HOW TO PRAY FOR YOUR CHILD

It is a great comfort to even the very young child to know that his parents love and care for him so much that they pray to their Heavenly Father for their child.
The following suggestions might be helpful as you think of praying for your child ‑‑‑ for his /her needs now and for his /her needs in the future.

Pray that your child will:

1. Know Jesus Christ as savior early in life. (Psalm 63:1 ; Psalms 71 :17; 2 Timothy 3:15)
2. Have a hatred for sin and a fearful respect for his own vulnerability to temptation.
(Psalm 97:10; Matthew 26: 41)
3. Be caught and called to account when guilty. (Psalm 119:71;Psalms38:5‑6 17‑18.)
4. Be protected from the evil one in each area of his life: spiritual, emotional, and physical. (John 17:15; Luke 22:31)
5. Have an attitude of Christian morality and responsibility in all his interpersonal relationships. (Romans 14:21; I Corinthians 13:4‑5; I Timothy 4:12)
6. Respect those in authority over him. (Romans 13:1)
7. Desire the right kind of friends, be protected from the wrong associations, and be hedged in by God so that he/she does not find his/her way to wrong people or wrong places and that the wrong people do not find their way to him/her.
(Proverbs 1:10‑11; Psalm 91:9‑11; Hosea 2:6)
8. Rely on God's direction in choosing a mate, being kept from the wrong choice, and being saved for the right marriage partner. (2 Corinthians 6:14‑1 7; Psalm 37:4‑5)
9. Be kept pure until the time of marriage ( as well as the one he is to marry).
(1 Corinthians 6:18‑20)
10. Learn to submit totally to God and resist Satan actively in all circumstances.
(James 4:7; Psalm 119:1, Psalm 143:10)
11. Be single‑hearted in loving and applying God's Word, using its wisdom rather than the world's standards to make decisions in his life. (Psalm 84: 10; Psalm 119:10; Romans 12:1-2)
12. Allow God to mature within him/her the character of Christ that will be lived out in a lifetime of service and submission to him. (Psalm 90:12 and 17, Luke 2:52; Romans 8:29)

Pick one point a month on which to concentrate. Within a year you will have consistently praved this entire list. Is your child's unknown future‑ ‑his/her choices and decisions‑‑‑a source of anxiety for you? The following scripture is especially comforting) to a parent's heart:

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petitions, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ: (Philippians 4:6‑7 NIV).

For He is God

Psalm 95:1-7 NIV Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song.
For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. In His hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to Him. The sea is his, for He made it, and His hands formed the dry land. Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for He is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.

The Psalmist called for the congregation to sing praises to the Lord and worship Him. Then he gave a short list of powerful reasons to worship and pray.

The Lord (Yahweh- Jehovah) is the Great God, the One true God. He is the great God. He compounds two words to emphasize God’s almightiness. He uses גָּדוֹל gaw·dole – for great and then the name for God, אֵל el – the Almighty. He is emphasizing God’s greatness. He is the Great Almighty! He is King above all gods.

Then the Psalmist tells of God’s unique and awesome greatness. He holds the depths of the earth in His hands. The Mountain Peaks belong to Him. He is the owner and maker of the sea. He formed the dry land.

This brings up images of the vastness and almightiness of God. There is none like Him. He stands above all others. He is King above all gods.

Then the Psalmist makes this very personal. He says: “God is our Maker.” The word for God here is Jehovah our maker. The word maker implies more than creation. God is the One who formed us from the dust. God not only made us, He is also the One who sustains, strengthens, and enables. He is our strength, and resource.

Then he refers to God as אֱלֹהִים - el-o-heem’. The true God. The supreme God. The exceedingly great God. This is a designation that we should not forget when we come before God to pray. The Lord our God is All Powerful. He is the Omnipotent God. Remember how He created everything. He formed everything by His own power. He is the true God. He is holy and almighty. He is exceedingly great God.

When you come to worship and pray you are coming before the Great and Mighty God. Through His own grace and mercy we are able to come before Him. By the blood of the Savior we have gained access into the presence of the Almighty God. He is the Exceedingly Great God.

The Psalmist says “Come” three times in this text.
1. Come sing and shout for joy to the Lord our God.
2. Come before Him with thanksgiving, music, and song.
3. Come and bow down in worship before the Lord our Maker.

For He is our God and we are the people under His care.
Who can care for us like the Lord our God?

Don’t become hardened against God.
Don’t resist and hold back.
Don’t falter in following Him.

The Psalmist is encouraging an open heart before God.

Come before the Lord God Almighty and be prepared to hear His voice and receive His grace.
Come and worship and bow down before the Lord God our maker.

From the Pastor's Desk

Finding God in a Hopeless Situation

Mark 5:22-43 gives us the story of a man named Jarius. He was a ruler of the synagogue and his young daughter was sick to the point of dying. Jarius had heard about all the good things Jesus had done, so he searched for Him until he found Him.

We need to determine to search for Him when we have hopeless situations.

Jarius asked Jesus to come to his house to heal his daughter.
Jesus was on the way to Jarius' home when the woman with an issue of blood interrupted His journey. She had given up on the doctors and any other source of help and searched for Jesus to intervene in her hopeless situation. Jesus recognized that someone had drawn virtue from His body.
He stopped in the crowd to address the woman who had made the effort to find Him. He said in verse 34, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”
At this time, Jarius received word that his daughter was dead. Jesus was not disturbed at the news. He told Jarius "Don't be afraid; just believe."

Do you know it is hard to believe when situations seem hopeless?

They continued on the journey to his home. How do you react to bad news? Do you become hopeless, or do you search for Him? Jesus was very aware of the gravity of the situation to Jarius. Jesus was telling him—“look at Me”. I am the living God. I am the Healer. I am the One Who can and will supply all your needs because of Who I am. We must recognize Jesus as the One Who can bring peace in the midst of the storm. He is able to help in physical, emotional, financial, or spiritual storms. He is the answer.

Once Jesus arrived at the house, he informed the people that the girl was only sleeping. They didn't understand. (She’s not dead.)

When you have Jesus in the house:
Death has no hold
Sickness cannot rule
Life is in His hands
Blessings are His to give.
Jesus removed the doubters from the house and raised the daughter to life. There are many people and things in our lives that create doubt in God's ability to intervene in a hopeless situation. We must separate ourselves from the doubt and put our trust in the One who has all power.
Christ died on the cross for our sins and rose again victorious for hell, death, and the grave.
In Him is everything we need to face any hopeless situation. He will turn our difficulties into victories if we will worship, honor, and trust Him to be Who He is--our risen, loving Savior.
There are many hopeless situations in our lives and in the lives of this congregation. Some have been living with difficult health issues for months or years, and they need encouragement. Some have lost loved ones who seem to be a hopeless situation, but God can still bring hope to the sinner.
Our missionaries and churches across America and around the world are facing hopeless situations that only God can change.
Take time to search for Him and find His touch in the areas of your lives or those you love that seems hopeless.
When you seek Him, have faith and believe that He hears you and that the answer is on the way.
Matthew 21:22 says: "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."
Let us search, ask, and believe!