How do we teach our children the ways of the Lord, especially if they are not willing or wanting to listen? First, we must do the groundwork and ask God to open the eyes of their hearts to see and their ears to hear what we are saying, what we are teaching. God must always be the foundation in everything we attempt to do in life, even when it involves others. Not only must we as parents surrender our own lives, but we must do the same for our children every day. When they are too young to make their own decisions, we must make them for them. We can never force anyone to follow Christ; however, through prayer and application, we can give our children the best start in life and the correct foundation to build on when they go out and live their lives in the world.

Now is the time to be the main influence in your child's life. Not tomorrow, not next week, or next year. Today is the day we wake up from our parenting slumber and say no to the schemes of the enemy. He is after us, but he is also after our children. We must wage war on their behalf.

A few questions to ponder about your child's spiritual condition:

Do they believe in Jesus Christ? Is He Lord over their lives?

If the answer is no, please don't fall for the myth that they will grow into it. That they will believe in Him when they get older because somehow, they will mature, grow up, and realize Jesus is King. The Bible teaches, "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6)

Do the children enjoy church because they are in the house of the Lord, or do they enjoy eating the snacks afterward, playing with friends, or just being there for the wrong reasons? Or are they, on the other end of the scale, disinterested and bored?

When children are small, they just do as we tell them to do. We make the decisions for them. We decide that they go to church. But if you were not around anymore, would they continue to attend and seek the Lord on their own accord?

Don't worry if the answers to these questions are concerning to you, but we must be aware of our children's spiritual condition. We are responsible for them. Every part of their well-being—God gave them to us as a gift, and we must look after them, not just physically, but also their spiritual well-being.

So where do we go from here? Into our prayer closets! Down on our knees! The only way to win the battle for our children is with God, through His strength and the imparting of the Holy Spirit upon them. Without the Holy Spirit, it is religion, and this won't keep them safe in the storms of life. We need to pray that God sets their hearts on fire, even with a double portion of faith over our own. Lift up your children and their spiritual health through prayer for them, but also ask God to guide you as well and show you their needs. What can you do as the hands and feet of Jesus in their lives? God wants to help us. He is here for us as well as for them. We must also work out our faith as an example to them—live out our lives as followers of Jesus Christ so they know where to come to find answers and direction when they need discipline. That day will come, we don't know when, but if we pray to our Father in heaven, He will help us look after our children and do the right thing.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for the gift of our children. We recognize the responsibility You have entrusted to us as parents, and we humbly ask for Your guidance and strength. Lord, open the eyes of our children’s hearts to know You and hear Your voice. Help us as parents to be vigilant, loving, and to point them in the direction of Your truth. We ask that You protect their hearts from the schemes of the enemy, and that Your Holy Spirit would work in their lives, drawing them closer to You. May we model Christ in all that we do, living as an example of faith and love, so they can see and know the truth. We entrust them to You, and we ask for Your continued wisdom in guiding us to raise them in Your ways. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it." — Proverbs 22:6