As a church leader, a professor, a missions team leader, and simply a follower of Christ, I spend a lot of time with other believers. The battles all of us face are often difficult and ongoing as our very real enemies, Satan and his forces, seek to discourage, defeat, and destroy us.
Here, in fact, is one of my heaviest burdens today: adult children raised in godly homes who have now departed from the faith. It seems that not a week goes by without my hearing another story that has broken the hearts of believing parents. At the same time, they are realizing more and more every day that only God can turn hearts back to Him — and these grieving parents are challenged to just keep praying and believing.
That’s why I’m posting these words today. I want to spend the day praying in these ways, and I’m asking you to join me at some point today:
- Pray for Christian parents in general in your church. I fear we pray for other parents only after we learn that they and/or their children are struggling with something–that is, after the enemy has already kicked them around a bit. I want us to pray proactively for each other.
- Pray for children you know who have not yet come to saving faith in Christ. Ask God to open their hearts according to HIs timing and plan.
- Pray for the children of other believers–children of all ages–who do know Jesus personally and who continue to follow Him faithfully. Pray they will not succumb to the enemy’s arrows of doubt and deception. Intercede for them ahead of the attack.
- Pray for any adult children you know who have wandered from the faith. Ask God to bring them back home to the faith of parents who are waiting and watching for them.
- Pray for the parents who face this issue with adult children. Pray God will give them hope to believe and persistence to press on from their knees. Pray they will not give up (and, if you are that parent, maybe this blog post, “When You Grieve a Prodigal’s Sin More than He or She Does,” will help you).
- Pray parents, church leaders, and congregations will so live as believers that we do not give next generations any reason to question their faith. Pray we will be grounded in God’s Word, authentic in our walk, and willing to hear and respond to the questions of those struggling with faith.
- Pray we will not miss the “glimpses” of God’s work in the lives of people around us. God is still working miracles, drawing to Himself people from every nation, tribe, and tongue. If we see just a glimpse of His ongoing work around us, we will find encouragement to keep believing He will change the hearts of wandering adult children we love.
Would you say a prayer with me today?
