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“You
hide them in the shelter of your presence, safe from those who
conspire against them. You shelter them in your presence, far from
accusing tongues.” —Psalm 31:20 NLT
I believe it is one of our sacred duties as adults, and especially
as parents, to protect the children in our lives. They are weak,
vulnerable, and impressionable and God has given us the
responsibility of guarding them. Unfortunately, I have witnessed
too many instances of when that duty to protect has been neglected
or betrayed. The physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual damage
that occurs when this happens can be catastrophic. It is no wonder
that Jesus taught his disciples to pray, “Deliver us from the evil
one” (Matthew 6:13 NKJV). Let’s recommit ourselves to standing as
guardians and protectors of children—and for the times we cannot
physically be with them, let us commend them in prayer to the one
who is their fortress and defender. Pray for his perfect protection
of the children in your life!
Praying the Scripture:
“Father, I pray Psalm 31:20 now for ________. I ask that you would
hide him/her in the shelter of your presence. God, please keep
every child safe from those who would conspire against them. Help
me to do my part in keeping them safe—physically, mentally,
emotionally, and spiritually. Give me the strength to be their guardian,
defender, and shepherd—as I imitate you in those roles. I pray this
in your son’s holy name. Amen.”
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“And my God shall supply all your
needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
—Philippians 4:19 NKJV
There is an abundant storehouse of riches found in Jesus
Christ. And yet how often do we live like spiritual paupers
because we don’t take advantage of those treasures? As James
4:2 says, we do not have because we do not ask. God is a
loving father who supplies our needs and gives us good gifts
when we ask for them. Let us pray that he would meet the
needs—at every level—of the priceless children in our lives.
Let’s also pray that we can play a part in his gracious
provision to them—as earthly representatives of their
heavenly father.
Praying the Scripture:
“Heavenly father, I pray Philippians 4:19 for ________. I
pray that you would supply the need of him/her and for every
child [physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual] according
to your riches in Jesus. Lord, you own the cattle on a
thousand hills (Psalm 50:10 NKJV) and there is nothing too
hard for you (Jeremiah 32:17 NKJV). “Everyone who asks
receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it
will be opened (Luke 11:10 NKJV), so we ask, seek, and knock
on behalf of our young ones. Give them the things they need,
and use me to be an agent for you. Supply my needs as I
supply theirs, in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
Day 4: Wisdom
“Tune
your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry
out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasure." Proverbs 2:24 NLT
The Bible says
that we should be pursuing wisdom like valuable treasure. How
much more do the children in our lives, whose understanding
is so limited, need this wisdom?
So many verses in the
Proverbs tell us to not
only seek wisdom, but to impart it to our children. Where
does wisdom begin? With a fear of the Lord—a healthy
reverence and awe of God.
As we follow him and receive
more wisdom each day, let’s be sure to pass that wisdom onto
the children in our lives. Take time to teach them. Show them
by example. Be patient with them as they learn. And realize
that you are representing
God as you do
these things.
Praying the
Scripture:
“Lord Jesus, I
pray Proverbs 2:2–4
Right now for
________. I pray that he/she would tune
his/her ears to
your wisdom. And as I pray for children to have
understanding, I pray also for myself, that you would open my
eyes to the desperation of so many children in the world who wonder
if anyone loves them.
As you open my eyes to the needs of children,
I pray you wouldalso motivate
me to act for these children.
Please give us the wisdom
we need to make good choices and bring glory to you. In your
good name I pray these things. Amen
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“Tell them to use their money
to do good. They should be rich in good works and
generous to those in need, always being ready to share
with others.” —1 Timothy 6:18 NLT
We serve a generous God. Not only has he made a way to
save us from our sins, he has given us abundant life
here on earth and the promise of eternity with him. Are
we deserving of these things? Absolutely not. It's his
love that gives us mercy and grace every day. When we
are generous, we are imitating our heavenly father. How
much more should we instill this virtue in the lives of
those children we know and care about. Let’s teach our
children to be liberal with their time, their money,
their service, and their forgiveness.
Praying the Scripture:
“Lord, I pray 1 Timothy 6:18 for ________ today. I pray
he/she would use their money to do good for the benefit
of many people. Lord, more than being rich in
possessions or wealth, I ask that you would make us
rich in good works (Ephesians 2:10). I ask that you
would make us generous to those in need, and always
ready to share with others. I pray these things for
myself as well, Lord, that ________ can mirror my
actions, as my heart mirrors yours. Freely we have
received; help us to freely give (Matthew 10:8), just
as your son so freely gave his life as a ransom for us
(Mark 10:45). It’s in his name I pray. Amen.”
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“Obey your leaders and submit to
their authority. . . Obey them so that their work
will be a joy, not a burden . . .” —Hebrews 13:17
NIV
In a world that says, “It’s cool to be a rebel.
Do your own thing. Swim upstream. Follow your
heart. Fight the establishment. You are the
captain of your own ship,” Jesus says, “If you
love me, you will obey what I command” (John
14:15 NIV). Our pride keeps us from submitting to
God and to those who are in authority over us.
But contrary to our line of reasoning, the truth
is that there is freedom in obedience. As we
align our will to God’s and allow him to have his
way, we find that there is a joy and a peace that
is unexplainable. How do we teach this to the children
in our lives? By modeling it. As they see us
submit to God and to our leaders, they will
undoubtedly see the blessing that comes from
God’s order of doing things.
Praying the Scripture:
“Dear Jesus, I would like to pray Hebrews 13:17
right now for ________. I pray that he/she would
obey leaders, including
parents/grandparents/foster parents/stepparents,
teachers, coaches, and anyone else you have
placed over him/her. Help us to submit to
authority so that our work would be a joy and not
a burden. Help me to model obedience and to
demonstrate my love for you by doing what you
want me to do. In your name I pray. Amen.”
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