Parenting by Design - October 4
Praying for Your Kids
Ephesians 1:15-17: For this reason … I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better (NIV).
Paul's prayer for the believers at Ephesus gives us a wonderful blueprint for how we can best pray for our kids. He starts by approaching God with a spirit of thanksgiving. How many times do we dive right into our needs and wants without first acknowledging our blessings and His glory?
Paul knows that wisdom will give the believers' insight into the true nature of things and revelation will reveal the character of God, allowing them to know Him in a personal and intimate way. Paul prays that they may fully understand the hope and power that is their inheritance because this is how they will experience the peace in Christ that transcends earthly circumstances.
Thanksgiving, wisdom, knowledge of God, and peace. What more could we hope or desire for our children?
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Col. 4:12: Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondslave of Christ Jesus, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God (NIV).
As we tackle the details of life, we may neglect the most important thing—praying for our kids. Do you find yourself too distracted or exhausted to pray? Perhaps your prayers have become a bit routine? Paul gives us an example of a great prayer warrior in Epaphras. What does it mean to "labor fervently" in prayer? The Greek word used here is agoonizomenos (the English word is agonize) and describes the struggle of an athlete as he competes. It implores us to throw ourselves into prayer with persistence, discipline, and zeal.
Imagine if we invested as much time and effort praying for our kids as we spend on their sports activities--buying uniforms and equipment, going to their practices, and cheering them on at games!
Follow the example of Epaphras in praying fervently for your kids.
