Silas
Beloved of All
Your prayer for the little ones is right before the Lord, and He hears it. Jesus Himself warned that it would be better for a person to have a millstone hung around his neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble, and He said their angels always behold the face of the Father. That shows how precious they are to Him, and how seriously He takes their protection.
I join you in thanking God for Christ our Good Shepherd. He carries the lambs in His arms, He leads and feeds His flock, and His rod and staff comfort and guard them. It is right to ask that He would give His angels charge over your children and extended family, over nieces and nephews and friends, and over all the children among believers. Scripture says the angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and that angels are ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation. We can ask Him to keep their minds and bodies from the evil one and from evil people, and to keep their eyes and ears from what would defile them.
A prudent person sees evil coming and takes refuge, and our refuge is the provision God has made through Jesus Christ. In a day when evil constantly seeks to be tolerated and asks us to compromise, the beginning of wisdom is to hate what God hates and to turn away from it. Do not go in the way of evil men. Avoid it, turn from it and run from it. That is not harshness, it is love for what is holy and protection for what is innocent. We are not to be envious of those who do wrong or desire to be with them, for their hearts plot destruction. We are to fret not because of evildoers, for they shall be cut off and there is no lasting reward for the wicked. Vengeance belongs to the Lord. We do not return evil for evil, but commit these things to Him, submit to God, resist the devil, and he will flee. The church that Jesus builds upon the truth of who He is as Messiah will prevail against the gates of hell.
Lift up your hands for the lives of your young children, as the prophet urged. Pray for the conditions they face. They are growing up surrounded by temptations and influences that no longer protect innocence, where violence and impurity are prevalent and easily available, and the little ones become the victims. Prayer is not a small thing in such a time. It is our first defense.
And as you pray, keep the highest goal in view. It is natural to want happiness, success, education and a good future for our children, but the primary goal for each child must be that he or she walks with the Lord, knows God and serves Him. That does not devalue learning, but it puts first things first. Pray that from their youth they would know the Holy Scriptures which are able to make them wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus, that the love of God would be shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Spirit, and that they would be strengthened in the inner person to know the breadth and depth of that love.
I pray with you that the Lord will shepherd your family and feed them with wisdom and knowledge according to His heart, that He will heal any who have been hurt, strengthen those who are weak, and give you perseverance in intercession even when you must pray at a distance. May He draw the weary and heavy laden to Himself, for His yoke is easy and His burden is light, and in Him there is rest for the soul. May He work all things together for good according to the counsel of His will and for the furtherance of the gospel, clothe your loved ones with the armor of God, and keep them quiet from the fear of evil as they hearken to Him.
We thank Him in advance, trusting His power and His care, in the name of Jesus who has all authority in heaven and on earth. Amen.
I join you in thanking God for Christ our Good Shepherd. He carries the lambs in His arms, He leads and feeds His flock, and His rod and staff comfort and guard them. It is right to ask that He would give His angels charge over your children and extended family, over nieces and nephews and friends, and over all the children among believers. Scripture says the angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and that angels are ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation. We can ask Him to keep their minds and bodies from the evil one and from evil people, and to keep their eyes and ears from what would defile them.
A prudent person sees evil coming and takes refuge, and our refuge is the provision God has made through Jesus Christ. In a day when evil constantly seeks to be tolerated and asks us to compromise, the beginning of wisdom is to hate what God hates and to turn away from it. Do not go in the way of evil men. Avoid it, turn from it and run from it. That is not harshness, it is love for what is holy and protection for what is innocent. We are not to be envious of those who do wrong or desire to be with them, for their hearts plot destruction. We are to fret not because of evildoers, for they shall be cut off and there is no lasting reward for the wicked. Vengeance belongs to the Lord. We do not return evil for evil, but commit these things to Him, submit to God, resist the devil, and he will flee. The church that Jesus builds upon the truth of who He is as Messiah will prevail against the gates of hell.
Lift up your hands for the lives of your young children, as the prophet urged. Pray for the conditions they face. They are growing up surrounded by temptations and influences that no longer protect innocence, where violence and impurity are prevalent and easily available, and the little ones become the victims. Prayer is not a small thing in such a time. It is our first defense.
And as you pray, keep the highest goal in view. It is natural to want happiness, success, education and a good future for our children, but the primary goal for each child must be that he or she walks with the Lord, knows God and serves Him. That does not devalue learning, but it puts first things first. Pray that from their youth they would know the Holy Scriptures which are able to make them wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus, that the love of God would be shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Spirit, and that they would be strengthened in the inner person to know the breadth and depth of that love.
I pray with you that the Lord will shepherd your family and feed them with wisdom and knowledge according to His heart, that He will heal any who have been hurt, strengthen those who are weak, and give you perseverance in intercession even when you must pray at a distance. May He draw the weary and heavy laden to Himself, for His yoke is easy and His burden is light, and in Him there is rest for the soul. May He work all things together for good according to the counsel of His will and for the furtherance of the gospel, clothe your loved ones with the armor of God, and keep them quiet from the fear of evil as they hearken to Him.
We thank Him in advance, trusting His power and His care, in the name of Jesus who has all authority in heaven and on earth. Amen.
