Happy Thursday, friends! I thought I'd share a throwback Thursday post again, since it's been a while. I'll see you back here tomorrow for Friday Favorites!
I love this passage of scripture that I read today. We are in Ephesians this week, which is one of my favorite books in the bible. Or New Testament. Either way, I have always loved this passage of scripture, and this was reinforced about a year ago, when my friend sent me a link to a sermon by Francis Chan on this same passage. I'll write more about this in just a minute, though. (Also, this is why Missy and I are best friends. We listen to sermons on YouTube in our spare time.)
I love these verses, because several years ago, the Lord led me to start praying these over my family. Having boys is so different for a mom. I have mentioned on here that I once heard someone say that the most effective parent is the same sex parent. Meaning, Todd is most effective in the lives of all my sons. Back to why being a mom to sons is so different, though....I have always said that I'm not just raising sons over here. I'm raising future husbands and fathers. That is a huge responsibility! I don't know if you've noticed this, but we are living in a time that men are constantly being undermined. Their value, in terms of the world around us, is diminishing before our very eyes. Their roles are not as important anymore, at least, in the eyes of the world around us. But nothing could be farther from the truth. Men are to be the spiritual leaders and the head of the home, but the later the time gets, the less this is so.
God knows all of this, none of it is a surprise to Him. He knows the day and time with which we live in right now, and that is why these verses are so important. As parents, as moms, we MUST pray over our kids. And what kinds of things should we pray? Well, it's written out above, in that picture. I pray that the Lord Jesus would dwell in their hearts through faith, and that they, being rooted and grounded in that love, would know the breadth and length, height and depth of God's love, and that they would be filled with all the fullness of God. Praying that alone puts perspective all the other things we pray for, as parents, but really, the prayer I just wrote out is the most important thing we could ever pray. If they know that, if they know and are filled with the fullness of God, then everything else in their life will just fall into place.
It's that simple. We don't have to fret and worry about the future...it's already been determined by God. If you have some time on your hands, I encourage you to listen to this sermon by Francis Chan that I love. I listened to it again, just now, as I wrote this post.
Thanks for reading! Love to all.
I vacillate between worrying about my kids and knowing that, like you said, God is control and knows all of our futures. I like the prayers you pray for them. When my kids were young, our pastor's wife shared that she prayed for her kids that they would hunger and thirst for righteousness so that was part of my prayers for my kids from an early age. Praying for them to know how much God loves them is important. I will incorporate that in my prayers as well.
ReplyDeleteMaria, right? I think most of us feel that same way. I like what your friend encouraged you to pray for your kids; that's been one of my prayers as well. I still pray this over my family, and I had before I listened to this sermon, but even more so after listening. I love Francis Chan! I appreciated his boldness here. I hope you listen to the sermon, if you have about a half hour worth of time. It's so good!
ReplyDeleteAmy, I get what you're saying. I'm really close to my boys as well, and you know how close I am to my dad. The article I read that said that was some statistic of people they'd interviewed, and the majority of the people they talked to said that. It caught me by surprise too, because though we're both effective as parents, it really does seem like so many girls follow after their moms, and so many guys take after and model their dads. I'm assuming that's what they meant, and I do say that. It certainly doesn't let one parent off the hook with influence in the lives of their (even grown) children!
ReplyDeleteI agree about how much they need other people as well, and for so many that's all they have! My best friend didn't have parents that were great at parenting; it's other people she attributes to raising her, and it's because of her neighbors that she's a believer today! I always appreciated other men pouring into my sons' lives in church, whether youth leaders or Sunday school teachers.
Ephesians is one of my favorite books in the Bible!
I love that passage of scripture. I believe both parents are needed for a healthy household. God designed the family and a mom and dad each bring an element to the family that is essential. A dad will rarely nurture like a mother will and a mom is a protector in a different way than a dad. Even though the world would have us think differently, men and women are made differently for a purpose and a child needs both to feel whole.
ReplyDeleteI'll have to listen to the sermon today. Thanks for sharing!
I do too, Debbie! And I agree that all kids need both parents, and that each role is important and different. The article I read was one that mentioned the statistics of people that were interviewed. I think the main point was that for most people, sons tend to model their dad's behavior, and daughters tend to model their moms. I'm sure it's not like that exclusively, but in the majority of those people, that was the case.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was interesting, and I've seen proof of what a son not having a great role model for a father can do- living in Memphis, one of the top five most dangerous cities in America. This is a major problem here, because most of those men then turn to gangs. This is the majority of our crime in Memphis.
I'm pretty passionate about this topic, and it's why I love ministries that offer mission trip work in the inner cities of metropolis areas. We used to partner with one called Street Reach, where the main goal was to come alongside whoever was doing the raising of the kids (usually grandmothers were in their 30's) and offer assistance with finances, schooling, and other needs, all while teaching them about Jesus. It was good for the kids in those areas to see both men and women pour into them; the ministry is still around, but our church isn't as involved with them now as they were at that time.
I have to remind myself daily that I am not in control and God is- glad to see I am not alone :)
ReplyDeleteHolly, you are so right!
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