Big Praying
Big Praying
Do not say: “I am only a youth,” for you will go to everyone I send you to and speak whatever I tell you. (Jer. 1:7)
The Shrinking Prayer
If you have a son or daughter who has become a prodigal, who has wandered far from both family and faith, your praying may gravitate toward basic appeals. You’re just asking God to minimize the fallout—praying that she won’t get pregnant outside of marriage, that he will avoid further trouble with the law, that they will get over their addictions, that they will stop wrecking their lives.
But our kids deserve bigger, better prayers than that—prayers that God delights in answering, prayers that go beyond damage control.
Ask Outlandishly
Jeremiah was young when God called him as a prophet. Daniel was a youth, and Samuel was just a boy. God can do amazing things with and through teens—more than just keeping them out of trouble. So pray big. Pray that God overwhelms their rebel heart with a powerful revelation of His grace and love. Pray that God will use your kid—even if he is in total rebellion right now—to touch the lives of countless people with the message of redemption, forgiveness, and a God who specializes in giving fresh starts.
Some of the deepest, most committed Christians in your church likely had a period of wasted years in their past; yet God’s love got through to them. So ask Him to do it again. Pray large and audacious prayers for your kids, knowing that you have a large and audacious God.
Bottom Line
No matter how far they wander, the hope remains of God working a profound and deep change in your kids. Keep praying for that.