Week 7!

Challenge/For the Love of my Children:

"The one concern of the devil is to keep the saints from prayer. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless works, prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray."  - Jonathan Edwards

When I read that quote earlier this week I was struck with the truth of it. I can often think about how much time and effort I have put into ministering to my children (and to others), but sadly, those actions are not always accompanied with prayer, thus making them self-driven rather than Spirit-driven. I get so preoccupied with the doing that I neglect the praying! This week's challenge will go hand-in-hand with the prayer for our children! My prayer is that I will be a parent of prayer and that my children would be people of prayer. My challenge is to put that prayer into practice. I'll pray more than I will talk. I will brainstorm for creative ideas in how to incorporate prayer for my children so that I'm not only praying for them, but I'm praying with them (as I side note I would love to hear any creative ideas you do in your family!).

Father God, You tell us in Scripture that Your will for us is to pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and I am sorry for the times when I fall so short from that standard. Please infuse me with Your Spirit and help me become a parent of prayer.  Help me be more diligent about fasting from food and, like Jesus, willing to miss sleep in order to spend more time with You (Luke 6:12). As I read the Gospels I notice that Jesus never taught His disciples how to preach, but instead, He taught them how to pray. May I follow His lead in teaching my children. May I always be quick to encourage them to always pray and not give up (Luke 18:1). Give me the boldness to pray with my children no matter what the subject matter and help praying together become natural,comfortable, genuine, and a daily activity my children.
Lord, I also pray that my children would be people of prayer. May they look to You and continually seek Your face (1 Chronicles 16:11). May they devote themselves to prayer and always be eager to lift their souls up to You (Colossians 4:2, Psalm 25:1). I ask that You would help them develop such a thriving prayer life that prayer is their first response in everything instead of a last resort. Teach them to pray in the Spirit on all occasions (Ephesians 6:18) knowing that they can always approach Your throne of grace with confidence (Hebrews 4:16). Thank You for hearing our prayers and desiring fellowship with us. I love you, Lord, and pray for all of this in Your Son's Name. Amen.