We’ve talked about serious threats to the physical and spiritual health of your children. Any one of these terrible “weeds,” given the chance to fully mature, has the potential to overwhelm your precious son or daughter. If you are feeling a little disheartened tonight, I don’t blame you!
That’s why I want to encourage you. As parents, we don’t have to throw our hands up in despair over the culture’s attacks on our kids. We can respond in the way God always wants us to respond in times of trouble--by falling to our knees in prayer. The Lord not only wants us to pray for our children, but also instructs us on how we should ask for that help:
Ask in Jesus’ name.Jesus told His disciples, “Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.” (John 16:24). Jesus grants us the authority to make a petition on His behalf. We can come before God on the merits of Christ, not our own qualifications.
Ask while abiding in Jesus.Christ said, “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” (John 15:7). When we seek a close relationship with Jesus, our prayers for our children naturally align with the heart of Christ.
Ask according to God’s will.Jesus taught us to pray, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10). We please God when we recognize His will for our kids, and for us as parents, and pray accordingly.
Ask in faith.There is power in faithful prayer. Likewise, a lack of faith limits your effectiveness in praying for your family. Scripture makes this clear: “But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.” (James 1:6).
Ask with thanksgiving.“Every thing by prayer and supplication ,” Paul says, “with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6). This thanksgiving is the inevitable result of our faith in God’s answers to our prayers and our faith in God’s loving control over every aspect of our lives and family.
Your prayers will make a difference--perhaps even be the critical influence--in protecting your children from harm. No problem is too great for God to handle. Put your worries, and the threats facing your kids, in His hands. He will hear, and He will answer.
- Shirley M Dobson
