June 24, 2010
During the month of June, I have suggested in these Heartland Focus broadcasts that summertime is a great time to be deliberate about praying for your children: prayers for their spiritual growth and stability in challenging times, for their protection when faced with temptation, prayers for doors of opportunity to open for ministry and witness, and prayer that the love for God’s Word and worship with God’s people would not take second place to any summertime plans.
As I conclude this series, may I be so bold as to suggest that what you are praying for your own children or grandchildren be extended to their friends who may not have a believing adult providing the intercessory prayer cover that they need so much. If you know who your children’s friends are, and you should, make them a part of your daily conversation with God, as well. Pray for their salvation and growth as a believer. Pray for them to overcome temptation and the snares of the evil one. Pray that they will catch a vision of their unique place in God’s plan for reaching the lost world.
Why include this larger circle? Because these other children will have a profound effect on your children and grandchildren. The day may come when the influence of these peers is going to have a new priority in your maturing child’s life. To pray for these friends is to not only bless them, but to strengthen that part of the Body of Christ that surrounds your boy or girl on a daily basis. Your children’s friends can be either a gateway for mischief or a wall of protection. You would do well to deliberately pray for the strengthening of those peers that your child is connected to with the bond of friendship. Pray that they will be the kind of friends that will lead your own precious child towards the Savior, not away from him. If a child does not have believing parents, you can prayerfully serve as the only link they may have with the people of God. Ask God to show you how to be an effective witness to your children’s friends. They are going to hang out at your house anyhow, so invest that time in things that matter for eternity.
In that same vein, be sure to pray with your children before they head over to a friends house or on an outing with their family. Pray that God will use your child or grandchild as salt and light in that situation. Do not be shy about reminding your child before they walk out the door that they are witnesses for Jesus Christ, and that you will be praying for Jesus Christ to shine through them. Perhaps summer will result in yet another child won for Christ. That is worthy of your prayerful attention.
Take the concerns of your children seriously when they share during family prayer time the needs of their friends and the worries that may seem as nothing to you. Teach your children that there is nothing that they cannot bring before the throne of grace, and that God truly cares about their daily needs. There is nothing more thrilling than the light of joy on a child’s face when they realize that the God of the universe has heard their prayer and that an answer is on its way.
Our program today was sponsored by our friends at Northern Safety and Security in Bemidji, protecting our northland families and their property.