Prayer For Family: What To Ask The Lord
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God cares a great deal about children. In fact, when Jesus spoke about what a person must be like to enter the kingdom of God, He pointed to children as the prime example. Additionally, Jesus declared that all who believe in Him would become children of God.
The Bible is not silent either on the subject of children. There are a great many Bible verses about children. These verses can serve to both encourage parents as they raise their children and kids as they seek to follow Jesus.
Let these Bible verses about children encourage you!
Psalm 127:3-5
Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; they shall not be ashamed, but shall speak with their enemies in the gate
(Psalm 127:4-5).
Children are a wonderful, incredible, overwhelming blessing from God.
They are not a burden or something to be avoided. On the contrary, children are a gift to be sought after.
We can leave a legacy of godliness for our children. They are our heritage and will carry on what we pass along to them.
Pastor Adrian Rogers said:
"I believe our greatest joy, our greatest privilege, and our greatest responsibility is to be a parent. The night our first son was born, I got down on my knees and prayed, 'Oh, God, if I never have any other kind of achievement, if I never have any material goods, if I never get to pastor a worthy church, never preach a good sermon, oh, God, I want you to make of me a good daddy.'”
Matthew 18:2-4
Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:2-4)
One of the reasons God gives us children is to remind us what is required to enter the kingdom of God. It is not those who are strong, domineering, or self-confident who will enter heaven. It isn’t those who have all the answers or believe they can get there by sheer force of will.
Rather, it’s those who humble themselves and rely only upon God for salvation that will be welcomed by God. Just as children rely on their parents to provide for them, so we must rely upon God to save us, cleanse us, and help us walk in righteousness.
Proverbs 22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it (Proverbs 22:6).
As parents, we have the incredible privilege of training our children in the ways of the Lord. We get to explain the ways of God to them and help them apply those truths to their lives.
So how do train children? Pastor Adrian Rogers recommends:
- Love children - Constantly tell your kids how much you love them.
- Lift children - Uplift your children through consistent encouragement.
- Limit children - Place Biblical limitations on your kids.
- Lead children - Point your children to God through both words and actions.
Laugh with children - Let your home be filled with regular joy and laughter.
Deuteronomy 6:6-7
And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up (Deuteronomy 6:6-7).
Parental instruction in the ways of the Lord shouldn’t happen on rare occasions. Rather, it should be a consistent thing that occurs in all manner of circumstances. Of course, there should be set, regular times when we teach our kids about the Lord. But there should also be many spontaneous conversations.
Whether we’re driving to soccer practice, heading home from school, or simply on a walk together with our kids, we should consistently look for opportunities to speak to them about the ways of the Lord.
Helpful Tools about Marriage and Family
How to Have a Happy Family
In this post, we’re going to look at what God’s word has to say about the family. When you understand God’s truth and apply it within your family, you will see an amazing transformation.
Ephesians 6:4
And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4).
One of the easiest ways to provoke our children is to tell them to do what we say, not what we do. This kind of hypocritical double-talk will push them away from the Lord. They’ll assume that Christians constantly say one thing and then do the opposite.
On the flip side, when both our actions and words align, they see the beauty of following God. They come to understand that God’s ways truly are the best and that His commands are delightful.
Speaking of his own children, Pastor Adrian Rogers said:
"I pray to God that they will remember me for my character. I want them to say, “My dad feared God. My dad walked in the ways of God.” That's what I want to be remembered for."
Proverbs 1:8-9
My son, hear the instruction of your father, and do not forsake the law of your mother; for they will be a graceful ornament on your head, and chains about your neck (Proverbs 1:8-9)
There are few things more valuable than godly instruction from parents. When children heed the Biblical counsel given them by their mother and father, they will be greatly rewarded. It will be as if they have a crown on their head or a beautiful gold chain around their neck.
Colossians 3:20
Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord (Colossians 3:30).
When children obey their parents, it greatly pleases the Lord. God is a God of order, and when children obey their mom and dad, the family is kept in good order. Also, it reminds us of how Jesus perfectly obeyed His Father.
If you have children, exhort and encourage them to obedience. Help them see that obedience is not ultimately about you, but about God. Remind them that if they obey, God will reward and bless them.
1 Timothy 4:12
Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity (1 Timothy 4:12).
Many people today have a “kids will be kids” attitude. They expect children and young adults to be foolish and not able to accomplish much. But God’s word says that even children can do great things for God.
David and Samuel accomplished much for God when they were young, and Timothy was of great service to the Apostle Paul.
If you have children, encourage them in their pursuit of God. Give them opportunities to serve the Lord and others. Help them see that they can be an encouragement even to older believers.
Proverbs 17:6
Children’s children are the crown of old men, and the glory of children is their father
(Proverbs 17:6).
Both parents, children, and even grandchildren are meant to be an incredible blessing to each other. Children and grandchildren are a crown to parents and grandparents.
Just as crowns bring honor to those who wear them, children bring honor and blessing to those who came before them.
Godly parents are the glory of their children. Children can look at their parents with great joy and pride, grateful to God for such a wonderful gift. When parents, children, and grandchildren all love and cherish one another, it brings great honor to the Lord.
Let The Little Children Come To Me
In addition to the Bible verses about children listed above, let’s look at one more.
In Matthew 19, people tried to bring their children to Jesus so that He might bless them. The disciples assumed that Jesus wouldn’t want to see the children. After all, He was the Son of God and He had a lot of important work to do. Surely, Jesus didn’t have time for children.
What Jesus did next shocked the disciples. First, He commanded them to let the little children come to Him. But He didn’t stop there. He also laid His hands on each of them, blessing them as He did so.
Are you starting to see just how much God loves children? If you have children, you can be 100% confident that God loves them and wants to work in them. And if you’re a child, know that God delights in you very much and wants great things for you!
