Praying for Our Children

Pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord. Lift up your hands toward him for the life of your young children. -Lamentations 2:19

Praise God for:
Erin
to God be the glory!
(Visit her site, just click on her name, and see what she is doing in the Prayer Challenge)




Have you prayed today?

Praying for our Children

I am very excited to be sharing my new-found love for praying for our children.
"The Power of a Praying Parent" by Stormie OMartian.

Chapter 2
Releasing My Child into God's Hands
-When we release our children into His hands we should feel joy and peace.
-Don't limit what God can do with our children by clutching them to ourselves
-If we are not positive God is in control of our children's lives, we will put ourselves on the path to a life of fear.
-Surrender your children by living according to His word, His ways, and in Prayer.


Starting your list:
Handing Over Our Children into God’s Hands

-Lam 2:19 says: Pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord. Lift your hands toward him for the life of your young children.
-Show us how to release our kids under your control, guidance, protection and counsel.
-Guard us from clutching our children to ourselves and our will for their lives that we limit what you have planned for them.
-Help us to remember these are your children that you have entrusted in our care while here on earth, a privilege for which we are so challenged and blessed.
-Proverbs 22:6 says: Train up a child in the way he should go and he will not depart from it.
-Remind us not to live in fear, but assurance of your promises Keep us living according to your word, by your example, and in constant prayer to you.

Take the challenge- start praying for your children, if you already pray, take this opportunity to renew your love of prayer.

*****Add personal and specific prayers for each of your children.
*****Read 1 Samuel 1-2 about Hannah, a woman who entrusted her son, Samuel, to God.
*****Start a prayer journal. Write down these requests, scripture and learn from Hannah.

A study on Salvation

In the fast paced, world today it seems like church has just become one more "appointment" to be kept during the week. On our last trip home from Texas we saw a banner advertising '30 MINUTE SERVICES' stretched across the office building of a skyscraper. We laughed and almost went back to take a picture, had we not been in traffic.

It also seems that more and more churches are geared towards getting bodies in the pew rather than enabling followers to further the Kingdom while on earth. Services are more about entertaining than what we are truly meant to do in worship.

It's easy to perceive that there are preachers who measure success by the number of members "dunked" and re-clothed in white robes. I get a funny picture in my head of an amusement ride with people getting on, the conductor clicking in each person one by one, as he sets the dial in his hand. They go in dressed in brown, then come out of the ride in white shirts with shiny faces. Now comes the part I find most interesting. As people exit the rides they don't have a clear direction to go and stand around confused and looking for anyone to latch onto.

It's easy to get stuck just on 'believe and repent' that we are only getting one third of what salvation is. We are starting in the middle rather than the beginning and by only having someone confess, baptized and then left to their own, we miss the bigger picture of salvation.

Just as in this past Sunday's sermon: God's kingdom is exclusive (not all will enter), inclusive (many are going to be saved), and inevitable (God finishes what He starts).

In our family we've been studying salvation. We used a wonderful tool, The Chain of Salvation.

Election- God predestines who He will call to His kingdom. We don't know who that will be; we are called to share the gospel with any and everyone. Rom 8:29-30; John 6:44; Eph 1:11; Gal 1:15

The Fall- Adam and Eve's sin in the garden. Our sin separates us from God. Eph 2:15; Rom 3:23

Gospel Call- God softens our heart, gives us ears to hear and eyes to see His word. John 3:16; Matt 13:16-18; Is 6:9-10

Regeneration- We become a new creation through Christ. It is only by giving your sin to Jesus and His sacrifice is our relationship renewed and we are united with our Father. 2 Cor 6:21; Titus 3:4-7

Faith- this is what we are to believe concerning God in your new identity as written in His word. Rom 3:21-5:5; John 20:30-31; Eph 2:8-9

Repentance- you must turn away from your old habits, ways and self to live a new life for Him. You were once dead in your sin and now have been healed and made new by grace through faith in Christ. Eph 4:23-24; 1 John 1:9

Justification- God's promise and act of permanently putting right your previously estranged relationship. Rom 5:1-5; Rom 8:30; Eph 2:8-9

Adoption- now that our relationship has been restored with our Father, we are heirs to His promises, adopted into His family and a child of God. John 1:12; Gal 4:4-7

Sanctification- continually striving to be holy and Christ-like. This is a process completed only when Christ returns. John 8:31-32; Rom 8:29; Rom 6:22; Eph 4:22-24; Heb 6:9-20; Rom 8:38-39; John 10:29

Glorification- when Christ returns we will be made perfect Phill 4:31; Matt 5:8

In studying the chain of Salvation in its entirety I was able to renew my vigor for serving my Father and share His love and mercy with all who read this. This is the first of many hours of studying.