What is our most important job as a parent? What are our responsibilities to our
children? What does the Bible say about parenting? Have you read verses like
Ephesians 6:4 or Deuteronomy 6:5-7 and had more questions than answers?
Like you, I recognize my responsibility as primary discipler of my children. I
believe in the commands given by Father God in his Word. I wholeheartedly want
to follow these commands and delight him in my practice as a parent. I just
struggle with the day-to-day application of such verses. Or perhaps I become
overwhelmed by the demands of my day-to-day. Either way the command
doesn’t change, and my responsibility stays the same. Father God expects me to
bring my children closer to him. He expects me to train and teach them in his
ways. And he expects me to depend on him. So, I have come to a conviction
began by a paragraph in a Beth Moore study that weaves together his
commands to me about parenting, my responsibility as a parent, and the
day-to-day application of these commands. It begins and ends in prayer.
It was the summer of 1998, and I was involved in a Beth Moore Bible Study
entitled “Jesus, the One and Only” with a group of friends. As I was preparing
one evening for our meeting, I came upon a paragraph in the study that would
forever change my life as a parent or at least my activity as a parent. Little did I
know that it would be 5 years before the Lord would bless us with children, and
when he decided to bless, he blessed. Ron and I serve, disciple and love 3
children that arrived all very close together. As we have realized the numerous
responsibilities we have as parents, we constantly draw back to this nugget of
wisdom.
“I had the occasion several years ago to meet a Pastor’s wife who had raised
four boys to adulthood. All four were mighty men of God in vocational ministry. I
was overwhelmed. I inquired of the secret to her parental success through the
years when her husband was virtually absent. I’ll never forget her response. She
said, ‘I lived Lamentations 2:19.’ I could not wait to get to my hotel room and look
it up” (Jesus, The One and Only, 1996 Living Proof, Inc.39).
“Arise, cry out in the night, as the watches of the night begin; pour out
your heart like water in the presence of the Lord. Lift up your hands to him
for the lives of your children, who faint from hunger at the head of every
street.” Lamentations 2:19
It is in prayer that we recognize who is in control, we submit to Father God and
ask for his help. We realize once again our humble position as a vessel of his
love and in prayer find the strength and wisdom to delight him in our activities as
a parent. Prayer unleashes the power of Father God on the lives of our children.
Prayer changes the course of their future. Prayer wages war against the enemy
who so desires to capture their hearts. I call this series the Lamentation 2:19
series for this verse illustrates my hope for you and me as a parent. May each of
us “arise, cry aloud in the night on behalf of our children.” God encourages us in
this verse to dedicate ourselves to the activity of prayer. What could be a better
subject matter to pray than his very words in the Bible? So, not only will this
series lead you in prayer but also it will use the Holy Scriptures as your guide.
Get ready for a powerful adventure and anticipate God’s intervention and
miracles in the lives of your children as you seek him in prayer. God is waiting to
hear from you. Begin today!
The format of this series is simple. You will have cards for each day of the month.
On each card is a prayer based in scripture. Personalize the prayer inserting
your child/ren’s name in the blank spaces provided. Place the prayer cards in a
place that you frequent every day, a place where you complete a rote task that
requires little thinking. For example, place the cards over your kitchen sink. As
you are washing the dishes, pray. Place the cards on your bathroom mirror. As
you are brushing your teeth, pray. Place the cards near your diaper changer. As
you are changing a diaper, pray. Place the cards in your car. As you are driving
to work, pray. Just think of the place that works best for you.
Click here to download the Prayer Cards.
Join me in this great endeavor. Take hold of your opportunity as a prayer
warrior and anticipate God’s blessing in the lives of your children . . . .
Enjoy the adventure! Recognize the power! Anticipate his miracles!
Copyright © The Whole Peach material written by Ron and Karla Hagan. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, International Bible Society