If you are one of my siblings or one of my bloggy friends, I pray for you and for your children. Approximately once a week, your name pops up on my phone and, generally while I’m cleaning the toys in my office, I pray for you. If you have expressed a particular request or if I’ve deduced one from what you’ve written, I’ll pray for that; but otherwise, I pray a very specific sort of prayer.
I do not pray for your children to be obedient.
Obedient, manageable children are nice to have, easy to care for. But that isn’t what I want for you or for them.
Obedience and manageability can mask inward apathy or rebellion. Obedience and manageability can convince a child that they’re a “good kid”. They can begin to rely upon their “good kid” status. They can begin to work hard to maintain their “good kid” status. Someday, they may rebel against their “good kid” status.
I don’t pray for them to obedient. They need something more.
They need Jesus.
Even so, I do not pray for your children to love Jesus.
Many a child who “loves Jesus”–who delights to sing Bible songs, who loves to go to Sunday School, who tells his friends about Jesus–grows up to be an adult who rejects the faith.
“Loving Jesus” is often a cultural thing, about speaking the lingo of the church, singing the songs of the church, acting the way church people do.
But just like the children of hippies turned yuppie and the children of yuppies turned hipster, the children of Christianity often turn atheist or agnostic or non-practicing nothings.
I don’t pray for the to “love Jesus”. They need something more.
You see, I don’t want your children to just love Jesus, like they love their favorite toy, I want them to know Jesus.
And I don’t want your children to just know Jesus, I want them to know Jesus savingly.
And if they are to know Jesus savingly, they must know that they are depraved.
For that reason, I pray that your children would recognize their sinfulness.
I pray that they would be acutely aware of their inability to live up to God’s standard.
I pray that they would recognize the futility of their works to ever change their status.
I pray that they would fall wholly upon the mercy of God in the person of Christ.
That, my friends, is what I pray for your children.
Well said! I pray the same types of things for my daughter.
I hope I’m on your “bloggy friends” list! I read it all the time, but don’t always comment! I’d love your prayers for my husband and kids! =)
Excellent prayer. We need those reminders even after we’re saved.
Yup! And what Barbara said.
And if my children are on your list, I feel blessed.