Praying your children to Christ

Praying Your Children to Christ

by Eddie Smith

"Don't worry about anything, but pray about everything.
With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to
God" (Phil. 4:6, CEV).

Perhaps nothing can provoke us to more anxiety as our
children can. But worry is not an option for a believer.
For when we worry, we call into question both God's
integrity. Instead, Paul tells us to pray with thanksgiving
and praise. Pre-praise prayer, thanking God in advance, is
faith-praying! When you pray for your children, you are
giving God "a green card," inviting Him to work in their
lives. Do it daily!

The Lord's model prayer (Matt. 6:9-13) offers us
eight keys for effectively praying for our children.

1. "Our Father…" - Before God was a creator, he was a
father. It is His most delightful role. Thank Him for His
desire to be a father to your child.

2. "Hallowed by thy Name" - Thank God that He is bringing
your child to such purity and purpose that His name will be
glorified through your child's life and living! (You don’t
see it yet? That's why it's called faith-praying.)

3. "Thy Kingdom Come…" - Thank God that He is extending
His kingdom into your child's life for His own glory and
name's sake. Right now His will is coming to pass, so that
even what the enemy does to fight against God's plan will
backfire on him, and God will ultimately redeem everything
for His glory!

4. "Give us this day our daily bread" - Thank God that He
is providing for your child according to His purposes, even
if He isn't providing according to your child's desires.
Thank Him for what He provides and even what He fails to
provide. "Father knows best!"

5. "Forgive us our trespasses…" - Thank God that Christ
bore your child's sin on the cross and that your child is
being brought to repentance, pardon and purity as a result
of God's grace and the shed blood of Jesus.

6. "And lead us not into temptation" - Thank God that He is
leading your child away from temptation and revealing ways
to escape sin according to 1 Corinthians 10:13.

7. "But deliver us from evil" - Thank God that He is
placing a restraining order around your child today. Praise
Him for being your child's deliverer who is constantly
keeping the enemy from destroying your child's life.
Rejoice that He is faithfully keeping His covenant with
you. (Gen. 7:1; John 4:53; Acts 11:14, 16:31)

8. "For thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory,
forever" - Assure God that you know that this whole matter
isn't about really about you or your child. It is about
God, His kingdom, His power, and His glory...and that's
just fine with you!

Now the fun begins! Watch for even the smallest
indications that God is answering your prayer. Identify and
celebrate the small stuff. In sports terms: Don't wait
until the final score to celebrate. Celebrate every point
that appears on the scoreboard!

If you will celebrate the movement of God's
finger, He will move His hand for you. If you celebrate the
movement of His hand, God will move His arm for you. If you
celebrate the movement of God's arm, He will move mountains
for you. Magnify the Lord. Identify and celebrate wildly
His smallest acts in answer to your prayer!