Tag: children

At Christmas Time Children Teach Us All We Need to Know about Our Heavenly Father

Matthew 18:3
Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

What a wonderful time Christmas is to a small child in our culture. They go to bed on Christmas Eve eagerly anticipating the arrival of the gift giver. They burst from their beds on Christmas morning knowing that they will find gifts with their names on them under the Christmas tree. Many of the gifts will be there simply for their pleasure. Other gifts will be there for their comfort and provision. They receive them all with great joy. All the while, they never doubt that the gift giver will provide for them that which they could not provide for themselves.

This is the type of reliance that God wants to see from all of us. God wants us to rely on Him for everything without ever considering that we could provide for ourselves just as well. Of course, the gifts that He gives to us are far more valuable than anything we could find under a tree. Almighty God provides us with the gift of life. He sustains our lives with every single breath we take. Along the way, He sees that our pleasures, our provisions and our comforts are taken care of. Then He provides the greatest gift of all – eternal life in His heavenly kingdom. All He ever asks from us is to accept His Son as Our Savior.

Let us learn to respond to Our Heavenly Father like small children. Let us run to Him for everything. Let us seek the arms of our gracious Father whether we need comfort, provision or direction. Let us rejoice in knowing that He has the power to provide whatever it is that we need or desire. Most of all, let us completely trust in Him for the true treasures of His eternal kingdom.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for the blessings and the benefits that we receive as Your children. We bless the name of Jesus who made it possible for us to inherit Your kingdom and all of its provision and protection for all eternity. We pray, Father, that we be renewed in our minds so that we may become as simple, as humble and as teachable as small children. May we discard forever all the self-seeking lifestyles, distrust and deceit that we learn from the world. May we walk in the excellence of Our Savior. We ask all these things in the name of Our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ.

The Father Rewards Those That Come to Him in Awe of Who He Is

Matthew 11:25
At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children.

Jesus was well aware that the mindset of the individuals around Him was a critical determinant in their ability and desire to accept His teaching. Jesus knew that many of the people that He was trying to reach set up blockades to learning because they granted authority only to their logic, tradition, culture and emotional feelings. They would not accept the truth and authority of the King of Kings. Thus they closed the door on the truth in His teaching. Ultimately, He closed the door on them.

As parents, teachers or caretakers, we understand the joy and the pleasure of an obedient and respectful child. The obedient child’s constant compliance to our instruction melts our hearts. Their demeanor invites instruction. It is easy and very natural for us to give compliant and respectful children greater responsibility because we are confident that they will handle the responsibility appropriately.

So it is when we become new born babes in our relationship with Jesus Christ. Almighty God rejoices when we are obedient and we demonstrate our faithful compliance to His laws, His commands, His Holy Word and His callings on our lives. When we come to Him humbly and in awe of who He is, He rewards us with more knowledge, more wisdom and more responsibility in His kingdom.

Let us seek to sit at the feet of Our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, with the same eagerness as children sitting around a story teller. Let us be childlike as we delightfully soak in all that we hear. Let us be even more childlike as we learn to accept all the teachings of Jesus Christ in complete faith.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for receiving us as innocent babes in Christ. We bless the name of Jesus who made it possible that we could stand before You in righteousness. We bless the name of the Holy Spirit who inspires us to come to You as expectant as young children who go to their fathers eager to learn about the world and anxious for their dreams to be fulfilled. We pray for the grace to please You in all that we do. We ask that You release to us the knowledge that we do not have and the wisdom we seek. May it all be for Your glory and the gain of Your kingdom. We ask all these things in the name of the Author of Our Faith, Jesus Christ.

Fighting a Good Fight on Behalf of Our Children

Isaiah 44:3

For I will pour out water to quench your thirst and to irrigate your parched fields.  And I will pour out my Spirit on your descendants, and my blessing on your children.

No other time in history has produced such a blatant spiritual attack against our children. The indoctrination of the enemy is starting in some school systems as early as pre-K.  The constant peer pressure on our pre-teens and teens is continuous.  Satan is viciously consistent in his efforts to destroy our families and in his efforts to destroy the lives of our children. 

We must be diligent in praying a hedge of protection around our children.   We have the power of protecting them through our prayers.  Our Heavenly Father promises us that He will pour out His Spirit on our descendants and pour out His blessings on our children.

No matter what circumstances that our children may be in, we must not believe the lies of Satan.  We must hold to the promises of Our Father. We must never give in to the evil work of the devil who will urge us to give up on our children.  Satan will do all that he can do to discourage our efforts to pray for our children because he knows the power that we access and release when we pray for our children.

Let us be resolute in fighting the good fight on the behalf of our children.  Let us continuously pray a hedge of protection around them.  Let us proclaim the promises of Our Lord that He will return our children to us and, most importantly, that He will return our children to Himself. 

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for hearing our prayers of protection for our children.  Thank you for providing a way for us to shield our children from the enemy who is set on destroying them.  Strengthen us, Lord, that we may never falter in covering our children with our prayers.  We rejoice in knowing that You will reward us for our diligent, prayerful efforts on behalf of our children.  We cling to Your promise to return our children to the land that You have set aside for them.  We ask all these things in the name of Our Refuge from the Storm, Jesus Christ.

Praying a Hedge of Protection Around Our Children

Isaiah 44:3
For I will pour out water to quench your thirst and to irrigate your parched fields. And I will pour out my Spirit on your descendants, and my blessing on your children.

No other time in history has produced such a blatant spiritual attack against our children. The indoctrination of the enemy is starting in some school systems as early as pre-K. The constant peer pressure on our pre-teens and teens is continuous. Satan is viciously consistent in his efforts to destroy our families and in his efforts to destroy the lives of our children.

We must be diligent in praying a hedge of protection around our children. We have the power of protecting them through our prayers. Our Heavenly Father promises us that He will pour out His Spirit on our descendants and pour out His blessings on our children.

No matter what circumstances that our children may be in, we must not believe the lies of Satan. We must hold to the promises of Our Father. We must never give in to the evil work of the devil who will urge us to give up on our children. Satan will do all that he can do to discourage our efforts to pray for our children because he knows the power that we access and release when we pray for our children.

Let us be resolute in fighting the good fight on the behalf of our children. Let us continuously pray a hedge of protection around them. Let us proclaim the promises of Our Lord that He will return our children to us and, most importantly, that He will return our children to Himself.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for hearing our prayers of protection for our children. Thank you for providing a way for us to shield our children from the enemy who is set on destroying them. Strengthen us, Lord, that we may never falter in covering our children with our prayers. We rejoice in knowing that You will reward us for our diligent, prayerful efforts on behalf of our children. We cling to Your promise to return our children to the land that You have set aside for them. We ask all these things in the name of Our Refuge from the Storm, Jesus Christ.