Praying for the salvation of our children

How often do we truly pray for our children?  Everyday, once a week, or only when their sick or in a crisis.
It really bothers me that two of my three children aren't actively involved in church right now.  And all three of my step-children aren't in church.   And it makes me  wonder  how I can pray more effectively for them. 
Then last night in Bible Study our pastor asked "when was the last time we weeped for the lost?" 
An important part of our job is to keep the details of our child's life covered in prayer.  In doing this we learn to identify every concern, fear, and worry. 

"The effective and fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much."  James 5:16

The battle of our children's lives is won on our knees.  When we don't pray it's like sitting on the sidelines watching our children in a war zone getting shot at every angle.  When we pray, we're in the battle alongside them.
Satan can do alot of damage if we don't teach them God's way and God's word and help them to respect God's laws.

"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he won't depart from it."  Proverbs 22:6

I feel alot of times that I have failed my children in the way I raised them.  I didn't always attend church the way I should when Megan was young, up until Michael was born.  Then after the divorce I got away from the church again for awhile.  And I know I have definitely not prayed for them as much as I could.  We should start praying for them before they are born and continue to pray for them. 
The peer pressures, and temptations that they face today are mind boggling.   And they seem to begin at a younger and younger age.
I can't remember my children ever giving me a hard time about not wanting to attend church.   But Brianna is at the rebellious stage of everything right now.   They're only here every other weekend if that so it's hard to actually force her to go.  They live with their Mom and she doesn't attend church so it makes it harder for us.  But what do you do when they're 13 and refuse to get dressed.  Scott took her cell phone, and we password protected the computer while we were at church.  But her Mom pays the cell phone bill so we can't keep it from her except for when she's here with us.
I got so upset with her the last time she was here, I told her if she dies a sinner she will spend eternity in hell.  And all the times we have begged you to go to church will come back to your memory.  All the times you sat in church and tried to sleep you will be reminded of all the chances you had and didn't take them.
Possible the hardest part of praying for our children is waiting for our prayers to be answerd.  Sometimes the answers come quickly, but many times they do not.  When they don't we can become discouraged, or even angry at God.  Everything seems hopeless, and we want to give up.  Sometimes, in spite of all we've done for them and all our prayers for them, our children make poor choices and then reap the consequesnces.  Those times are hard for a parent to watch, no matter how old the child.  Instead of giving up, we have to be even more committed to prayer. 
We have to remember too, that our fight is not with our child.  It's with the devil.  He is out to steal, kill, and destroy.   He is your enemmy, not your child.

Lord,
I realize that parenting a child in the way you would want me to is beyond my human abilities.  I need you to help me.  I need your strength and patience, along with a generous portion of your love flowing thorugh me.  Teach me how to love the way you love.  Help me to walk in righteousness and integrity before you.  Teach me Your ways, enable me to obey your commandments and do only what is pleasing in Your sight.  May the beauty of Your Spirit be so evident in me that I will be a Godly role model.  Give me the communication, teaching, and nurturing skills that I must have.   Help me to be the parent you want me to be and teach me how to pray and truly intercede for the life of my children.  In Jesus name I ask that you will increase my faith to believe for all the things You've put on my heart to pray for concerning my children.

Excerpts from The Power of a Praying Parent by Stormie Omartian

Car Accident

If something happened to you today and life suddenly ended, or the world came to an end.   Do you know where you would spend eternity? 
Most of us have heard it so much that we take it for granted.  Some think it can't happen to me.  I have so much yet I want to do.  I want to retire, travel, see my kids, grow-up, have grandkids.  I'm too young, I have my whole life ahead of me. 
Well about a week ago my Mother-in-law called and told us their cousin (Julie) had been killed in a car accident.  According to police reports a tractor-trailer went over speed bumps that should have alerted him to slow down, and ran through a stop sign.  Julie's car was coming to the intersection about the same time, and her car went underneath his trailer.  She was confirmed dead on impact from a broken neck.  The driver of the truck survived and is being charged with vehicular homicide.  She was only 25.  That hit home to me, because Megan my oldest daughter is that same age.  I would be devastated. 
Julie had her whole life ahead of her.  She never knew what it would have been like to be someone's wife, or a Mother.  Her family is asking prayer for both families.  Two families lives have been tragically changed forever.
The following is the words of my mother-in-law to her family after this tragedy happened:    I've been reflecting on this whole thing, there is no answer as to why God  would allow a young woman who has been brought up to love and serve God her whole life to be taken in this matter.  This is profound truth that we are not promised tomorrow, and I believe what God is speaking to me is that it is vitally important to make sure that our lives are lived in a manner that if our life is taken, our loved ones won't have to wonder if we will all be together again someday. 

So my question to you my friend, are you ready?  Do you know for certain that you would spend eternity in heaven?  If not, what are you waiting for?     The Bible makes it clear that we have all sinned.  We are all sinners in need of His mercy and forgiveness.  But it doesn't stop there.  Jesus then died on the cross in our place, taking the punishment that we deserve.
 (Romans 5:8). But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Jesus rose from the dead to prove His victory over sin, death, and hell.   Because of all of this, we can have our sins forgiven and be promised an eternal home in Heaven - if we will just place our faith in Jesus Christ. All we have to do is believe that He died in our place and rose from the dead
 (Romans 10:9-10). We can be saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone.
 Ephesians 2:8 declares, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God."


Saying the sinner's prayer is simply a way of declaring to God that you are relying on Jesus Christ as your Savior.  It is only faith in Jesus' death and resurrection that can save us. If you understand that you are a sinner and in need of salvation through Jesus Christ, here is a sinner's prayer you can pray to God: "God, I know that I am a sinner. I know that I deserve the consequences of my sin. However, I am trusting in Jesus Christ as my Savior. I believe that His death and resurrection provided for my forgiveness. I trust in Jesus and Jesus alone as my personal Lord and Savior. Thank you Lord, for saving me and forgiving me! Amen

For God So Loved The World

I found this picture online, and it made me think of, the more that we read His word.  The more we will realize His love for us.

John3:16
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.


Why do we take something so simple, and make it so hard?   Just imagine if you will the love we have for our own children.  We are God's children, so why should He love us any less than we love our own children.  If we could actually phathom just how much.  Because would we, in the flesh really give one of our children up, to die for a world of sinners. 

John 15:13

13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.


We live so far below what He actually wants for us,  and most of us don't  even realize it.

Matthew 7:7
7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?