Be Confident of This
Philippians 1:6 “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Have you been praying for your son or daughter for what seems like a lifetime? Is deliverance on the horizon ….or nowhere to be seen? Sometimes we grow weary, praying and pleading and yet, not seeing any movement or sign of hope that would show us a change of heart or about-face in direction. It’s hard. It’s painful. And it stretches our trust.
Friends, don’t lose heart and don’t give up praying for your son or daughter. God is not done working! Although we may not see the progress we hope and pray for, God may be working in ways we cannot see. He operates outside of time while we are constricted by it. We have to trust Him. Be encouraged by Philippians 1:6 today and pray that God would continue to carry on the good work in our sons and daughters for their good and for His glory. Pray without ceasing and any time you feel discouraged quote Philippians 1:6 “Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in (name) will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Saturday Review- Pray Continuously
It’s Saturday and time to review all of our prayer points from the week of June 7-11.
Pray that our sons and daughters serve well and with the correct motives. “Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.”
Pray Hebrews 10:22-24, taking time on each phrase to pray those truths intentionally. “ Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,”
Pray that our sons and daughters have child-like faith with firm confidence in the Lord.
Pray that they are firmly assured that God is working even though they may not ‘see’ it and what He promises in His word will come to pass.
Friends, let’s wrestle and be fervent in prayer that our sons and daughters would stand firm, remain in God’s will, be mature and be fully assured.
Pray that they are persuaded and standing firm on God’s sovereignty and that He keeps His promises.
Pray without ceasing.
Without a Doubt
Romans 4:21 (Abraham).…”being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.”
What does it take for someone to be ‘fully persuaded”, to be convinced beyond a doubt, willing to stake everything on that person, that statement, that promise?
It’s not difficult to make promises, but to fulfill them, well, that takes integrity and power. But breaking promises...it happens every day. And when a promise is broken, so is trust and the ability and willingness to believe in that person again.
Abraham was fully persuaded that God had the power to do what He promised. And what was God’s promise to Abraham? That Abraham (99 years old and childless) would be the father of many nations.
Abraham didn’t know HOW God would deliver but he knew that He WOULD. He had faith and trust in the Almighty. God had never failed. Abraham believed God would do what He promised. And He did. Abraham became a father at 99 and his wife, Sarah, a mother at 90. Talk about a miracle!
But later, God asked Abraham to sacrifice that long-awaited and very loved son. What? And, yet, Abraham obeyed, fully trusting, once again, that God would deliver. He had full assurance in the faithfulness and goodness of his Heavenly Father. And God did deliver Isaac. Abraham’s faith was strong. God’s faithfulness was true and His promise was sure.
Oh friends, are our sons and daughters fully persuaded that God will do what He promises?
Today, let’s pray that they are assured, persuaded and standing firm on God’s sovereignty and that He keeps His promises.
“Lord, I pray that (name) would be fully persuaded that You will do what You promise. Don’t allow cynicism to rule in their heart and mind. I pray that they would know, without a doubt, that You are faithful and trustworthy. Lord, increase their faith in You and grow their trust. Protect them from deception that would pull them away from You or that would cause them to question Your goodness and Your promises. Remind them each day of your faithfulness and point them to scripture that reinforces their assurance. Lord, keep them standing firm. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Pray without ceasing.
Wrestling in Prayer
Colossians 4:12 “Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.”
If we had to describe our prayer life that we practice on behalf of our sons and daughters, what words would be fitting? Would we answer with words like ‘hurried’ or ‘repetitive’? Maybe we would say we’re ‘desperate’ or feel ‘flat’, even ‘uncertain’ or ‘stuck’.
Don’t get frustrated and don’t give up. There was a guy, Epaphras, who, by his prayer life, made an impression. He was a friend of the Apostle Paul and a strong Greek believer, but not much else is known about him. But Paul described his prayer on behalf of other believers as “wrestling in prayer that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.”
Read that again, friends. He was wrestling in prayer. It’s likely he didn’t even personally know everyone he prayed for, but he knew they were believers who needed to stand firm.
The Greek word used here for wrestling is agōnizomai (1). He agonized in prayer over and on behalf of the other believers. Strong’s concordance describes it as “to endeavor with strenuous zeal, strife, to obtain something;” He prayed as if to obtain the victory, gain the answer, see his plea for other believers come to reality.
He desired that they would “stand firm”- that they would be steady and strong to the end, perfect in their faith and undefeated by the Enemy and remaining in God’s will. He prayed they would be “mature”- not remaining as ‘baby’ Christians, but growing, seeking wisdom and knowledge of Christ and bearing fruit. Then, he prayed that they would be “fully assured.” He wanted to see them remain faithful to the cross, to finish well and be persuaded beyond any doubt in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and only hope of salvation. That is a mighty prayer!
Oh, and Epaphras? He’s mentioned again in Philemon as a fellow prisoner with Paul, likely imprisoned for his faith. (Philemon 1:23)
Friends, do we strive in prayer for our sons and daughters? Today, let’s be an Epaphras. Let’s wrestle in prayer and fight for them. The Enemy wants them, but as long as we have breath, we will fight and wrestle on their behalf so that they will embrace Christ and stay true to Him.
Stop what you’re doing and pray this list right now for your sons and daughters:
Stand firm
Remain in God’s will
Be mature
Be fully assured.
Then, jot the list down and carry it with you and continue praying throughout the day. Wrestle to win, friends.
Pray without ceasing.
G75 - agōnizomai - Strong's Greek Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g75/niv/mgnt/0-1/
Consider the Flowers
Luke 12, 27-28 “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith!
Remember when we were just starting out? It seemed like we’d never be able to pay our bills and get ahead, let alone keep up. Money was tight, extras were non-existent and we worried...often. We worked hard. We worked often. We struggled and we learned through it.
Our sons and daughters are likely in that stage right now where money is tight and worry is ever-present. Yet, God knows exactly what they need and when they need it. He is good to provide, yet so often, we all forget that. As parents, we need to grab those opportunities to remind and encourage them.
Why is it that we doubt? Well, we’re human. We’re fragile and frail. We fear that THIS time will be different. Yet God is unchanging. He is eternal and He is full of lovingkindness for us.
If God is kind and loving enough to bless us with fields of wildflowers in all their glory, just to bring us beauty and joy, He can certainly bring exactly what we need at the right time.
We can either worry, or trust Him. We can camp out in uncertainty and wrap ourselves with anxiety, or we can settle into the comfort of confidence and trust in our God who is able to do more than we could ask or imagine.
What will our sons and daughters choose today? What will we encourage them with? Here’s a challenge; send your son or daughter a picture of wildflowers and our scripture verse for the day. Encourage them that each time they look at the picture...or see a flower today, to use it as a reminder that God sees them, He knows them and He will provide what they need at the right time. Tell them to be anxious for nothing.
“Father, I pray that You would bring calm to (name)’s anxious heart. Lord, encourage them and reassure them that You see and understand their needs. You don’t promise You will make things easy, but You do promise You will provide. Help (name) to trust You. Help them to rest in You and to calm their heart with the assurance that You are good and kind. Remind them with the beauty of flowers today- help them to take notice and when they do, to smile and thank You for Your goodness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Pray without ceasing.
Like a Tree, Planted
Jeremiah 17:7-8 .“But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.
We have so many things that burden our hearts for our sons and daughters, don’t we? If we had to choose just one thing to pray for them it might be a hard choice ...or would it? Isn’t our ultimate prayer that they would trust in the Lord?
Trust encompasses all of the things that we desire for them- eternal security, spiritual fruit, protection, provision...it’s all found in trusting the Lord. Trust is what keeps us from faltering. It keeps us from being overwhelmed and anxious.
Jeremiah likens one who trusts in the Lord to a tree planted by streams of water. Just look at how trees flourish when they are near water. The stream provides nourishment. The roots stretch deep firmly grounding the tree and making it stable. Those roots reach deeply toward the tree’s source of strength and sustenance. And because it is well-positioned, it won’t suffer in the heat nor will it wilt during drought. And, oh, the fruit! The blessings are tangible and visible.
If our sons and daughters trust in the Lord they will be blessed, just like that tree; they’ll be firmly grounded. They will abide in Christ. Their hunger and thirst for spiritual food will be satisfied by the Bread of Life and the Living Water. When the storms of life come, they will be strongly grounded in Christ and able to withstand the tempest- their trust brings confidence. When times of trial come, they will remain secure and protected. They will be blessed.
Today, let’s pray that our sons and daughters trust in the Lord with all their heart and that they are not tempted to lean on their own understanding. Pray for the blessing of trust in the Lord.
“Father, I pray that (name) would be compelled to reach out to You today. Lord, give them a hunger and thirst for the living water and bread of Life that You so generously provide. Help them to see the importance of trusting in You and making You the One in whom they are rooted and from Whom they draw their strength. Lord, get their attention today...help them to see that they cannot compromise in their relationship with You. They either choose to abide, or they will forfeit the blessing. Lord, I pray that they would choose Jesus, always. In His name I pray, amen.”
Pray without ceasing.