“And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.”
Today's reading — Matthew 17:14-18▾
Yesterday, I mentioned that the Bible clearly admonishes parents to train up their children in the way they should go so that when they grow old, they won’t depart from it (Proverbs 22:6). Training up a child involves what the child is taught and what is done for him or her. A well-trained child is an empowered child because such a child knows how to stand for what is right, even when he or she is alone.
If you are a parent, there are many things you can do with your children, but one of the most important things to do is to pray with them from a young age. Apart from showing them how to pray, you must also involve them in prayers and teach them how to reverence God. In addition to praying with them, it is also essential that you pray for them. As soon as I gave my life to Jesus Christ, my children and I became signs and wonders (Isaiah 8:18). However, I still had the responsibility of praying for them. There is a God who answers by fire, but one must pray first.
Many Christian parents are not deriving joy from their children because they don’t pray for them. Instead of praying, they complain, grumble, and nag at their children. Ephesians 6:4 says, “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” When parents pray to God on behalf of their children, He hears and answers them. In Matthew 15:22-28, a Canaanite woman approached Jesus and asked Him to deliver her daughter from the oppression of a demon, and He granted her request. Also, in today’s Bible reading, when a man whose son was tormented by a demon ran to Jesus, his request was granted, and his son became completely free from demonic oppression. Jairus was another parent who approached Jesus concerning his child. In Mark 5:21-43, the Bible tells us that Jesus granted Jairus’ request and raised his daughter back to life. Indeed, the prayers of parents can shield and transform the lives of their children.
When parents shield their children in prayer, they acknowledge that God loves them even more than they do. When they pray, they entrust the future of their children into His capable hands, knowing that He is with them at every stage of their lives.