Silas
Beloved of All
Your prayer reflects a beautiful desire to honor God and to honor the older generation He has placed in your life, and to see all of you grow in health, in mind, and in spirit.
Scripture places great weight on honoring father and mother. It is described as right and as the first command with a promise, that it may go well with you and you may live long. That honoring is the foundation of the family, and when that foundation is weakened, families and society as a whole feel the breakdown. To obey parents in the Lord means to honor them within what is godly and right. There are times when a parent might ask something that is not godly, and the qualifier in the Lord matters, but the general call remains to show respect, care, and honor to patriarchal and matriarchal figures in a way that pleases the Lord. Your desire to provide spiritual, emotional, and practical support and to see them flourish is very much in line with that.
You also prayed for renewed minds according to Romans 12:2. The mind stands in a sort of middle place between the body and the spirit. If we live according to the flesh, the mind becomes occupied with the things of the flesh, and that way leads to death and is at enmity with God. If we live according to the Spirit, the mind becomes occupied with the things of the Spirit, and that brings life and peace. Transformation comes as the mind is renewed and brought into line with the mind of Christ, who humbled Himself and took the form of a servant. That same humble, servant mind is what we are called to have, esteeming others above ourselves and living in unity and love. As Christ dwells in the heart by faith and love takes root, the eyes of understanding are opened to know the Scriptures and to crave the pure milk of the Word, and then to move on to solid food, letting the Word dwell richly and bearing the fruit of the Spirit.
God created us in His image with the capacity to choose. He respects that capacity and does not force us to love or serve Him, for forced love would not be love at all. He invites, He draws, He reveals, and we respond. That is why your prayer to share the Word as they are able to hear is so fitting. Ask that God would open understanding, give wisdom and revelation, and make hearts receptive, while trusting Him to work in each person according to their willing response.
You asked for health and healing, and Scripture does present God as the healer and speaks of praying for health even as the soul prospers, of forgiveness and healing and being crowned with tender mercy, and of Jesus rebuking sickness. God does care for the body and for present needs, and it is right to ask for immediate help, for deliverance from evil, and for peace within your walls, and to ask that He keep you from the evil one and sanctify you in the truth of His Word. At the same time, God always works with eternity in view. We tend to think most about today and tomorrow, about present comfort and ease, but He is shaping us for everlasting good. That does not mean He ignores present suffering, but it helps us trust Him when healing or answers do not come exactly as or when we hope, knowing He is working for eternal purposes while still inviting us to bring every need to Him.
Your longing for maturity is also central to God's purpose. He wants His people to be established in the elementary principles of the faith and then to go on to maturity, growing up in every way, rooted in love, abiding in Christ and letting His words abide in us, continuing in the Word, bearing fruit, making disciples, and proving what the good and acceptable will of God is. This growth happens as we daily receive and retain the Word, not as hearers only but as doers, in fellowship with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
May the Lord grant you fresh grace as you continue to honor those older loved ones, to speak the Word faithfully, and to pray for their needs. May He provide all that is needed for life and godliness, strengthen you to live by the Spirit with minds renewed and prepared, cause His Word to spread and be glorified among you, and keep you in His peace and truth. As you abide in Christ, may you see answered prayer, growing maturity, and the fullness of love and fruit that brings joy and glorifies Him.
Scripture places great weight on honoring father and mother. It is described as right and as the first command with a promise, that it may go well with you and you may live long. That honoring is the foundation of the family, and when that foundation is weakened, families and society as a whole feel the breakdown. To obey parents in the Lord means to honor them within what is godly and right. There are times when a parent might ask something that is not godly, and the qualifier in the Lord matters, but the general call remains to show respect, care, and honor to patriarchal and matriarchal figures in a way that pleases the Lord. Your desire to provide spiritual, emotional, and practical support and to see them flourish is very much in line with that.
You also prayed for renewed minds according to Romans 12:2. The mind stands in a sort of middle place between the body and the spirit. If we live according to the flesh, the mind becomes occupied with the things of the flesh, and that way leads to death and is at enmity with God. If we live according to the Spirit, the mind becomes occupied with the things of the Spirit, and that brings life and peace. Transformation comes as the mind is renewed and brought into line with the mind of Christ, who humbled Himself and took the form of a servant. That same humble, servant mind is what we are called to have, esteeming others above ourselves and living in unity and love. As Christ dwells in the heart by faith and love takes root, the eyes of understanding are opened to know the Scriptures and to crave the pure milk of the Word, and then to move on to solid food, letting the Word dwell richly and bearing the fruit of the Spirit.
God created us in His image with the capacity to choose. He respects that capacity and does not force us to love or serve Him, for forced love would not be love at all. He invites, He draws, He reveals, and we respond. That is why your prayer to share the Word as they are able to hear is so fitting. Ask that God would open understanding, give wisdom and revelation, and make hearts receptive, while trusting Him to work in each person according to their willing response.
You asked for health and healing, and Scripture does present God as the healer and speaks of praying for health even as the soul prospers, of forgiveness and healing and being crowned with tender mercy, and of Jesus rebuking sickness. God does care for the body and for present needs, and it is right to ask for immediate help, for deliverance from evil, and for peace within your walls, and to ask that He keep you from the evil one and sanctify you in the truth of His Word. At the same time, God always works with eternity in view. We tend to think most about today and tomorrow, about present comfort and ease, but He is shaping us for everlasting good. That does not mean He ignores present suffering, but it helps us trust Him when healing or answers do not come exactly as or when we hope, knowing He is working for eternal purposes while still inviting us to bring every need to Him.
Your longing for maturity is also central to God's purpose. He wants His people to be established in the elementary principles of the faith and then to go on to maturity, growing up in every way, rooted in love, abiding in Christ and letting His words abide in us, continuing in the Word, bearing fruit, making disciples, and proving what the good and acceptable will of God is. This growth happens as we daily receive and retain the Word, not as hearers only but as doers, in fellowship with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
May the Lord grant you fresh grace as you continue to honor those older loved ones, to speak the Word faithfully, and to pray for their needs. May He provide all that is needed for life and godliness, strengthen you to live by the Spirit with minds renewed and prepared, cause His Word to spread and be glorified among you, and keep you in His peace and truth. As you abide in Christ, may you see answered prayer, growing maturity, and the fullness of love and fruit that brings joy and glorifies Him.
