Praying for our children

Securing Protection from Harm

"The Power of a Praying Parent" by Stormie OMartian.

Being a praying parent doesn't mean that nothing bad will ever happen to your children.
Pain is a part of the fallen world we live in.
When we pray we are asking God to use painful situations for our children's betterment rather than their destruction. Things happen when we pray that will not happen if we don't- protection.

I have a husband today because his parents prayed:
Eric, my husband was in a terrible and horrific car accident when he was a teenager. The car rolled two times and Eric was ejected from the car, through the glass t-top. He flew fifty feet and landed in the highway median. He had a severe concussion that took him six months to fully recover from. The impact jarred every nerve in his head. In the backseat of the car, sat Eric's brother Joe, who was covered in glass and walked away from the accident. Can you imagine the thoughts of Mom and Dad as they drove to the hospital not knowing if they were alive or how severely they were hurt?
God spared both their lives that day. What amazes me more than the gift of life, is the extended miraculousness of the fact that Eric is an engineer. His ability to process facts and figures, his memorization skills and intelligence astound me. I am constantly poking fun at him for being a geek or nerd. It wasn't until I started thinking more on this subject of protection through prayer, did I fully realize what blessings he has received from the Lord.
It is a steady reminder to pray for my children and the importance of trusting our Heavenly Father with their care.

Add to your prayer list:

-Eph 6:11 says put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
-Protect their mind, body and spirit from evil.
-Eph 6:17-18 says: Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit which is work of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit; being watchful to this end will all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.
-Help us to cling to these promises you have given us in petition for our children’s protection from things that was greatly harm them.
-Help our children to always walk beside you under your umbrella of protection.
-Just as you promise in Psalm 18:48 that you will rescue them from violence, we ask that children would be saved from those who rise up against them, that they would be exalted above their foes.
-We pray that when you bring trials into our children’s life that you would use them for their betterment.
-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.

Journal:

Continue your prayer journal with the list above, add specific requests for your children.
Read Psalm 18:31-50

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.

This is my beloved, my friend...

As an apple tree among the trees of the forest, so is my beloved among the young men.

With great delight I sat in his shadow...
My beloved is radiant and ruddy, distinguished among ten thousand.

His head is the finest gold; his locks are wavy, black as a raven.

His eyes are like doves beside streams of water, bathed in milk, sitting beside a full pool.

His cheeks are like beds of spices, mounds of sweet-smelling herbs.

His lips are lilies, dripping liquid myrrh. His arms are rods of gold, set with jewels.

His body is polished ivory, bedecked with sapphires.

His legs are alabaster columns, set on bases of gold.

His appearance is like Lebanon, choice as the cedars.

His mouth is most sweet, and he is altogether desirable.

This is my beloved and this is my friend...

---From the book of the Song of Solomon

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Eric and I will often have conversations during the late evening hours. It is during these times that I try to convey my apprecation for the things he does for me and our family. Recently, I found myself saying 'I love you more' in response to his 'I love you'. It is a constant reminder that I need to love him MORE. I need to remind myself to be the Proverbs 31 wife that I so strive to be. I have fall short many days, many times. Last night was one of those times. Today is a new day and a perfect opportunity for me to spend in the counsel of my Father. Whenever I have one of those NS31 (not-so-proverbs 31 )times, I take the time to mediate on the book of the Song of Solomon. It is what fills my heart with love and fuels my passion, for the man God gave me.

Thank you, Lord for your living word.

Eric hates the pictures when he's half smiling half laughing, but it reminds me so much of when I first met him (when his dimples weren't hidden by facial hair).