Accomplished or Obedient?
Psalm 128:1 “Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in obedience to him.”
We live in a world where people judge others on their accomplishments. Just look at any awards show- the actors or musicians gather to celebrate achievements and accomplishments and those who get the attention are those who performed well and gained attention and accolades. Those who didn’t find their stars fading quickly. As popular as someone can be one year, they might be just a memory the next. The world would have us believe we’re only as valuable as our accomplishments. Unfortunately, this mindset often begins early and can set a trajectory for a son or daughter that implies their worth is based on what they can do or accomplish, rather than on their relationship to God.
Have you ever wondered, if Noah’s parents were present as their son worked tirelessly on the ark, what did they think? There he was, continually building that large boat when the world hadn’t even seen rain. Perhaps family friends pitied Noah’s parents… “He’s so smart, so capable, why would he waste his time on a silly project like that? Is he…..okay?” Meanwhile, other parents may have taken the opportunity to share their children's successes and accomplishments. Would Noah’s parents have tried to discourage him? Or would they have encouraged him to keep obeying the Lord and His commands? Would they build him up, reminding him that integrity is of greater value than fame and achievements? Would they tell him to ignore the other voices and focus on what God called him to do?
Then there’s Daniel. Oh, how his relatives might have been excited to see him work his way up through the ranks to the King’s service. But when he was thrown in the lion’s den for his insistence on praying so publicly where others could see his bold disobedience to the King’s decree, I’m sure others looked on with pity…or disdain. Were they embarrassed at how he seemingly ‘threw away’ his position and title? Or did they encourage him and pray for him, standing by his decision and trusting the Lord for his care and keeping among the lions?
What about Abraham? When he announced he was going to leave his father’s home and follow God - a God that his family didn’t know, were they angry or hurt?. He was stepping away from the cultural expectation that he would live alongside his father and continue the family business, traditions and carry on the family name. He was giving up his family’s reputation and wealth to follow God- a God they didn’t know or follow themselves. Or did Abraham’s bold faith move them to consider surrendering their hearts to a God that was greater than any they’d ever known?
Here’s the thing, each of these men chose obedience to God over accomplishments and associations. In each circumstance, it was clear the world deemed this the ‘wrong choice’. They could have chosen a different path that would have given them social acceptance, lucrative connections and power and fame. Yet, those choices would have ultimately led them away from the Lord and to death. Instead, they chose to obey and in their obedience, they were used by God to impact people and nations, not just in their time, but throughout history. Obedience brings life. The choices the world lauds leads to darkness….and death.
That, friends, is what we need to pray about today. How do we encourage our sons and daughters? Are we more concerned with their earthly success and financial achievements or are we burdened to see them following after the Lord? Do we care what the world says or are we passionate to see them hunger and thirst after Jesus?
Psalm 49:16-20 “Do not be overawed when others grow rich, when the splendor of their houses increases; for they will take nothing with them when they die, their splendor will not descend with them. Though while they live they count themselves blessed— and people praise you when you prosper—they will join those who have gone before them, who will never again see the light of life. People who have wealth but lack understanding are like the beasts that perish.”
Accomplishments or Obedience?
This week, let’s pray that our sons and daughters are moved to unwavering obedience to Christ and to following after Him rather than the world and it’s charms. Then, let’s begin to memorize Psalm 128:1 and pray it over our sons and daughters. “Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in obedience to him.”
Pray without ceasing, Friends.
Sunday Worship
Today, take some time and memorize one of the benedictions we prayed this week. By adding the scripture to our memory and to our prayer arsenal, we’re allowing God to equip us to use the Word of God in powerful, effective ways.
Ephesians 1:18-23
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
Ephesians 3:14-21
“For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
“May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.”
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
“May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.”
Jude 1:24-25
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.
Hebrews 13:20-21
“Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
Then take the opportunity to pray a benediction over someone, whether in person or from afar.
Blessing, protection, promise. The Lord is good.
Pray without ceasing.
May God Encourage You
Although we tend to spend time praying and pleading over the hard things, we can’t forget the value and benefit of some good, solid encouragement. Both first and second Thessalonians offer benedictions of blessing and encouragement and, although brief, they’re packed with rich truth that can encourage our hearts!
Pray this today, putting the name of your children in wherever it says ‘you’….and then, why not text it to your son or daughter? What a way to brighten their day!
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
“May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.”
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
“May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.”
Pray without ceasing.
IT’S ALL GOOD
Psalm 119:68 “You are good, and what you do is good; teach me your decrees.”
There were two basic questions we asked when our kids were young. The first was “Who are they with?” And the second was “What are they learning when they’re with that person?”
What most concerned us about the ‘who are they with’ question was who was influencing our sons and daughters. Were they a good influence. What did they value? Did they use good language and were they careful in how and where they spent their time? Then, we likely wondered about the families of those ‘others’. Were they ‘good’ people?
The second question was one that set our parental sense of responsibility in high gear. We had to ensure that our children learned well! We were all about finding the right school for them. We wanted a ‘good’ school, one that had a good reputation, good teachers, and produced good results. We were all about the ‘good’. Why? Because we wanted our sons and daughters to have the best we could provide and we knew that good was better than just ‘okay’. We had certain criteria and expectations. We didn’t want them learning from ‘just anyone’ and we wanted to ensure the education was solid, worth the investment and would prepare them well for life.
Even though our sons and daughters may be grown, those two concerns- who they are with and what they are learning- are probably still our concerns today.
So we pray. We pray boldly that our sons and daughters will choose to walk with God and learn from Him by spending time in His word.
God is GOOD. Strong’s Concordance defines good in so many beautiful ways: As a noun, the Hebrew word “tob” (1), “good” means: to be good, be pleasing, be joyful, be beneficial, be pleasant, be favorable, be happy, be right, be better or good for, to do good and act rightly.
As an adjective, “tob”(2) covers so many things! To be pleasant and agreeable to the senses, to be excellent, rich in value, appropriate or becoming, glad, understanding, kind and ethical.
Read those definitions again, and ponder them. They’re so rich!! They’re so beautiful. That is our God. And that is the content and character of what He desires us to learn and to become.
Wow! Wouldn’t it be amazing if our sons and daughters could describe their ‘friend list’ with those words!! How incredible would it be if they told us they were learning the goodness of Scripture and incorporating it into their life?!
There is no one better to spend time with or to learn from than God. There is no other who will build our character and teach us integrity. He is GOOD and what He does is GOOD.
Today, let’s pray that our sons and daughters crave the good that God gives and teaches!! And let’s pray that we do as well. He is good and what He does is good, let’s learn his decrees!
Pray without ceasing!
H2895 - ṭôḇ - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h2895/niv/wlc/0-1/
H2896 - ṭôḇ - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h2896/niv/wlc/0-1/
He Sat Down
Hebrews 1:3 “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”
Today, take time to meditate on this verse. Ponder the words that exalt our Savior and speak of His glory. Soak in the impact of Jesus’ act of sitting down.
In our humanity, we sometimes look at ‘sitting’ as a mark of indifference or inaction. Sometimes it is even a symbol of protest. But Hebrews tells us that when Christ completed the will of the Father, He sat down. The action was complete. He suffered and died in our place on the cross. He paid the penalty for our sin, taking all of the sin of the world past, present, and future from every tribe, nation and language, and satisfied the ransom for us with His blood. He severed the power of sin and death an forever breached the gap that stood between God and man. His act of sitting at the right hand of the Majesty in Heaven signified it was finished, complete and sufficient.
When a Sovereign sits on the throne, their rule and authority are visibly affirmed. They are taking their place of leadership and authority. All others bow to the. Jesus’ presence on the Throne is our confidence that our redemption is complete.
Can we even imagine the majesty of Christ sitting at the right hand of the Father, in all His glory? Oh, friends, we need to!! We need to know that our Victor reigns!! There is nothing left to do - He paid it all for us!!
Today, take time to pray in adoration of our Lord Jesus Christ. Then, pray that our sons and daughters would live in adoration of Him as well.
Jesus is Lord!
Pray without ceasing.
Don’t Just Sit There…
Deuteronomy 6:5-7 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”
What do we do when we sit? Really? Think about it. Sitting is usually a pretty passive event. Oh, we sit and work, sure, but other times, we just plop down and we ‘sit’, but do very little.
In the book of Deuteronomy, God had some other ideas about what the Israelites could do with all that ‘down time’.
The Israelites were just about ready to cross the Jordan into the Promised Land. But before they stepped foot in the land, God wanted to remind them of the most important things they needed to embrace, remember and practice. He instructed Moses to give them commands and decrees so that their children, grandchildren and generations to come would always remember and always fear the Lord, who did so many miracles on their behalf.
And what were those commands? Hear O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your strength.
And how were they to remember?
These commands are to be on your hearts
Impress them on your children
Talk about them when you sit at home & when you walk along the road
Talk about them when you lie down and when you get up.
Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads
Write them on your doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
God was trying to tell the Israelites that He wanted to be a part of their conversation throughout the day, regardless of what they did or where they went. Even when they sat at home, He was there and, friends, He’s with us as well when we’re sitting at home, or in the car, or wherever we plant ourselves. Will we make him a part of our conversation?
Here’s an interesting observation. The word ‘sit’ in our English language means to physically ‘sit’ with our backside in a chair, but it also means to ‘be present’ as in babysit, housesit, dogsit, etc. It’s a companionship of sorts. God wants that companionship with us- and He wants to be the topic of conversation.
Today, when you sit down, think through the three letters of the word ‘sit’: “S” stop, “I” inquire of the Lord, and “T” talk to HIm. Then, go on and talk to the Lord. Pray for your sons and daughters that they, too, would take time to sit and talk to the Lord. Pray that they would love the Lord their God with all their heart, all their soul and all their strength. And pray that His commands would be on their hearts so that whatever they choose to do, He is present and preeminent in their thoughts and in their hearts.
“Lord, too often we sit and do ‘nothing’. Too often we let our minds wander to empty things. Or, we let clutter in and it crowds out what You're trying to say. I pray that today, as (name) sits down, you would bring a peace to their heart and a reminder to their mind to spend time in prayer with You. Help them to stop, inquire, and talk to You. Help them to love you with all their being. Lord, I pray that their relationship with You would deepen so they’re longing to spend time in talking, praying and listening to You. Let them sit in Your presence and soak in the Truths of Who You are and What a relationship with You truly means. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Pray without ceasing.
Courage to Live…or Die
Philippians 1:20 “I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.”
A classic question that is often asked of children is, “what do you want to be when you grow up?”. The answers vary from ‘ballerina’ and ‘princess’ to ‘doctor’ or ‘army guy’. Sometimes you get funny, unexpected responses, like the student who wanted to ‘be’ the dump truck…(not just drive the truck, but BE the truck).
But few, if any, would have said ‘I want to die for my faith’. That’s sobering and probably not the sort of conversation that we would think to have with our children. (Yet, there are belief systems out there that train their children from a young age that giving their life for their god is honorable and rewarding.)
But at some point, we as parents, need to have those serious conversations. We need our sons and daughters to understand that following Christ requires them to be ‘all-in’. They will spend their life on something, will it have eternal value? Have we trained our sons and daughters to understand and fully believe that a life surrendered to God is a life well-lived? Have we communicated the seriousness of the choice set before them: life with Christ or eternity without Him? Here is the real question, would our sons and daughters be willing to give their life for Jesus?
Oh we have so many hopes and dreams for our sons and daughters, don’t we? But we need to look beyond this temporal life and consider our hopes and dreams for their eternity. Our sons and daughters may be called to hard places where life is fragile or where followers of Christ are viewed as enemies worthy of death. It seems foreign to us, yet God calls people to these hard places to be salt and light. And for some of us, that may become a life that is lived by our son or daughter. Are they willing? Are we willing?
Today, let’s pray Philippians 1:20 for our sons and daughters and ask the Lord to give them courage to live for Him, whether in life or in death, and to live with eternity in mind. And lets pray that the Lord gives us courage, as parents, to support them wherever God calls them.
“Father, I pray for (name) today that they would eagerly live for you in an expectation of pleasing You in all they say and do. I pray that their sincere hope today, and every day, would be that they would honor You. Give (name) an eternal perspective that sees beyond this day, week or year, that pushes past the five-year plan and the retirement goals to the value of eternity at Your right hand. Lord, help them to truly understand how fleeting this life is and make them willing to lay down their life for You. Wherever You lead, I pray that (name) would following, willingly and with full trust in You. Lord, help my desires for them to align with Yours. I pray that I would not get distracted by accomplishments and successes but would pray daily for their spiritual maturity and willingness to serve You with their life. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Confident & Unashamed
1 John 2:28 “And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.”
Friends, what better thing to pray for our sons and daughters today than 1 John 2:28? Why not jot it down on a card, put it in your phone or write it on a sticky note and put it where you can pray it over again and again?
Come on, let’s pray it out loud now asking the Lord to sustain our sons and daughters and enable them to continue in Christ, faithful and committed, so they can be confident and unashamed at His coming.
Pray without ceasing.
Saturday Review- Keep on Praying!
Friends, don’t EVER give up praying for this next generation. God positioned them here and now for this time to do the bold work He prepared in advance for them to do. Let’s be that great cloud of witnesses, standing beside them, going before them in prayer and in faith. Interceding on their behalf and praying hedges of protection around them. Pray boldly and with urgency. God is working!
Review our prayer points from this past week. Take time to pray through them again, bringing your sons and daughters, by name, to the Throne of God.
Pray Psalm 46:1-3 over our sons and daughters, asking the Lord to reassure them, encourage them and help them overcome their fear and doubt, no matter what they might face today or in the days to come.
Psalm 46:1-3 “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Selah”
Pray that our sons and daughters confront their fear by trusting in God- that He is the One they run to when they are afraid; confide in God and confess their deepest fears to Him- He has the power to overcome them and have confidence and trust in the Almighty to protect them from even their worst fears- what can mortal man do to them?
Pray that our sons and daughters walk closely with their Heavenly Father and find refuge under His wings.
Pray for our sons and daughters to live with that Spirit-led power, love and self-discipline and to not just ‘think’ they can, but to fully believe they can and will do it! Let’s pray that fear steps aside and knows its place in light of the Spirit’s power and presence.
Pray that our sons and daughters would fear the Lord and that they would follow His precepts and have good understanding.
Pray that they grow in wisdom and knowledge of the Lord, so that when the storms come, and they will, our sons and daughters will stand firm.
Pray that our sons and daughters would not be overcome but that they would anchor strongly into the Lord.
Pray that they are confident in their faith and they don’t doubt. But if they do, that a stronger believer would come alongside them to disciple and encourage them.
Pray without ceasing, friends. God is at work!
Have No Fear
2 Timothy 1:7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.
It’s rare that we live our lives without encountering hard things, isn’t it? Life is full of challenges. Some greater than others. Maybe it’s a day of ‘everything going wrong’ or maybe it’s a diagnosis that changes life altogether. It could be a short-lived challenge or a chronic issue that becomes a companion of sorts. Maybe it’s earth-shattering or just inconvenient. Whatever the ‘hard’, God equips us to deal. But it’s not US that makes us capable, it’s God IN us.
If we are believers, the Spirit of God lives in us. Think about that. The Spirit of God lives IN US. So, when we’re afraid or intimidated or overwhelmed, it is so important that we remind ourselves of the Scriptural Truth that God’s Spirit is alive and active in us and can empower us to do whatever it is God is calling us to...even the hard stuff. God’s Spirit does not make us timid and fearful, but gives us power, love and a sound mind (self-discipline).
When our sons or daughters call us in a ‘tizzy’ over something that has them fearful, frazzled or overwhelmed, let’s be mindful of how we’re going to encourage them. Friends, our responsibility as parents and fellow believers is to encourage them in Truth. More than just console them (which is needed) we need to encourage them to take every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5) and grab hold of that power of God that lives in them. We want to enable Godly living, not enable the fear.
God doesn’t indwell them in order to allow them to remain fearful, but to empower them to live with boldness and confidence to confront what they are facing with Godly strength, love and discipline.
Today, let’s pray for our sons and daughters to live with that Spirit-led power, love and self-discipline and to not just ‘think’ they can, but to fully believe they can and will do it! Let’s pray that fear steps aside and knows its place in light of the Spirit’s power and presence.
Pray without ceasing.
Sunday Worship- Blessed Assurance
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine;
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.
Perfect submission, perfect delight,
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels descending, bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.
Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I in my Savior am happy and blest;
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.