I was like Hannah who cried out, “For this child I have prayed!” And pray I did. Doctors gave little hope that my hubs and I would ever be able to have children. Then in God’s sovereign and perfect timing, we were overjoyed to welcome 3 boys in almost as many years. I wish I had a dime for every diaper I changed during those frenzied, fantastic days. Instant college fund!
I was a church kid, and so are my boys. That’s a good thing! However, I have this haunting fear that I am going to raise The Walking Dead. You know, like the Pharisees who looked really spiritual from the outside but were, as Jesus called them, “white-washed tombs, full of dead men’s bones.”(Mt. 23:27)
They looked so good, had all the right answers, and even lived a moral life,
but they were spiritually dead inside.
Walking Dead. So scary.
As a Christian mom, I am on a mission to instill in my boys the importance of going to church, reading their Bibles, reaching out to the lost, and loving their neighbors, but I am in a panic to make sure that they do these things out of the overflow which is an all consuming love for Jesus. Why? Because only the things that are done for Christ out of sincere love for Him will last into eternity and bring Him ultimate glory. And that’s where the joy is!
I want my guys to understand, first of all, that giving God lip service only is not salvation.
Salvation is complete surrender. Nothing less.
And then I want them to understand that bringing God glory brings them maximum joy. And this cannot be attained if they are just being good because I tell them to. They have to make it their own.
So, it’s ok to tell your kids, “do it because I said so”. That’s where it starts. But make sure you are praying that Holy Spirit will morph their thoughts from “do it because mom said so” to “do it because Jesus said so!” I want it to be a no-brainer for my boys. I want them to really see Jesus and think, “Well, duh! Look who He is! Look what He did for me! Of course I’m going to love Him back and live for Him!”
I remember hearing all my life, even before I had children, that there was nothing more powerful than a praying mother. So, when my guys came along, I hit the deck in prayer. But as I knelt there, holding each one in turn, and kissing their fuzzy, newborn heads, I found that I was praying more for myself.
“Oh, God,
Let me be a godly mom. Help me to be an example of a passionate pursuit of the greatest treasure there is……YOU. Please shield my sons from my sins. Don’t allow my failures to impede their desire to follow You completely.” And the list went on.
My boys are all teenagers now. My heart just broke a little to say that. But as I hike up my yoga pants and wade into the murky waters of adolescence, I find that I still pray for myself…..alot. Wisdom, Jesus. Patience….loads of it. Perseverance….I’m just a lil’ tired! But one other prayer has become my bread and butter. It’s very simple, really. It’s The Great Commandment. (Mt. 22:36-40). I pray this every day for my sons.
Jesus,
I’m begging You, please let Scott, Ethan, and Jonathan love the Lord their God with all their hearts, souls and minds. And please let this love for You overflow into loving their neighbors as themselves.”
“In short, Father, let my boys do the right thing for the right reason!”
Sincerely,
Momma Everill
If my precious young men will get this deep down, there’s nothing they can’t do for the Kingdom, and I will have raised strong warriors for the cause of Christ.
What could be better than that?
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Thanks for this introduction to Allison’s life and writing!
She is a doll! I love having her as a contributor for our linkup. Thanks for sharing your blog with us, Michele! 🙂 Blessings,
Thanks for this introduction to Allison’s life and writing!
She is a doll! I love having her as a contributor for our linkup. Thanks for sharing your blog with us, Michele! 🙂 Blessings,
I get ya! I have 2 boys both grown, married and strong believers, thank you Jesus.
I get ya! I have 2 boys both grown, married and strong believers, thank you Jesus.
One of the most difficult things to do when the kiddos reach adolescence is to watch them explore and make decisions on their own. Our girls are 23 and 24 now, and one of them has a personal relationship with Jesus. The other one seems to not be interested. This is where powerful praying comes into play–she knows the truth, she’s seen God’s miracles, but I have to let go and let her learn on her own. NOT an easy task at all!
I hear you, Anita. After I finished that article, it came to me that I should have included the fact that all we can do in the end is lead our children up to the threshold of complete surrender to Jesus, and then the choice is up to them. And just because they may come to Jesus later, or stray for a while, that in no way means that we have failed as a Christian parent. Our job, as you so beautifully put it is to lead them as best we can in the ways of the Lord and then pray that they will make that decision for themselves – even if they have bumps and bruises along the way. It’s amazing how much grace Jesus extends over our imperfections-both ours and our children’s You are right, letting them make decisions on their own is no easy task for sure! So much prayer needed there! Thank you for your comments. Blessing to you are your family
One of the most difficult things to do when the kiddos reach adolescence is to watch them explore and make decisions on their own. Our girls are 23 and 24 now, and one of them has a personal relationship with Jesus. The other one seems to not be interested. This is where powerful praying comes into play–she knows the truth, she’s seen God’s miracles, but I have to let go and let her learn on her own. NOT an easy task at all!
I hear you, Anita. After I finished that article, it came to me that I should have included the fact that all we can do in the end is lead our children up to the threshold of complete surrender to Jesus, and then the choice is up to them. And just because they may come to Jesus later, or stray for a while, that in no way means that we have failed as a Christian parent. Our job, as you so beautifully put it is to lead them as best we can in the ways of the Lord and then pray that they will make that decision for themselves – even if they have bumps and bruises along the way. It’s amazing how much grace Jesus extends over our imperfections-both ours and our children’s You are right, letting them make decisions on their own is no easy task for sure! So much prayer needed there! Thank you for your comments. Blessing to you are your family
I love your prayer for your boys. It is simple to remember. I am going to start praying that prayer for my three adult children. There is nothing I want more than to have my three children walking with the Lord, making wise decisions, and enjoying the friendship that comes from having a relationship with our Lord.
Thank you for your beautiful words.
Maree
Amen, Maree. Thanks for your encouragement and I pray God’s abundant grace on you as you raise your precious sins for His glory!
I love your prayer for your boys. It is simple to remember. I am going to start praying that prayer for my three adult children. There is nothing I want more than to have my three children walking with the Lord, making wise decisions, and enjoying the friendship that comes from having a relationship with our Lord.
Thank you for your beautiful words.
Maree
Amen, Maree. Thanks for your encouragement and I pray God’s abundant grace on you as you raise your precious sins for His glory!