Ready for Battle.....
Today's Reading:Lamentations 3
Find the Reading Plan here.
Perhaps, nothing is more important than raising our children to love the Lord.
In February, I wrote about the importance of our marriages. The post was about guarding our marriages and praying over our marriages. You can find the post here.
However, after that post, I really wanted to add a "Part two" regarding praying for our children.
The Lord kept nudging me to wait, so I did.
As Mother's Day is in clear sight, now is the time for this post.
I will get right to the point...
Our children are on the enemy's radar. Our children are the enemy's main target. Plain and simple.
As one of my dear friends recently wrote to me, "the battle is waging for my babies' hearts, and it is VERY real." Her babies are teenagers.
My babies are not yet teenagers, however, my friend is dead on the money with her powerful and true words.
We must, as parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, neighbors--be on the OFFENSIVE and DEFENSIVE side of this waging battle.
One child's heart is worth a lifetime of steadfast prayer.
Girls, we must have our eyes WIDE OPEN to the battle waging around our children's hearts and minds. Whether your children are newborns, or adult children, we are called to pray for them. Every single day.
Would we miss a day of feeding them? No.
We should never miss a day to pray over them.
The world wants to suck us in, girls. The world wants to steal our eyes, our ears, our hearts, our minds, our attention away from our children.
We are bombarded with activities, social media and interaction, tempting online games, good books, good tv shows, etc. The enemy wants us anywhere but watching over our children.
Please don't get me wrong, I am not saying those things are bad. However, they can be a major distraction to our mothering hearts if we are not careful.
We must daily pray for wisdom in parenting and discernment over the lives of our children. We must be aware of what our children are seeing us do.
Our children will do what we do.
Have you ever heard the phrase, "What children learn is caught ,and not taught"?
Yes, that is a sobering thought, isn't it?
Our goal is not to raise perfect children. We can just scratch "perfect children" right off the list.
Our goal is to raise children that love the Lord.
Our goal is to raise children the best we can. Not perfect, not robots.
We may even do the best we can and still end up with children that turn away from the Lord. I have to believe and know that they are still in God's hands. They are ultimately His anyway.
It's hard work, it's very messy, it's exhausting. However, it is what the Lord requires of us.
“So commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these words of mine. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, that as long as the sky remains above the earth, you and your children may flourish in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors." Deuteronomy 11:18-21
The number one way to help us in this fierce battle waging for the hearts of our children is PRAYER.
"The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much". James 5:16
Sometimes, we may not know how to pray, or what to pray.
I enlisted some of my friends to help me with this post. Below is a list of scriptures to aid us in the battle of praying for our children.
Girls, grab some paper, or just copy this entire page! You will be armed and ready for praying over your children, your grandchildren, your students, your nieces, nephews...whoever God has put in your precious path.
My favorite thing to do is to insert my children's names in scripture. So, as you pray these over your children add their names to really personalize it for them and for you.
Hang these scriptures around your house. Write them on note cards and put them in your child's room. God's Word is LIFE. Those little note cards that you hang up will remind you to pray and what to pray.
(1Cor 3:16) " I am God's temple. God's spirit lives in me."
Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. Psalm 90:14
Finally, let The Lord make you strong. Depend on His mighty power. Put on all of God's armor. Then you can stand firm against the devil's evil plans. Eph 6:10-11
Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit's leading in every part of our lives. Gal. 5:25
Just as damaging as a madman shooting a deadly weapon is someone who lies to a friend and then says "I was only joking." Proverbs 26:18-19
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.
Do everything without complaining and arguing. Philippians 2:14
Find the Reading Plan here.
Perhaps, nothing is more important than raising our children to love the Lord.
In February, I wrote about the importance of our marriages. The post was about guarding our marriages and praying over our marriages. You can find the post here.
However, after that post, I really wanted to add a "Part two" regarding praying for our children.
The Lord kept nudging me to wait, so I did.
As Mother's Day is in clear sight, now is the time for this post.
I will get right to the point...
Our children are on the enemy's radar. Our children are the enemy's main target. Plain and simple.
As one of my dear friends recently wrote to me, "the battle is waging for my babies' hearts, and it is VERY real." Her babies are teenagers.
My babies are not yet teenagers, however, my friend is dead on the money with her powerful and true words.
We must, as parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, neighbors--be on the OFFENSIVE and DEFENSIVE side of this waging battle.
One child's heart is worth a lifetime of steadfast prayer.
Girls, we must have our eyes WIDE OPEN to the battle waging around our children's hearts and minds. Whether your children are newborns, or adult children, we are called to pray for them. Every single day.
Would we miss a day of feeding them? No.
We should never miss a day to pray over them.
The world wants to suck us in, girls. The world wants to steal our eyes, our ears, our hearts, our minds, our attention away from our children.
We are bombarded with activities, social media and interaction, tempting online games, good books, good tv shows, etc. The enemy wants us anywhere but watching over our children.
Please don't get me wrong, I am not saying those things are bad. However, they can be a major distraction to our mothering hearts if we are not careful.
We must daily pray for wisdom in parenting and discernment over the lives of our children. We must be aware of what our children are seeing us do.
Our children will do what we do.
Have you ever heard the phrase, "What children learn is caught ,and not taught"?
Yes, that is a sobering thought, isn't it?
Our goal is not to raise perfect children. We can just scratch "perfect children" right off the list.
Our goal is to raise children that love the Lord.
Our goal is to raise children the best we can. Not perfect, not robots.
We may even do the best we can and still end up with children that turn away from the Lord. I have to believe and know that they are still in God's hands. They are ultimately His anyway.
It's hard work, it's very messy, it's exhausting. However, it is what the Lord requires of us.
“So commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these words of mine. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, that as long as the sky remains above the earth, you and your children may flourish in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors." Deuteronomy 11:18-21
The number one way to help us in this fierce battle waging for the hearts of our children is PRAYER.
"The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much". James 5:16
Sometimes, we may not know how to pray, or what to pray.
I enlisted some of my friends to help me with this post. Below is a list of scriptures to aid us in the battle of praying for our children.
Girls, grab some paper, or just copy this entire page! You will be armed and ready for praying over your children, your grandchildren, your students, your nieces, nephews...whoever God has put in your precious path.
My favorite thing to do is to insert my children's names in scripture. So, as you pray these over your children add their names to really personalize it for them and for you.
Hang these scriptures around your house. Write them on note cards and put them in your child's room. God's Word is LIFE. Those little note cards that you hang up will remind you to pray and what to pray.
(1Cor 3:16) " I am God's temple. God's spirit lives in me."
(Prov 20:11) "Even a child is known by his actions, by whether his conduct is pure and right."
(Ephesians 1:7) "I keep asking that the God of our LORD Jesus Christ, the glorious Father my give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better."
(John 15:16) " You did not choose me , but I choose you and appointed you to go bear fruit-fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name."
(Mat 7:7) "Ask and it will be given unto you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."
(Mat 6:34) "Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow, God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the times comes."
(Psalm 34:18) "If your heart is broken, you'll find God right there; if you're kicked in the gut, He'll help you catch your breath."
(Dan 5:23b) " God holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways."
(Psalm 17:8) " You are the apple of His eye."
James 4:8 "come close to God and He will come close to you"
This is the day that The Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24
Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. Psalm 90:14
Finally, let The Lord make you strong. Depend on His mighty power. Put on all of God's armor. Then you can stand firm against the devil's evil plans. Eph 6:10-11
Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit's leading in every part of our lives. Gal. 5:25
Just as damaging as a madman shooting a deadly weapon is someone who lies to a friend and then says "I was only joking." Proverbs 26:18-19
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 4:8-9
Do everything without complaining and arguing. Philippians 2:14
"When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen." (Ephesians 3:14-21 NLT)
Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen." (Ephesians 3:14-21 NLT)
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
"But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15
"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6
"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others." Philippians 2:3-4
There are so many more. Ask the Lord to show you some scripture that applies to your situation at home. He will! He is so faithful to answer because it is His Will for us to pray His Word!
If you have not been diligent in praying over your children, please don't despair. It is NEVER too late.
God is gracious, loving, and compassionate. He is patient with us. Aren't we so glad??
One more thing...
There are many parenting resources available, as I am sure you are well aware of. These resources can be helpful, however the greatest resource that you have is through YOUR prayers! It's true!
It's not about being a "perfect parent", but being a "praying parent".
in this battle together one prayer at a time,
jill
jill
