As
a parent, I often pray for my children.
My
17-year old daughter, Olivia, is about to enter her senior year of high school,
and my 15-year old son, Austin, will be entering high school after the summer.
They’re both going through a challenging period of life with so many temptations to
deal with, important choices to make, and a lot of maturing yet to
do.
Do
you pray for your kids or grandkids on a regular basis?
Our
children are precious gifts to us from God, but beyond that they are also a
divine stewardship for which we, as parents, are greatly responsible. My kids
are on my mind a lot. I worry about them and their future.
I
pray for my children’s ongoing health and sense of wellbeing and happiness. I
ask God to someday bring to them a Christian spouse who will not only love them
unconditionally and cherish them, but who will help them make it to heaven. I
ask God to aid my children in their schooling and academic growth, as well as
their physical, social, and spiritual development.
I'm prayerful concerning my children’s safety and protection. I petition God
to help them someday become well-rounded and responsible citizens who will make
a positive difference in this world. I also ask for God’s direct help and guidance
with their future careers.
Recently,
a friend of mind from Savannah, TN, shared a thought-provoking poem with me she wrote regarding parents. I am sharing it here with
her permission.
A Parent’s Prayer (by Norma
Boyd)
Children
are a gift from God;
on
that we all agree.
They
fill our lives with happiness,
and
sometimes give us grief.
As parents we do strive to teach
and ready them for life
because we know our days are filled
with joy and with strife.
In order to protect and keep
our precious ones from harm,
we intercede both day and night
and cry out with alarm.
“I’ve been there, done that, and I
know,”
a phrase we often say,
to warn of dangers we may see
that lurk along the way.
There are so many things in life
we wish for them to know;
the way to wealth and happiness
as thru this life they go.
We pray for health and wisdom too
within a world gone wild.
Yet first and foremost we would ask,
“Salvation for my child.”
There are many good things parents wish
and desire for their children, including financial security, happiness,
health, good and positive relationships, education, safety, and success in life
and in their future career. But, if we aren’t careful, we may fail to encourage
and guide their spiritual walk with the Lord. The most important thing
we can pray for is our children’s souls.
Ephesians 6:4 (ESV) says, “Fathers, do
not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and
instruction of the Lord.”
This all-important task takes time,
effort, and intentionality on the part of both fathers and mothers. And faith
is more often caught then it is taught. The example we set for our
children speaks volumes. We must, therefore, practice what we preach and
capitalize upon each and every opportunity to share Christ with them.
Our children are our single greatest
natural resource within our families, churches, schools, and communities. It is
critically important that we invest in them and their spiritual growth.
Let's commit to pray for our
children’s lives and souls daily, while we strive to show them the way to
heaven.
