Hello and welcome to the Women of Prayer Devotional. We pray and hope that this devotional will be useful for you as we all grow in our spiritual walk with the Lord. You will need your bible ,a journal / notebook /diary / pens and markers. This week's topic is Parenting and Faith.
Behind every young child who believes in himself is a parent who believed first -
Matthew Jacobson.
Scriptures
Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
Isaiah 54:13 All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children.
Psalm 127:3 Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.
Proverbs 17:6 Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.
Being a parent highlights the importance that you get a second chance to understand things you didn't understand as a child. Remember growing up and wondering ‘why’?. Why we had to go to church, why we had to listen to adults, why we had to sleep by 8pm, so many why’s. When you become a parent you begin to understand the guidance from your parents and other adults. We were taught about God by our parents because they knew we had to learn to walk in faith from and early age, we had to sleep early to get enough rest, we had to listen to adults so that we do not make bad choices that could potentially harm us. Being parents is not a role that most are prepared for, it has its challenges and it has its undeniable precious moments. We become more grateful to our parents and we respect them and appreciate them as the bible teaches us in Matthew 19:19 honor your father and mother.
Through it all we count the blessings because we are led by faith. It is the Word of God that can offer parents wisdom and encouragement. It is very important to seek the Word of God, especially when we have challenges that we are unable to solve ourselves. If we apply the Scriptures to everything that we do, we can also teach our children to do the same. Proverbs 22:6 says start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it. When our children begin to discover their path of faith in Christ, it can be challenging for them to understand the teachings in the bible, but if we implement everyday norms such as showing kindness to our neighbours or to help someone who is less fortunate this in turn teaches our children compassion and empathy as Christ lived .Raising children is not always easy but by seeking the Word, it can guide us as parents Proverbs 1:8. By starting small, it might even be that you begin with just one commitment, like praying before mealtimes and blessing the hands that prepared the food. From that starting point, our children can learn to appreciate God and parents from young and by expressing their appreciation you will see them develop as children of God.
As parents we must continue to practice what we preach by showing our children that we are human we can make mistakes and when we do we must apologise and take accountability when we are wrong. We must teach our children respect by respecting them, giving them space to explore who they are in Christ and taking part in devotionals, bible study and encouraging personal prayers. Often we can see our children losing their way and we must pray hard to keep them on the path of God and also correct them, by speaking to them and listening to their worries and concerns and praying for them and with them and to continue to acknowledge God in all things. There are thousands of books on parenting and I encourage you to buy those that are godly as they teach you how to raise your children according to the Word of God , but experience also plays a major part daily. If we do not teach them, they world will do so. No two children are alike and God guides you to pray that your children are a blessing to others and that others are are a blessing to them Isiah 54:13 All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children. God's Word says that all our children shall be taught by the Lord, as parents we must teach our children to seek God at all times, teach them to be guided by the Holy Spirit and to meditate on the Word. Every lesson we teach our children remains imbedded in them, for example; how you teach your child to ride a bike, to hold cutlery, be kind or to write is something they will always remember. Similarly teaching them the never ending love of God, His faithfulness and His mercy will never depart from them and that they should keep loving God, obey His Word, respect the Gospel of Jesus Christ , believe in Christ and the Holy Spirit and strive to grow spiritually.
Children teach us the biggest lessons of who we really are, whether we are caring, loving, selfish, generous, committed, selfless, forgiving, patient, angry, pushovers, hard headed etc children really reveal that in us. By letting go of control and selfish desires prepares for an eternity of holding on, of clinging to a loving God and relying in His power , believing that Heaven is fighting for you and your children. We learn and discover who we are through our children’s eyes and actions. As a parent you will very often find yourself praying for your children even when you are not aware of it and this is because you know there are things we do not have control over or just to cover them spiritually. 1 Peter 5:2 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve. God has started His work in us causing us to trust in Christ faithfully and wholeheartedly, He has trusted us to raise our children in His faithfulness and abundant Grace.
Dear parent you are doing a great job. Be blessed always.
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Prayer
Almighty Father I lift Your powerful name in prayer. I thank You heavenly Father, King of Kings, Lord of lords, Alpha and Omega for the blessing of being a parent. I humble myself before you and commit this prayer into Your hands. I pray over the life of all parents and future parents and ask that You lay Your hands upon each and everyone of them in the name of Jesus. I pray Heavenly Father that may each of them commit themselves and have a Holy covenant with You. I pray over the lives of their children and that they will bring them up and guide them through scripture, devotionals and prayer and to selflessly serve You Lord. May they surrender all to You wholeheartedly ,trust You completely and faithfully in the way You have loved us all. Father, I just want to thank You for trusting us to raise our children in Your image and may they grow to flourish and be a blessing to others. Continue to guide us in Your Holy ways so we can do our part and keep our children committed and faithful ,in the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen.
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