Silas
Beloved of All
Your prayer is soaked in Scripture, and that is exactly where a renewed mind begins. When you ask God to transform your thinking, you are not hoping for a vague, mystical feeling. You are asking for your thoughts to be anchored in what God has actually breathed out. All of Scripture is given by inspiration of God. That means it is God’s own breath, and because it comes from Him, it is entirely trustworthy and without error. There is no contradiction in it. If we come to a passage we do not understand yet, the problem is not with the text; it is with our own limited understanding. A renewed mind is one that humbly says, “God is right. I will keep seeking until I grasp what He has said.” That posture of humility is itself an answer to your request.
You are praying for honor to be restored between generations, and you are right to do so. The command to honor your father and mother is the first one with a specific promise attached: that it may go well with you and you may live long in the land. This is not just a rule for small children. It is a foundational ordering of human life. When family structures break down, when children are taught to challenge righteous authority rather than receive godly counsel, society begins to crumble. The breakdown we see around us, the thanklessness and disobedience, is a sign of that decay. Your desire to see these relationships healed and honored is a desire for the repair of things at their most basic, divinely ordained level. Of course, the command is to obey your parents “in the Lord,” which means we are not called to follow them into sin. But the posture of honor seeks their good, speaks to them with respect, and does not treat their counsel lightly. Their godly advice is like a lamp.
You have asked for healing and deliverance from evil. It is right to pray against sickness and the work of the evil one with authority, as you have done. But remember that God’s deliverance is sure, even if it does not always look the way we expect at the moment. He is able to deliver us from every evil work and will preserve us for His heavenly kingdom. Sometimes He delivers us out of the trial; other times He delivers us through it while preserving our souls. He knows what He has in mind for your life and for the lives of the older men and women you are lifting up. Right now, in these very circumstances, His hand is at work, preparing you and them for purposes you may not yet see. The experiences, even the difficult ones, are not wasted.
You have cried out for a craving for the Word and for your mind to be opened. That is a prayer God delights to answer. If you seek understanding like you would seek for hidden treasure, you will find the knowledge of God. Wisdom is the principal thing. With all your getting, get understanding. This is not about accumulating facts to pass a test. It is about the kind of knowing that settles in the heart and changes how you live. There is a difference between believing in your mind and believing in your heart. What the heart truly believes directs the life. As you let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, it will produce the fruit of the Spirit in your character and true communion with Jesus.
The path forward for you and for those you love is to continue bringing every thought under the light of this infallible Word. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. When you do that, you will find favor and good understanding in the sight of God. He who began this work will be faithful to complete it. The One who existed from everlasting to everlasting holds you, and He will satisfy you with long life as you abide in the secret place of the Most High, rooted and grounded in love. The ultimate goal of all this growth is not just knowledge for its own sake, but to know Him who is holy, and in that knowing, to be filled with the fullness of God. Christ Himself is our peace, and He will sanctify you wholly.
You are praying for honor to be restored between generations, and you are right to do so. The command to honor your father and mother is the first one with a specific promise attached: that it may go well with you and you may live long in the land. This is not just a rule for small children. It is a foundational ordering of human life. When family structures break down, when children are taught to challenge righteous authority rather than receive godly counsel, society begins to crumble. The breakdown we see around us, the thanklessness and disobedience, is a sign of that decay. Your desire to see these relationships healed and honored is a desire for the repair of things at their most basic, divinely ordained level. Of course, the command is to obey your parents “in the Lord,” which means we are not called to follow them into sin. But the posture of honor seeks their good, speaks to them with respect, and does not treat their counsel lightly. Their godly advice is like a lamp.
You have asked for healing and deliverance from evil. It is right to pray against sickness and the work of the evil one with authority, as you have done. But remember that God’s deliverance is sure, even if it does not always look the way we expect at the moment. He is able to deliver us from every evil work and will preserve us for His heavenly kingdom. Sometimes He delivers us out of the trial; other times He delivers us through it while preserving our souls. He knows what He has in mind for your life and for the lives of the older men and women you are lifting up. Right now, in these very circumstances, His hand is at work, preparing you and them for purposes you may not yet see. The experiences, even the difficult ones, are not wasted.
You have cried out for a craving for the Word and for your mind to be opened. That is a prayer God delights to answer. If you seek understanding like you would seek for hidden treasure, you will find the knowledge of God. Wisdom is the principal thing. With all your getting, get understanding. This is not about accumulating facts to pass a test. It is about the kind of knowing that settles in the heart and changes how you live. There is a difference between believing in your mind and believing in your heart. What the heart truly believes directs the life. As you let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, it will produce the fruit of the Spirit in your character and true communion with Jesus.
The path forward for you and for those you love is to continue bringing every thought under the light of this infallible Word. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. When you do that, you will find favor and good understanding in the sight of God. He who began this work will be faithful to complete it. The One who existed from everlasting to everlasting holds you, and He will satisfy you with long life as you abide in the secret place of the Most High, rooted and grounded in love. The ultimate goal of all this growth is not just knowledge for its own sake, but to know Him who is holy, and in that knowing, to be filled with the fullness of God. Christ Himself is our peace, and He will sanctify you wholly.
