TEACHING YOUR CHILDREN TO PRAY...FOR YOU

This is our second lesson on Fatherhood, and prayer.  It seems to me that prayer slips to the back of our list of things to do, especially in an affluent society like ours. Even in the midst of this pandemic I would be curious to know how many men have even thought to ask God to protect their home from the Chinese Wuhan Coronavirus.  As I said in last week's blog, there is a disconnect for modern Christians when it comes to prayer. 

If you need healing, go to a doctor.  If you need more money, work another job.  If your favorite electronics go out, buy another. If your car quits running, take it to the mechanic...the list goes on, and on.  Here in the good ol' USA,  we rarely lack for anything.  With the exception of the homeless, even those in poverty have shelter, and to some degree, at least one meal a day.  What is there to ask God for?   So, when I talk about prayer, and the need to be a praying father, I am fairly certain that I get tuned out.  If I talk about the need to be a part of a weekly prayer meeting, the list of excuses come off our tongues fairly quickly.  

Can we change that?  Can we make prayer the first thing we do?  Let me see if I can help you move that direction.  

You don't have to be the ball hog when it comes to prayer.  YES, I want you to be a praying father, but how about delegating some of the prayer duties to your children?  When you find yourself needing healing, ask your little one to come over and pray for you.  Use that moment to teach them about where healing comes from, and why it is important for them to pray for you.  Let them know that they don't have to be an adult, or even a big kid to pray for healing.  Teach them how to talk with God, and the importance of speaking the name of Jesus.  Then, later, you will be pleasantly rewarded by them coming to pray for you when you haven't even asked them.  Been there, had that happen, and there is nothing like it.  

If you need more money, let them know that God is your supply, not just you working harder.  You might be surprised by hearing them tell God their true heart about what they want.  You might just hear them tell you that they just want more of you.   

Children understand a lot more than we think they do.  If our first solution to life's problems comes from ourselves, then you can bet that is where their faith will be.  However, if you encourage them to pray for you, you show them that your faith is in God, and that they don't need to be ashamed of asking Him for personal matters.  When you invite a child to pray for you, you give them the keys to faith.  I believe in reading the bible, but I believe in prayer more. 

To make my case with scriptures, let me point out that the Apostle Paul considered himself to be the spiritual father of many of the churches we read about in the New Testament.  He was not afraid to ask for their prayers.  Paul knew that if they could exercise their faith for him, that they could do it for one another, and for the work of the Gospel.   

Sunday, we'll look at scriptures that will give you ideas of what to ask your kids to pray for.  

 

THE FATHER THAT PRAYS

Well, here we are back at it again.  Between a Coronavirus scare, and the Fourth of July weekend, we found ourselves cancelling Men's for two weeks in a row.  It was bad enough during the lockdown, but to find ourselves in the position of cancelling Men's is tough when we do it to ourselves.  

So far we've been going along pretty good, and the things I've talked with you about are stuff you do.  OR, at least I hope you're doing.  Like I've said before, the currency of love is time.  You can tell me how much you love, but if the cost isn't time, then it's not love.  I can tell you what a person loves by what they give their time to.  The same is true about loving a person.  

We've talked about giving time to listening to your child, talking with your child, and reading the word of God to your child.  These things all make a demand on your time, and in our busy world, time is precious.  Still, I imagine all of you doing these things, and making the sacrifice of time.  There is one thing though that I am confident that doesn't get as much time as it should, and that is prayer.  I will say it clearly so that no one can accuse me of ambiguity; The father that prays creates the family that stays.  Unfortunately, prayer is often the last thing we give time to, and sometimes never done at all.  Family devotions are more than Bible reading times.  Your children can never learn the importance of prayer if you aren't praying in front of them, and with them.  If you pray, or if you, or your spouse pray together in front of the children, you show them where your source is.  

We've discussed prayer in our men's group before, and some of this may be old stuff to you, but of all the things that get discarded in our walk with Christ, I believe the first thing to go is a vibrant, active, prayer life.  

Why do we pray?   Doesn't God already know everything that is going to happen?  Why waste our breath asking God to do something if we can't change his mind?  What should we pray about?  What if God doesn't answer my prayers, what do I tell my children? 

Reading your bible doesn't require faith.  Playing with, and listening to your children doesn't require faith.  Prayer requires faith. The New Testament records only one time that Jesus read the bible out loud, HOWEVER, He is recorded as having prayed 25 times. If the Apostle Paul is your hero, he mentioned prayer 41 times, and asked for prayer eight times.  Even Jesus asked for prayer on the night He was betrayed.  YET, sadly prayer is often the last thing we want to spend time on, and the first we make excuses to get out of.  YET, today more than any other time in my own personal memory, prayer is needed to stem the tide of death and destruction that is confronting our nation.  Let me make this very personal.  

All around us, in every corner of the globe people are living in fear of the Chinese Coronavirus.  The world's economies have been devastated, jobs have been lost, men and women have committed suicide, and I would be so bold as to say that the disease has increased the rage of peoples everywhere.  Have we met once as a congregation to pray about this?  Have we interceded for the world?  Have we talked with God about the Coronavirus?  Do we think God is responsible for the virus?  Do we think Satan is responsible for the virus?  Do we think it's a judgment, or is it a tool to wake people up?  Has anybody heard a sure word from God about this?  

NOW, look at your children and ask yourself, what do they think?   Have they heard you pray about it, or have they just heard you talk about it?   What have you shown them about your faith?     I know that I'm digging in peoples backyards, but the truth is, I think this mess has gone on as long as it has because God's people haven't prayed about it.  When King David agreed to let the death angel (plague) go through the kingdom, it was only when he interceded in prayer that the angel was stopped.  

I believe that we can stop this plague.  I believe we can be like our father Abraham, and intercede for our fallen world.  I believe we can be like our brother Paul and make the changes at a world level.   

If any of you have the money to create a cure for the virus, then do it.  If any of you have the smartsville to create a vaccine, please do it.  The truth is, I know all of you, and you can't do either of those things.  Right now, the brightest, and most brilliant minds are working on a vaccine.  It's been four years since SARS went rampant through the world and they still don't have a vaccine for it.  HOWEVER, I do know a God who is moved by the prayers of a righteous man.  I know a God who is searching to show himself strong on our behalf, if we will but be committed to Him.  The problem isn't with God, the problem is with us.  I believe it is time for fathers to lead their children in prayer at home, and then when they get to be 8 or 9 years old, to bring them to prayer meeting.  I've watched Pastor's boys pray with us adults since they were 10 years old.  Now they can pray better than many full grown men, and articulate the heart of God without fear.  

Our nation needs fathers that pray!!!!  We are at a crossroads of decision in our nation unlike any we've been at before. The decision before us is as simple as it can be; Do we want Godless socialism, or do we want our God given liberty?  Our children need to know that the ballot box can be affected by the prayer room.  We have an obligation to let them know who our source is.  This is what Paul told Bro. Timothy in 1 Timothy 2:1-2  I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people--for kings, and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful, and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.