Prayers Of Help For Parents???   A Word from THE WORD!!! #276

When we see all the chaos around us, especially the chaos amongst our young, is there any hope?  Well, my friends, our hope—our only hope—is in Jesus and His Word.  That’s not just a cliché, but the truest of all truth; yet we must realize that it is not an easy solution but one that costs our all in all, and our bowing before the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!  And that seems to be a foreign idea to most, even many that claim to belong to Jesus!  But may I say, unless we’ve been to Calvary and been washed in the “blood of Jesus” which is the only thing that “cleanseth from all sin”, and Sin is the issue, our hope will wane!  Not a popular topic, but truth none the less.  God has extended His grace, mercy and love to us and sent Jesus to save us from sin!

“For all

have sinned,

and come short

of the glory of God;

24 Being justified freely by his grace

through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

25 Whom God hath set forth

to be a propitiation

through faith in his blood,

to declare his righteousness

for the remission of sins that are past,

through the forbearance of God;

26 To declare, I say,

at this time

his righteousness:

that he might be just,

and the justifier

of him

which believeth in Jesus.”             Romans 3:23-26

What does all this mean?  It really isn’t difficult, God offers the sacrifice of His Son as the redemption (an act of atoning for guilt…an act or state of being rescued…) from our sin, to all who will believe; the same message that Jesus gave Nicodemus, the religious leader who needed more than religion!  Jesus told him that he must be “born again” by faith in what Jesus came to do—to die for our sin debt. And the Apostle John describes it in John 1.

“He was in the world,

and the world was made by him,

and the world knew him not.

11 He came unto his own,

and his own received him not.

12 But as many as received him,

to them gave he power

to become the sons of God,

even to them that believe on his name:

13 Which were born,

not of blood,

nor of the will of the flesh,

nor of the will of man,

but of God.”  John 1:10-13

Paul gives us an amazing picture of what Jesus does for those who come to Him.  What does all this have to do with parenting?  Good question.  Friends, without Jesus we cannot exercise wisdom, grace and love of a biblical sort to lead our children to the cross.  And without Jesus and His cross of sacrifice our children will be headed straight for hell—not popular but true!  Are we who know Jesus exercising biblical principles in the training, discipline and instruction in righteousness with our children and grandchildren.  Or are we allowing and even promoting the things of the world which are leading them in the wrong direction.  Jesus said there’s a broad way that “leadeth to destruction” or we can choose to lead others to the “straight gate” which leads “to life”!

“I beseech you therefore, brethren,

by the mercies of God,

that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice,

holy,

acceptable unto God,

which is your reasonable service.

2 And be not conformed to this world:

but be ye transformed

by the renewing of your mind,

that ye may prove

what is that good,

and acceptable,

and perfect, will of God.

3 For I say, through the grace given unto me,

to every man that is among you,

not to think of himself

more highly than he ought to think;

but to think soberly,

according as God hath dealt

to every man

the measure of faith.” Romans 12:1-3

There are a couple of things that I’d like to share in closing, things that aren’t always associated with parenting, and the last that is the ultimate biblical instruction for parenting.  Just remember God is the perfect parent, and we don’t always listen to or heed His directions.  Parenting is dependent on you and God, yet even our best efforts are sometimes received and heeded, sometimes not.  God has given your children free will as He has you!  When in doubt take it to the cross.

“I can do all things

through Christ

which strengtheneth me.”  Philippians 4:13

“But my God shall supply all your need

according to his riches in glory

by Christ Jesus.

20 Now unto God and our Father

be glory

for ever and ever. Amen.”  Philippians 4:19-20

And a passage that I believe is the ultimate plumbline on parenting says that you live before your children is way more influential than what you say.  Be sure you are “being” a doer of The Word, and not a “hearer” only (and as a parent a “speaker” only!)

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:

5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God

with all thine heart,

and with all thy soul,

and with all thy might.

6 And these words, which I command thee this day,

shall be in thine heart:

7 And thou shalt teach them diligently

unto thy children,

and shalt talk of them

when thou sittest in thine house,

and when thou walkest by the way,

and when thou liest down,

and when thou risest up.

8 And thou shalt bind them

for a sign upon thine hand,  (what you do)

and they shall be as frontlets

between thine eyes.             (what you see)

9 And thou shalt write them

upon the posts of thy house, (how you live at home)

and on thy gates…

…20 And when thy son asketh thee in time to come,

saying, What mean

the testimonies,

and the statutes,

and the judgments,

which the LORD our God hath commanded you?

21 Then thou shalt say unto thy son,

We were Pharaoh’s bondmen in Egypt;

and the LORD brought us out of Egypt

with a mighty hand:

22 And the LORD shewed signs and wonders, great and sore, upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household, before our eyes:

23 And he brought us out from thence, that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he sware unto our fathers.

24 And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes,

to fear the LORD our God,

for our good always,

that he might preserve us alive,

as it is at this day.

25 And it shall be our righteousness,

if we observe to do all these commandments

before the LORD our God,

as he hath commanded us.”   Portions of Deuteronomy 6:4-25

Just remember that this passage starts out telling us that we, as parents must love God first!  It finishes with God’s command to have a testimony to share when our children ask—implying that when we live it in front of them, and hold them to biblical principles, the day will come when they will ask “why”; and when that day comes, we are to be able to share with them not just what God once did in our lives, but what HE is doing right now!!!  May you be blessed in your ministry of influencing others.

“Come unto me,

all ye that labour and are heavy laden,

and I will give you rest.

29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me;

for I am meek and lowly in heart:

and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”  Matthew 11:28-30.

Amen & Amen!!!