Pray It Again
When we ride a Ferris wheel, we don’t just go around once. Why? Because once isn’t enough. We take several trips around and each time, we take in something new, appreciate things more as we get to see them once again, and we have a richer experience because we get a perspective that we normally would not. Praying through our prayer points again gives us a chance to look at things more deeply, pray over things yet again, bringing those burdens and requests to the Lord.
Pray that God’s goodness and mercy are evident to our sons and daughters.
Let’s pray today that our sons and daughters run to His arms, find shelter in His embrace and trust Him for His goodness. Let’s pray that their eyes are opened to the plentiful goodness of God around them, despite the brokenness of this world. Pray that they can see and be encouraged by God’s provision for them.
Let’s pray that our sons and daughters believe with all their hearts that the Lord is GOOD and that they trust Him, fully. And let’s pray they look to the Lord for their safety and refuge, always.
Pray that our sons and daughters crave the good that God gives and teaches!! He is good and what He does is good.
Pray that our sons and daughters would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to them. Pray that they would find satisfaction in Him for the longings of their soul.
Pray without ceasing.
Putting Up Goodness
Psalm 31:19-20 “Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear You, which You have prepared for those who trust in You in the presence of the sons of men! You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the plots of man; You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.”
Back in the day, Grandma might have been known to talk about ‘putting up’ corn, beans and peaches. What did that even mean? Well, she was preserving and storing food that might be needed later. If she ‘put up’ the fresh peaches in the summer, then the family would have wonderful, sweet canned peaches in the dead of winter. They could enjoy the sweet, tangy taste of peaches as if they were just picked from the tree. The goodness was preserved to be enjoyed later. And everyone knew those peaches were there on the shelf in the pantry….just waiting to be enjoyed. Oh, the anticipation!!
Did you know that God ‘puts up’ and preserves goodness for us to be enjoyed later? He doesn’t just give us ‘good’ here, but He stores up plentiful amounts of Godly goodness for us to enjoy for eternity! “Oh how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear You, which You have prepared for those who trust in You in the presence of the sons of men!”
Did you catch that last phrase? “Which you have prepared for those who trust You in the presence of the sons of men”. God knows the opposition we face from others who mock, persecute, oppress and ridicule. He knows we are strangers and aliens in this world dominated by darkness. Yet, even in the worst of times, there is plentiful goodness from God that can and should be enjoyed. This world is not our home, it’s not where we’re meant to be comfortable and envision ourselves for eternity. But God gives goodness to give us a foretaste of heaven and what is to come. Oh, the anticipation!! That goodness i going to be SO good when we step into His presence!
When our sons and daughters face hardship and persecution, how do we encourage them? Do we remind them that God is laying aside goodness to bless them? Not only that, but He longs to shelter them from evil and from those who would seek to oppress them. (Honestly, we should remind ourselves as well.)
Let’s pray today that our sons and daughters run to His arms, find shelter in His embrace and believe He has goodness enough for them, both for today and for the future. Let’s pray that their eyes are opened to the plentiful goodness of God around them, despite the brokenness of this world. Pray that they can see and be encouraged by God’s provision for them.
Pray without ceasing.
Who Are Your Followers?
Psalm 23:6 “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
Have you ever felt as if you’re being followed by an embarrassing moment or mistake? Maybe you made a misstep that now seems to define you. Or perhaps you misspoke and now you worry that everyone’s perception of you is skewed because of that one unfortunate or unfiltered moment.
Sometimes it’s hard to live down our failures, isn’t it? They shake us when we least expect it and the enemy uses them to defeat us. Right? The sense of guilt and shame wash over us and we’re right back in that moment, feeling powerless and condemned. That’s how Satan wants us to feel and he’ll use our weaknesses to bring us down.
Are our sons and daughters struggling in this? Here’s the thing, if we, as parents, are not healthy in how we deal with our failures and faults, it’s likely our sons and daughters will struggle with it too. If we’re constantly reliving our failures, we’re failing to live in the goodness of God.
Scripture doesn’t tell us our mistakes will follow us forever, no, in fact, it tells us just the opposite!! Surely (for sure, absolutely, without a doubt) goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life!! All the days… goodness and mercy won’t just follow seasonally, they’re year-round! They won’t ever run out- the supply is endless! And their ability to meet our needs won’t wear out or fall short- they’re as steady and as powerful as God’s faithfulness. His goodness and mercy are part of his perfect character.
Here’s the thing, if we’re living in defeat, we’re putting too much emphasis on our ability to be ‘good’. If we’re living in defeat, we’re setting a poor example for our sons and daughters!
It’s not our goodness that we’re dependent on- if that were the case, we’d all be doomed. No, it’s God’s goodness and mercy, ever-present and all-sufficient. Not only does God promise us His goodness and mercy, but He also promises an eternal home in His house. Friends, we are SO loved and cared for!! Let’s camp out on those promises today and then use them to encourage our sons and daughters!!
Take some time today to share this verse with our sons and daughters and remind them of God’s goodness. In this crazy world that seems to be turning upside down, our God is the one constant, reliable Source of goodness that we can always depend on. Remind them that we have a Heavenly Father who is watching over them and following them anywhere and everywhere they go. They will never outpace His goodness and mercy, they’ll never reach the end of it and they will never exhaust the supply. It is all-sufficient and eternal.
Today, let’s pray that God’s goodness and mercy are evident to our sons and daughters...and to us.
“Lord, thank You for your never-ending goodness that You provide each day. Thank You too, for Your mercy, we don’t deserve it, yet you provide it daily because You love us. Help us to see your goodness today. Remind us of how you love and treasure us. I pray that (name) would be encouraged by your goodness today, so much so that they pay special attention to what You’re doing in their life and on their behalf. Help us not to dwell on our shortcomings. Help us to confess them and move on in your goodness and mercy. Lord, we can’t really comprehend the scope of Your goodness, but we know that it is sufficient for us. Help us to hold on to that promise that it will follow us ALL the days of our life. Thank You Lord! In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Pray without ceasing.