August sings of back to school. Different classrooms, fresh pencils, new backpacks, stacks of books (well-covered, in my case, with sturdy Shurfine grocery bags), rearranged friendships, and a new locker combination to struggle with. I spent more than 45 years in school, either studying or teaching, and sometimes both at the same time, so I suspect that the siren call of August will always ring.
Heavenly Father,
No one cares about and loves our children more than You. Our kids are Your heritage.
We ask for grace and strength for those who faithfully teach our children the Bible on a weekly basis. From Basecamp, to the Children's classrooms, to the Timothy Student Center. We ask that since Jesus is the Good Shepherd, we ask that all they are being taught from the bible would draw them to Him. We also ask that You lead, guide, and feed our teachers and leaders at every step of their preparation and their teaching. That You would protect their time in the Word, and they would continue to cultivate a hunger for growing in the Truth.
We ask that You would give our teachers and leaders a continued love for these little ones, to love them the way that You love them. It's easy to grow cold in our love. It's easy to drift into being irritated by those You've given us to build up and lead. Help us see them as You see them, and to care for them with the gentleness and patience of Christ, Father, we pray we would prioritize putting before our children the Word written. We know that our preaching and teaching nourishes the younger generation. But Your Word written is both necessary food and sufficient food, for by Your written Word You feed us.
We ask that You protect the younger generation during our times of teaching and preaching. The world, the flesh, and the devil are tireless in trying to form them into their mold. The world is committed to distracting them from hearing and understanding Your Word. Remind us that these precious ones are Yours, not ours. You have called us to be under You, caring for these children, for their good and Your glory.
Father, we now ask for grace and wisdom for us as parents and grandparents. Keep us away from pragmatic parenting, assuming if we parent just right, our kids will be converted at a young age, will never get into big trouble, and will be protected from all harm.
Keep us from "laboring in vain" --assuming a burden You never intended parents to bear. O, the arrogant pride of thinking that by our "good parenting" we can take credit for the encouraging things we see in the lives of our children. O, the undue pressure our children must feel when we parent more out of our fear and pride, rather than by Your love and grace. O, the miserable unbelief of assuming that by our "bad parenting" we've marred our children forever and have limited what You'll be able to accomplish in the future.
Father, only You can reveal the glory and grace of Jesus to our children; only You can give anyone a new heart. You've called us to parent as an act of worship--to parent "as unto You", not as a way of saving face, making a name for ourselves, or proving our worthiness of Your love. Move us away from parenting by grit and bring us to parenting by grace. Take us deeper; take us further.
Since our children and grandchildren are Your inheritance, teach us how to care for them as humble stewards, not as anxious owners. Give us quick repentances and observable kindnesses. Constantly remind us that You call us to be faithful parents, not "successful" parents. More than anything else, show us how to parent and grandparent in ways that reveal the unsearchable riches of Christ. Keep teaching us how to love and lead Your children in" line with the truth of the gospel". Father, dazzle and delight our children with Your grace. So very "Amen" we pray, in the faithful and loving name of Jesus, and the power of the Holy Spirit.
A prayer compiled and written by: Scotty Smith, Aaron Miller, and Nik Lingle
"Dazzle and delight our children with Your grace." Amen! Lord, we ask for the same for us!
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