"8 Prayers to Pray for Your Children" | Pastor Steve Gaines

turn your Bibles with me to First Samuel Chapter one and in just a moment we'll get one verse verse 27 back in 1982 so 38 years ago Donna and I were in seminary in Fort Worth and we found out that we were going to have a baby and we had not planned on having a baby but we made plans very quickly after we found out we were going to have one and I can remember Donna had told me early on in our engagement that she was planning on being a educator for all of her life and I'll just tell you can I tell her what you said or okay yeah she said if you think I'm staying home to raise a bunch of snotty nose kids you can think something else all right and I said okay how can you imagine my sweet wife saying that yeah well how many of you know that the Lord had other plans amen and so we had a bunch of snotty nosed kids and but I'll never forget when we were in Harris Hospital in Fort Worth I was a youth pastor I was trying to finish my Master of Divinity I had become the interim pastor our church because our pastor had resigned and gone and so I was wondered what how am I gonna provide for this baby and Donna was still a little bit you know vacillating about whether or not she would continue to teach and whatnot after grant was born so he was born on the 11th of April 1983 and at about five o'clock in the morning they laid him in her arms and she looked at me with that look that I've only seen a few times in our marriage and she said the same woman that said if you think that I'm gonna stay home she said I don't know what you're going to do but I'm gonna stay at home with this baby so get a job all right a full-time job I had a job but I was part-time and I said yes ma'am and I became a senior pastor one year one month later and I've been a senior pastor ever since but we knew early on when we found out that we were expecting a baby that we needed to pray we knew that we needed to pray and we were overwhelmed I can remember when I we found out that we were expecting the baby I was just overwhelmed with the sense of responsibility and you know I think that one of the ways that people get more conservative even is when you have a child you want that child to grow up in the admonition of the Lord you want the Lord to be the center of that child's life and we live in a very wicked world it was even wicked back when Grant was born it's still wicked it's been wicked a long time and at the same time we are called to pray for our children and one of the greatest prayer warriors in the Bible one of my favorite prayer warriors is a little lady I want to meet her when I get to heaven I'm not just I want to meet Hannah I want to meet this godly woman who birthed one of the godliest men in the whole Bible Samuel the last of the judges and one of the first of the great prophets and she said this after he was born First Samuel 1:27 for this boy I prayed and the Lord has given me my petition which I asked of him Father in the name of Jesus thank you for Hannah thank you for praying parents you know God we pray that you would help us to pray for our children and for those of us who have grandchildren that we will pray for them as well help us tonight in Jesus name and if that your prayer say Amen Hannah loved the Lord and she wanted a child that sounds odd today because so many people don't want a child there are people actually making videos now of them going to Planned Parenthood and aborting their children I saw one just the other day I didn't see the abortion but I saw the the whole video around it it just was mind-boggling to me but you know the Bible says in Psalm 127 verses 3 through 5 children are a gift from the Lord can we say that together can we put that on the screen their children are a gift from the Lord and then it says they're a reward from him children born to a young man are like Arizona warriors hands how joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them that is if you have a lot of children you're blessed he will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the gates Hannah long she yearned for children she lived in today when sin was rampant among the people of Israel the time of the judges is described in the very last verse of that book and it says in judges 21:25 in those days there was no king in Israel read the last part with me please everyone did what was right in his own eyes how many of you believe that describes America right now as do what we want to do what's right in our own eyes there's no standard we're told that anyway there is a standard but we're told that there's not but there is but everybody does just what's right in their own eyes Hannah's husband practiced the sin of polygamy he had more than one wife Elkanah the Bible says in 1st Samuel 1:2 he had two wives the name of one was Hannah the other name of the other was pnina and pnina had children but hannah had no children pnina Hannah's domestic rival if you will taunted her for being barren every year Elkanah their husband and his two wives would go to shiloh the center of worship at that time and as Hannah would worship she would pray fervently for a child the Bible says in 1st Samuel 1 10 and 11 she great she greatly distressed prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly she made a balance at O Lord of hosts if you will indeed look on the affliction of your maidservant and remember me and not forget your maidservant but will give your maidservant a son then I will give him I will give my child to the Lord all the days of his life a razor shall never come on his head what was that that was a Nazarite vow as Riddick well Hannah prayed so fervently that the priest of that day thought she was drunk I want to ask you when's the last time you prayed so fervently that if somebody could have seen they said they're drunk they're drunk but she assured him she was not first Samuel 1 15 through 16 but Hannah replied no my lord I am a woman oppressed in spirit how many of you have ever been oppressed in spirit I have I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink but I have poured out my soul before the Lord there's one of the best definitions about prayer in the whole Bible when you pour out your heart before God when you pour out your soul before God it's one thing to throw up a little prayer it's another thing to pour out your soul before the Lord do not consider your maidservant as a worthless woman for I have spoken until now out of the great concern my great concern and provocation Eli then blessed her he told her he said I'm praying that God will answer your prayer whatever it is and he did 1st Samuel 1:20 I love these words in the Bible they show up every once in a while it came about about in due time how many of you ever prayed for something and it didn't come about immediately anybody out there like that but how many of you you kept praying and it came about in due time amen it came about in exactly the right time when God knew it was right it came about in due time after Hannah had conceived that she gave birth to a son she named him Samuel because I have asked of him of the Lord she dedicated little Samuel to the Lord God and after Samuel was weaned Hannah took him to Shiloh presented him to Eli and she said the words that we began with for this boy I prayed and the Lord has given me my petition which I asked of him she goes on to say he has dedicated the Lord as long as he lives he is dedicated to the Lord Samuel lived in Shiloh he served the Lord he assisted Eli and the reason he was such a godly young man is because he had a praying mother oh don't tell me praying parents don't matter if you read about Samuel and how God used you talk about an era didn't we just read about children are an era in the hands of the parents and they shoot them out how many of you want to shoot some good arrows anybody out there Amen I want my children and my grandchildren to be good errors and here's Samuel one of the greatest men of God in the whole Bible I'm talking about called the fire of God down just like Elijah did he was a man of God last of the judges one of the first the great prophets and he was blessed with a praying mother parents the most important thing you can do for your children is not to start them some kind of college fund it's not to get them in the right school it's not to do this and that the other no the most important thing by far it's not that those other things don't have their place but by far the most important thing you can do is to pray fervently for your children praying faithfully frequently and fervently faithfully frequently and fervently say with me faithfully frequently and fervently for your children allow me to share some of the ways that I believe the Bible says we ought to pray for our children number one pray for your child's salvation pray for your child's salvation the first thing you should pray for is that then your child will come under conviction of the Holy Spirit and be saved pray that they'll be saved at an early age pray that they won't have to develop a testimony before they get saved how many of you ever had somebody look at your life and so was at the time when you were developing your testimony some of you know what I'm talking about pray that they'll be saved when they're young I think the greatest testimony is I got saved when I was seven and I lived for Jesus the rest of my life I wish that was my testimony pray that they'll repent of their sins pray that they will be believed savingly in Jesus that he died for their sins and rose from the dead pray that they will receive him as Lord and Savior calling on his name and I believe the most powerful thing you can do when you pray now listen I think the most powerful thing you can do when you pray is to praise Scripture pray Scripture so here are two scriptures that Don and I and we're not perfect parents she probably is but I'm not we're not perfect but these are verses that we have prayed diligently again fervently faithfully frequently for our kids and now we're praying them for our grandchildren John 16 verse 8 and he talking about the Holy Spirit how many of you know the Holy Spirit is not a a what but he's a he amen he's a person and he when he comes will convict everybody say the word convict convict the world lost people concerning three things sin righteousness and judgment now what are you praying when you pray for conviction and we'll say this to you if there is no Holy Spirit conviction there can be no Holy Spirit conversion nobody gets saved until they're convicted of sin and righteousness and judgment what is that what does that mean what are you praying for number one it says pray for them to be convicted of sin pray that your children will come to the point where they understand that they have rebelled against the holy God that they have sinned against only God that they are a sinner it's not just about asking Jesus coming your heart a lot although I believe in that but they've got to get to the point where they are broken over their sin that's their sin bothers them now I believe that children until they're a certain age they don't understand you know fully right from wrong but I believe there comes a time where they are willfully disobeying God and I believe at that time they're accountable before God and I believe that they need to come under conviction that they are a sinner in need of a savior and then not only sin but of righteousness that what they can do their goodness the best works they can do their so-called righteousness according to Isaiah 64 is like what filthy rags and I won't even tell you what that is because I really don't need to say it from a pulpit okay it is nasty and he's saying the best you've got now think about the best split second you have ever lived that cannot get you into heaven can't do it so we've got to be convicted that our so-called righteousness which is like filthy rags compared to God it is so putrid and so messed up we must have the perfect righteousness of the righteous one and who is that the Lord Jesus Christ and so we're praying oh god convict them that they are a sinner and convict them that their good works that their goodness is not good enough that they've got to have imputed to them the gracious righteousness the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ sin righteousness and judgment oh we don't even think about judge many more do we but we need to let our children know that the wages of sin is death that there is a judgment coming it is appointed unto men once to die and after that not cessation of spirit not you know going up there and universally everybody gets in not reincarnation let's just try it again we messed up on that time so let's just try it again look at me all that all of that is a lie your spirit and soul are not going to cease to exist you don't get another chance you don't the Bible said and listen purgatory that is a myth nobody's going to pray you out of hell if you go to hell the Bible says it is appointed unto men once to die and after that the judgment you stand before God and if you don't know Jesus you're lost and he throws you into the pit of hell and the Bible says that's what we need to pray for John 16:8 pray for sin God will convict him of sin and righteousness and judgment another verse that I pray for lost people in general but I prayed for our kids and some people will say there's nothing in the Bible about Christians praying for lost people oh yes there is it's called Romans 10 verse 1 Paul said brethren my heart's desire and my prayer to God for them is that his his Jewish friends that were lost is for their salvation Paul prayed for people to be saved and then he says down in verse 13 which we heard about this morning for whoever how many of you are glad that you're part of a whoever Amen whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved and that comes out of the book of Joel when we pray for our lost children when we pray for our grandchildren God moves in their hearts he stirs their hearts he turns their hearts toward the gospel how many of you know that sometimes it's hard to know whether or not a child is saved or not he might know that you know when they're young and they say well sure I've prayed that you know three years old you know I prayed that yeah and then and then they just go you know often do something and and they don't even you know they don't under there there's no evidence of conviction of sin there's no brokenness over sin anything like that I remember with Lindsay you know every child is different and you you don't want the child just to go through emotions and not be genuinely converted it's kind of hard to know when exactly when they're saved but two things I look for an awareness of sin on their part and a spirit of brokenness and repentance and I can remember Lindsay would come to me and doníts you say I want to I want to be saved I want to be baptized you know one of the things that our kids didn't like is we would never let them have the Lord's Supper and I don't think you should let them have the Lord's Supper if they've not been saved and baptized and so that plate would come by and they'd reach out and we Donna say put your hand back boy what's wrong with you she didn't say it exactly like that that's the way I would have said it okay put your hand back well what's wrong with you but but but you know they want to be baptized and all that and that's great that's wonderful but that's not enough is there a brokenness is there this realization that I've offended God I am a sinner and so Lindsay kept saying I want to be saved I want to be saved in him finally one night I went in there to tuck her in and she's crying I said what's wrong he said I just want somebody to lead me to the Lord I said Donna this baby's ready to get saved all right amen she's about seven I think six or seven something like that so Donna came in and I let Donna she led her to the Lord and I baptized her so I think that that's what you look for when you're trying to make sure that they're ready pray for your child's salvation number two pray for your child's submission and here I'm not talking about just to the Lord I'm talking about to God ordained Authority does anybody remember that concept God is a God of authority 1st Corinthians 11 verse 3 says but I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man the man is the head of a woman and God is the head of Christ now I want you to look at me and I want to show you how this thing works God is a God of authority Authority is not power Authority is Authority authorized God authorized he gives certain people Authority okay and so he gave Christ authority under him Christ is under the father in the sense not of he's not as God it's not that Jesus is not God but he is submissive to the Father especially when I was on this and then the Bible says and the man is submissive to Christ and the woman is submissive to the man it's all line and then the children are submissive to the parents and we're all lined up right we're all lined up and what that provides is a canopy of protection we come under the authority of Almighty God when we submit to God ordained Authority I'm gonna tell you something this is probably one of the places that Christians sin more than we realize we are constantly rebelling against God ordained Authority when we don't need to I could talk to you all night about politics and everything else I want to say this to you you need to respect people veteran you need to respect the office and the authority of it you need to respect school teachers you need to respect politicians you need to respect even and this may sound self-serving but leaders in the church you need to respect the position and that doesn't mean that you just blindly you know blindly do whatever they tell you to do but this is something that God did in my life again I'm not telling you to to buy into everything that I do but I can remember as clear I could take you to the spot in the in the sanctuary where I was preaching in Gardendale where the Holy Spirit put the bead on me and said start driving the speed limit start driving the speed limit and it was just a test for me to see if I would come under authority not an Amen in the bunch I get it but I'm just telling and so you know I mean once in a while I'll go over it but I'm telling you I can't drive over the speed limit out getting under conviction now you say you're illegal is you're illegal is why what since when did obedience become legalism you know I want to tell you something if you can't even obey the speed limit come on man and by the way it doesn't get you there any quicker amen God always lets you go through red lights when you're breaking the law amen so he's always slowing you down he always is let me get off of that but submission submission one of the things in the home is we don't emphasize parental authority enough we live in today when many homes are child centered how many of you know that's true the child rules that is not right according to Scripture of course a home should be Jesus centered but parents your marriage comes first before your children not too many amens on that the children should know that dad and mom are the authority in the home that in mom your marriage and your spouse take priority over your children parents never allow your children to talk disrespectfully to you or to your spouse don't even let them roll their eyes don't let them split you up I want to tell you something kids at an early age can divide and conquer don't let them persuade one parent against the other parents are not primarily their children's friend parents are their children's parent the parents are in charge the children are not Johnny doesn't get to choose to be under the table johnny will come out from under the table and he will sit and he will eat or he will be disciplined parents need to train their children to respect God ordained Authority this is the way the universe works parents should instruct their children to respect school principals teachers coaches presidents governor's mayors civic leaders pastors youth pastors life group leaders adults in general and especially senior adults what happened to respecting senior adults Leviticus 1932 reading with me off the screen you shall rise up before the gray-headed and honor the aged and you shall Revere your God I am the Lord God said every time you respect an elderly person you revere me the fear of God is what he's talking about and these things must be taught and actually they're caught if a dad and mom does not respect Authority their children probably won't either if a dad and mom talked bad about leaders I want to say this to you I've been doing this a long time there are a lot of children that won't go to church because their mom and dad trashed the treat the preacher at supper they didn't like something he said is sermon and they trashed the preacher and the kids said oh well mom and dad don't like the preacher are they trashed one of the leaders of something let me say this to you if you have something negative to say about the church or whatever don't say it in front of your kids don't say it loud enough for your kids to hear it because I'm telling you it's a poor witness for Jesus Christ and you're gonna live to regret it don't tell me that's not true some of you have children that won't come to church and I'm not mad at you but some of you are the reason they don't come to church because you talk bad about the church you need to repent and ask God to restore everything that the locusts have eaten now that doesn't mean that if your kids don't come to church it's all your fault I'm not saying that I am saying though we need to make sure that we don't talk negative you say why you know we didn't what about these wicked leaders and everything talk about you can talk about somebody's sin but don't down them okay if a dad and mom doesn't respect Authority the children probably won't either proverbs 22 verse 6 reading with me it's it's an age-old verse on understanding Authority reading with me please train up a child in the way he should go even when he is old he will not depart from it hey dad's how many dad's we got don't let your children talk disrespectfully to your wife don't even let it come close he said what are you talking about I'm talking about what I just said protect your bride she was your bride way before she was their mom and moms moms don't let your children talk negatively about your husband and this goes for step fathers and mothers to Ephesians six verses one through four children obey your parents in the Lord this is right honor your father and mother which is the first commandment with a promise so that it may be well with you and that you may live long on the earth father's do not provoke your children to anger but bring them up in the discipline instruction of the Lord pray for your child to have a submissive heart toward genuine godly God ordained Authority number three pray for your children's sanctification and this is growing in grace this is after they get saved pray that they will become more like Jesus pray that they will mature spiritually two verses that I pray this these verses are my go-to verses on this I've got a lot of other verses but I'm just trying to give you the highlights tonight first of all Luke 2:52 Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men now how do you pray that Lord I pray for grant Lindsay Allison and Bethany that they will increase in wisdom stature and in favor with you and their fellow man not too hard is it that's how you pray a verse 2nd Peter 3:18 but growing grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to him be glory both now and forever amen how do you pray that Lord I pray in the name of Jesus that grant and Lindsay and Allie and I call their names that they will grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to you be glory both now and forever amen this pray scripture constantly praying scripture when you pray the Word of God you pray the will of God and Jesus said in the Bible says in first John 5 we know that if we pray according to the will of God he hears us and if we know that he hears us we know that we have what we've requested of him I know that I'm praying the will of God when I pray the Word of God amen so I'm going to pray the word of God for my children I'm gonna pray that they will grow in grace and become more and more like Jesus and I will say this to you please listen before I go on to point number four don't desire good children desire godly children don't settle for good children that's not good enough how many of you know Goods not good enough amen when it comes to God you need godly spirit filled Jesus loving I mean you need to see love joy peace patience kindness goodness faithfulness gentleness self-control constantly coming out of their lives filled with the Holy Spirit that's what you need so pray for your child's sanctification number four pray for your child's safety this is a big one it's been a big one for me probably the toughest thing I've had to pray about is the children's safety I struggled with fear does anybody ever deal with fear anybody out there ever deal with fear I struggled with fear for a long time about my kids concern about something that might happen to one of them and how many of you know that fear is not of God anybody know that you can't please God if you walk in fear because it's the opposite of faith and if you don't have faith you don't please God just what it is 2nd Timothy 1:7 for God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind I mentioned this before but how I broke through with that I was young dad Bethany had just been born and I was downstairs I'll hurry through this but I was praying and I was just just so knotted up in my heart about my kids concerned you know we we lived on a road where there was people would drive fast and you know they were there by sicles all the time in tricycles and you know I didn't want them get there and get hit you know and I didn't want to get that call you know and all that stuff and so I was just so concerned and the Lord said you know this is really messing you up you're not walking in faith that's not pleasing to me I want you to give me your children and this is what I felt like the Lord told me to do I've told you this before but everybody maybe you didn't hear it we we had a basement and at the bottom of the basement was my little study that I had there and we had stairs going up to the main part of the house so I was downstairs everybody else was asleep I was studying at night and in my mind's eye Jesus was at the top of the steps y'all may think I'm a nut but anyway it's just something I had to do and it's like I felt like the Lord wanted me to just pick up grant if you will in my in my mind's eye and I literally in my heart I just picked him up he was a young boy at that time and I walked to the top of the steps and I handed him to Jesus in my mind's eye walk back down the steps picked up Lindsey gave her to the Lord walk back down the steps picked up Allie and this is all in my heart picked up Allie gave her the Lord went back down got a little baby bet bet and picked her up and gate walked up those steps in the air the Lord and I came down the steps and I said Lord they are yours I love them but I can't protect them I'll do the best I can and when I'm on watch I'll be watching but Lord this fear is is driving me nuts I can't I can't live like this you might know what I'm talking about he might have any idea what I'm talking about I'm just trying to be real with you and so that was a blessing to me these are some verses that have helped me Exodus 14 13 and 14 when we thought Grant had leukemia God gave me this verse one night I'll never forget he gave me this four o'clock in the morning but Moses said to the people do not fear stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which we he will accomplish for you today for the Egyptians whom you have seen today you will never see them again the Lord will fight for you while you keep silent hallelujah praise the Living God the Lord will fight for you while you keep silent and these verses these next two verses I pray them every day for a lot of people I pray them for our church everyday I pray them for my family every day and there never goes by a day I'm not trying to impress you I'm not trying to it all I'm just saying these are these are my these are the verses that I labor over Psalm 91 10 11 no evil will befall you no plague will come near your dwelling your tent he will give his angels charge concerning you to guard you and all your way I pray that over my kids and over my family every day isaiah 54:17 I pray this all the time no weapon formed against me or us will prosper every time that accuses us in judgment we will condemn this is the heritage of the servants of the Lord our vindication is from you saith Lord I pray that I don't know how many thousands of times literally no telling how many times Don and I have prayed these verses Don and I when you remember that shooting down at the church down in Texas when I was the president of the Matas convinced you remember that happened a guy shot all those that church up that little Church name and know where Don and I flew down there flew into San Antonio and as soon as we landed I'm telling you I felt led to play pray for Lindsey as let's pray for Lindsey and I'm not trying to sound like I'm some you know spiritual know-it-all so we prayed for Lindsey and we prayed for our kids got in a rental car started heading down to where that shooter had killed those people got a call from Lindsey before we got out of San Antonio she said daddy I said what she said I almost had a wreck today somebody almost ran over us almost killed us so I'm telling you I mean I looked up and said that all I could see with this big car coming and I had a little baby in there and to the kids and there's no way I don't know how in the world that car didn't hit us I'm telling you it was the exact time I'm telling you it was the exact time when God had us praying for her don't tell me don't even go there with me all right God will prompt you to pray and when listen when you're when you sense that just turn your fears into prayer turn your concerns into prayer just let it go all right and let's pray cry out to God pray for their safety let me hurry up number five pray for your child's support I'm talking about people around them that will support them spiritually like you're trying I don't like the phrase it takes a village to raise a child it doesn't take a village it takes a family it takes a biological family and a faith family does not take a village when you hear that village stuff that's socialistic communistic communities I don't go for that I don't believe that for a skinny minute I believe it takes a dad it takes a mom and takes siblings it takes expend to see extended families but you may be a single mom you may at me a single dad look at me you're the ones that are really the ones that need to pray for your children it takes a family it takes maybe extended family I know people that have been raised by their grandparents that love Jesus all right it just takes family to raise kids not a village dads and moms you need to monitor who your children hang around with did you hear what I just said you need to monitor who your children hang around with don't allow your children to become close friends with ungodly children or if they have parents that are ungodly the Bible says in proverbs 13 verse 20 he who walks with wise men will be wise but the companion of fools will suffer harm proverbs 27:17 puts it more positively iron sharpens iron so one man sharpens another and then he says in first Corinthians 15:33 don't be to see read this out loud with me read the last part with me please bad company corrupts good morals parents you have the right to tell your children who they can and cannot hang around hear what I just said you have the right to tell them yes or no you have the right to tell them who are who they can or can't date you've heard me tell before that I broke up with Lindsay's boyfriend one time and it wasn't Ryan Wingo all right this guy the minute I saw him we were at Grant's high school graduation thing he walked this guy walked in the room with Lindsay and I looked at Donna and I said that's trouble with a capital T right there and he was and they dated a little bit and I said enough is enough I took him out to eat he was a big old football player he and he was big he could have beat the tar out of me and big ol offensive lineman you know muscular and everything and you know I used to be that way but you know he still looked like a light bulb I was looking more like a pear all right but anyway I took him out to eat I'll tell you one thing though I was the daddy all right I took him out to eat I fit in this great big steak and I said okay Justin you don't you're not dating my daughter anymore he said what I said yeah I'm breaking up for her with you right now and and he said what are you talking about I said there's nothing complicated about what I'm saying as I'm just telling you the only gains you're gonna be around is me I don't want you around my son I don't you're my daughter I'm sure of my kids I love you but you're not living for the Lord you know it and I don't want you messing with my daughter I'm not asking you I'm telling you I'll disciple you I'll do whatever you want to you me around me all you want to but I'm the only one with the last name Gaines you're gonna be around do you understand he said yes sir that boy is a preacher in Alabama today he is a preacher of the gospel of Jesus Christ he quotes me all the time he may not quote that quote but he quotes me all the time amen amen all the time all the time and I love him and I thank God for him I didn't really like him much back in those days but I loved it pray for your children and pray for them to have support they've got to have godly people around them number six pray for your child's spouse he said what are you talking about oh man you need to be praying for them to have a godly spouse absolutely as soon as you find out you're expecting the babies start praying for the Lord to give your child a godly spouse here's a prayer discipline that has to become a priority pray prayers like this and I know that some of them are aimed toward the wife but you know what the best I can do all right proverbs 18:22 he who finds a wife finds a good thing my good thing is right there on the front row Amen that's my wife right there and she obtains favor from the Lord he attains you need to pray for them to find a good good husband a good wife the Bible says in proverbs 19 14 house and wealth are an inheritance from the Lord but a prudent wife is from the Lord proverbs 31:10 through 12 an excellent wife who can find for her worth is far above jewels the heart of her husband trusts in her he will have no lack of gain she does him good and not evil all the days of his life is that what he says no don't miss this all the days of her life she looks for wool and flax and works with her hands in delight now why do I emphasize all the days of her life I go up to Dyersburg about four times a year it's almost like I can hear my mom and I don't hear my mom it's almost like I can hear say Sun my flowers don't look too good on the grave and so I go up and I put new flowers up there about four times a year and I can remember being up there one time and I was coming out and there was a sweet lady elderly lady and she was working around her husband's grave she was pulling weeds she was cleaning it you know she was doing she was honoring him all the days of her life not just his how I says to you nobody's perfect nobody's a perfect parent if you've got deceased parents don't trash them don't trash them don't constantly share with others about where they messed up honor your parents if you can't say something good zip it don't trash your dead parents and blame them even if it's true just leave it alone and let God deal with that amen honor your father and your mother honor them and by the way TW hunt professor of southwestern Seminary author the great book the mind of Christ told me in Dona don't just pray for your children's spouse's pray for your children spouses parents because they're going to be your grandchildren's grandparents did anybody just get what I just got just yeah so we started praying way back before grant was born and he got some great ones and we've got great in-laws man I mean our kids have great in-laws and we thank God for that so just pray for your child and pray for them a spouse that they're saved feel the Holy Spirit loves the Lord read the Bible pray walk with the Lord purity impurity all those things pray for your child spouse two more things pray for your child's supervision pray for the Lord to guide them and direct them pray that God will supervise them that they will be under the hand of the Lord here's some of the main verses I pray I'll try to hurry up here because I've gone a little long psalm 23 verse 3 he restoreth my soul he leadeth me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake I don't know how many times I said lord I pray for Lindsay I pray for grant I pray for Bethany I pray for Ally that you will lead them in paths of righteousness for your name's sake you see how quickly you can turn a verses scripture into a prayer and then psalm 32 verse 8 this is one of my go to that god I pray that you will instruct him and teach them in the way that they should go the way that they should go how many of you believe that God has a specific way he wants your children to go amen God instruct them and teach them in the way that they should go and guide them with your eye upon them some Isaiah 40 30 verse I play this all the time lord I pray that they will hear a word behind them a voice behind them saying this is the way walk in it whenever they turn to the right of the left I pray that for our kids all the time and then John 10:27 my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me Lord let my kids hear your voice let my grandchildren hear your voice pray for your children to have divine supervision in this secular sinful world where at any turn and any fork in the road they could go how many of you know that if you could go back how many of you have looked in your life and you say I could have gone either way I'm telling I was at a crossroad how many of you ever been at a crossroads you don't tell me you could have gone either way and somehow God helped you to make the right decision I believe you had somebody praying for you I believe you had somebody praying for you and then finally I'm not trying to be cute I'm not trying to end everything alliterative Lee okay but this is one of my favorite things to pray I pray for my child's shalom for peace of God to be upon them it's way more than peace it's the anointing of God it's the blessings of God and we read it pray for heavenly holy blessings to come upon your child it's just an overall blessing you know I always do this last because it's just kind of that catch-all thing Lord if I missed anything just bless them with your Shalom your peace and what is that peace entail it was the ironic not ironic the Aaronic aaro in Aaron the brother of Moses it was the ironic blessing and in number six 24 through 26 read it out loud you know it read it with me the Lord bless you and keep you the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious unto you the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you your peace now here's how you pray for your children the Lord bless you and keep you the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious unto you and lift up his countenance upon you and give you his peace just go around praying that for people just go around praying that for people and pray that for your kids pray that over your over their spouses pray that over your home pray that over this church Oh pray that pray the shallow of God over this church pray the peace of God the protection of God the anointing of God the spirit of God the the power of God the protection all those things that comes with the Shalom and then Isaiah 26:3 oh this is so good now we'll keep him in perfect peace everybody say perfect peace perfect Shalom whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusted in thee my wife had a little snippet on social media tonight about keeping your mind on the Lord and not on your problems keeping walking in faith not in fear I'm telling you it fired me up and I want to I want to encourage you focus on the Lord Jesus he is the author and the finisher of your faith when you talk listen let me tell you let me give you a little secret here this is one of the ways the devil messes us up he'll get you to start talking about your problem I just want to talk about it I just wanna talk about it and you start talking about it and the more you talk about it the more afraid you get and the less you're walking in faith look at me give it to the Lord and just talk about his promises don't talk about the problem any more you don't need to what you don't need the more you you talk about it you feed it it's like you're feeding it it's like you're feeding a fire and it starts burning in the wrong way man give it to the Lord and walk in faith and pray the promises just pray the promises and and whenever the devil tries to put fear and yarn just pray the problems I reject that in the name of you you use you just got this conversation going all the time you know this little fiery dart comes in oh you need to worry about that I'm not worrying about that the Lord told me not to worry about anything I'll be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving I'm gonna let my requests be made known to God and the peace of God the Shalom of God that passes all understanding will guard my what my heart what's that my emotions and my thoughts my mind in Christ Jesus if we can get our emotions and our thoughts together we got something amen so I'm gonna pray I'm gonna thank God I'm gonna worship God I'm gonna walk with God I'm gonna walk in faith and then we'll end with the words of Jesus that's always good John 14:27 I pray this all the time Lord peace you leave with us your peace you give to us not as the world gives do you give to us I will not let my heart be troubled nor will I let it be filled with fear look at me some of you are letting your heart be troubled and your mind being filled with fear stop it we don't like that kind of advice to you oh man or don't stop it just stop it don't let your heart be filled with fear no and just start praying scripture and praying out to God and thanking him for his Shalom oh lord thank you that you have blessed me you're keeping me you're making your face shine upon me you're being gracious unto me you're lifting up your countenance um um you're giving me your shell oh my receive it Lord in the name of Jesus that's how you got to live I'm convinced more than ever that the devil is getting mad and he is heating up Don and I went to Banff Canada had never been there before flew in to Calgary saw the Calgary Stampede rodeo at best rodeo I ever seen in my life we went to a bookstore though in one of those tenets is so it's almost a godly godless area up there I mean there's so much it's just it's just unbelievable and so we walk into this bookstore a secular bookstore but I always like to see you know is there anything written about Jesus in here so we find you know there's one or two Bibles over there just a little bitty section like this and then I look at and on the whole table a whole table witchcraft Satanism how to cast spells how to curse people it's all brother Steve that's just kids too oh no oh no oh no almost every television program you see coming on is about witchcraft and Wiccans and Satanism look at me I believe that the enemy realizes that God wants to do something and I believe that the enemy is trying to fight it but I want to tell you greater is He Who is in us than he who is in the world and I want to say something before you clap I want you I want to say something to you and it's going to be hard for me to say this without crying but there came a time in my life and I can remember I can remember I was in my backyard in Gardendale Alabama I can remember it as plain as day and I got so fed up with the world and so fed up with trying to fight for my children and Donna and Donna and I I just I looked at her and I said baby we're gonna do it and it's just like we drew a line in the sin and we said Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus if our kids go bad it's not because it's not gonna be because we didn't pray over my praying body well my kids go bad and I drew a line in the sand and Donna did it with me and we said Lord if there's anything in our lives whatever there's in our lives anything that we've got in our families any any familiar sins literally familiar family sins any sins of the fathers any generational things like that we're gonna break it Lord we're gonna fast we're gonna pray we're gonna seek God we're gonna call out to you we're gonna we're gonna be at the throne of grace we're gonna be crying out to you and dear God again we can't make our kids do anything but God if they wind up being messed up it's gonna be over our praying bodies and we stood our ground and I'm just telling you I'm just telling you that was a breaking point for us we are not perfect parents by the grace of God our kids are living for the Lord right now and and and sometimes people will come and say well I'm sure that you're really grateful and all that well I'm grateful but I got news I'm praying harder than I've ever prayed for in my life I don't want to mess it up now and I don't want to mess up now and I want this church to mess up now and I was gonna say this to you when I saw the other night when I saw that guy dressed up like a lady toning that little girl it was almost it was almost like it was a religion a ritualistic abuse that's what it looked like it looked like they were literally abusing that job not physically but just abusing that child spiritually in a ritual that I know is not of God and I can't I can't get her little facial expression off my mind I want to say this to you it's time to stand in the gap gods look for a man or a woman that was standing the gap and he found nobody the good thing about prayer is the grounds level at the cross to get saved right the grounds level at the prayer closet I'm care who you are how old you are how young you are what color you are how much money yeah none of that matters at the cry at the throne Amen just go to the throne baby just go to the throne and just say God I'm latching on to you and I'm not letting go until you bless me I'm gonna be like a bulldog I'm gonna be like Jacob down to J Buc river I ain't a letting go Jesus until you bless me I'm gonna pray for my kids I'm gonna pray for this country and you know what if it all goes up in smoke tomorrow it's gonna do it over my praying body amen

Channel: Bellevue Baptist Church

Views: 1,460

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Id: w7HOe_o0aaE

Length: 54min 35sec (3275 seconds)

Published: Mon Mar 02 2020