What do you pray for your kids? Beth Scholes has some excellent prayers from a parent’s heart.

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable if anything is excellent or praiseworthy think about such things.” (Philippians 4:4-8)

There’s a picture on my windowsill of my three children, smiling back at the camera. Taken years ago, they’re so little in this picture.  Our daughter looks so much like me. God has made an extension, a likeness of myself. She is her own person and she lets us know it. She was created for her time, for such a time as this. However, she bears my image.

In that family image captured three years earlier I see our happiness and the closeness that we share, a closeness that is still growing today. I pray our children will have been blessed with an upbringing that will undergird their lives for the purposes the Lord has for them. May their childhoods adorn the testimony of their lives for the glory of the Lord.

We have a quiver of children. What are we aiming them at for the trajectory of their lives? What path are we setting for them in childhood? When we let the arrow go and they move out of our home, which target will they fly toward?

The child, unlike the arrow, has a mind of its own. That thought could make me anxious. So I bring this as well to the Lord in prayer.

Lord, I praise you for your never ending, never forsaking, always hoping, love for us. Thank you for the blessings you have bestowed on my family. Thank you for our love. Have your way in our family. Help us to serve you as you desire. Remove anything from our lives, from our relationships, that would be contrary to your will. May we be found at the end of our short time on earth faithful to you, and having fulfilled your purpose for our lives. I pray that in all things, we will display your image. May you be glorified. In the strong name of Jesus Christ I pray.

 Question: How can you help direct a child to Jesus in your life?

 When my children were young I had a little saying that I kept myself mindful of, “Stop, look, and listen, when my children talk to me.”  By practicing this I was able to get a clear understanding of what their need was, as well as leaving them with the sense that they were heard and valued.  The result was better communication, a more peaceful household, and less frustration.

Life is busy, and we very often try to accomplish as many things as we can at one time, challenging our ability to truly focus and do things well. Our prayer and study life can also fall victim to this busyness as we settle for praying on the run, and trying to assimilate the word through listening to teaching while accomplishing other tasks.  Although these are great additions, they do not impact us the same way as those moments that we sit at Jesus feet, leaving everything else to the side, and give Him our full attention.  It was in this quite place of giving Jesus all of her attention that Mary heard the word. Jesus referred to those who “Hear the word” as being the good ground that will bear fruit. 

 May we be more mindful to take the time to sit at Jesus feet and “Stop, Look, and Listen” to hear what He wants to say to us.  We will have a clearer sense of His will and experience more peace.

But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit.” Mark 4:20

Your mission is to live your life.

In 1 Corinthians 7, the Apostle Paul addresses believers who are married to unbelievers, and outlines a general rule that if the unbelieving spouse chooses to stay in the marriage, it would be good for the believer to stay, too. He gives two reasons for this: First, the children will have a godly influence through the believing parent, and second, the unbeliever may be converted “because of you.” (1 Corinthians 7:16) (Exceptions to this rule would of course be situations of abuse and endangerment of a spouse or child.)

Just what does he mean by “because of you,” I wonder? Does it mean you are on a personal crusade to save your spouse? Does it mean that you will preach the Gospel to your spouse at every possible opportunity? Does it mean you will turn your house into a religious institution that coerces your spouse to either put up with Christianity or leave? No, it doesn’t mean any of these things.

It means simply what it says: “… because of you” – because of who you are, because of how you live, because of the way your faith affects everything you do, because of the way you carry on your life, because of the reality of Christ in your life. That’s it. No more; but certainly, no less. Paul is suggesting that living your life with a sense of purpose that comes from your faith in God is enough to convert someone.

It occurs to me that this could be applied to all believers in relation to life in the world among people with whom we work and associate who are not believers. General rule: Don’t leave the world. (Where would you go anyway?) Stay in the world – in relationships with unbelievers – for the chance that someone may be converted “because of you.”

We are not on a crusade; we are on a mission to live our lives according to God’s purposes. When we do that, we make possible an environment of change where a person who does not have a meaningful relationship with God might become curious about someone who does. “Because of you” is a statement of subtle influence, not coercion, and in the context of Paul’s advice in 1 Corinthians 7, it is a steady influence over time, as would be implied by a marriage. There’s nothing complex or even premeditated about a “because of you” influence. This is a believer going about the process of believing; and this is an unbeliever going over their life with a microscope, observing the good, the bad, and the ugly. Does not matter if God is there.

Thought for the day: Don’t ever sell short what God can do “because of you.”

About this Author: John Fischer