God's Grace Mark 9:19

Wow... This morning's Spurgeon Devotional is one of the best I've ever studied. It's about parents praying for their children. I have cut and pasted some excerpts that were particularly meaningful to me...

"Bring him unto me."—Mark 9:19

DESPAIRINGLY the poor disappointed father turned away from the disciples to their Master. His son was in the worst possible condition, and all means had failed, but the miserable child was soon delivered from the evil one when the parent in faith obeyed the Lord Jesus' word, "Bring him unto me."

Children are a precious gift from God, but much anxiety comes with them. They may be a great joy or a great bitterness to their parents; they may be filled with the Spirit of God, or possessed with the spirit of evil. In all cases, the Word of God gives us one receipt for the curing of all their ills, "Bring him unto me."

O for more agonizing prayer on their behalf while they are yet babes! Sin is there, let our prayers begin to attack it. Our cries for our offspring should precede those cries which betoken their actual advent into a world of sin. In the days of their youth we shall see sad tokens of that dumb and deaf spirit which will neither pray aright, nor hear the voice of God in the soul, but Jesus still commands, "Bring them unto me."

When they are grown up they may wallow in sin and foam with enmity against God; then when our hearts are breaking we should remember the great Physician's words, "Bring them unto me."

Never must we cease to pray until they cease to breathe. No case is hopeless while Jesus lives.The Lord sometimes suffers His people to be driven into a corner that they may experimentally know how necessary He is to them.

Ungodly children, when they show us our own powerlessness against the depravity of their hearts, drive us to flee to the strong for strength, and this is a great blessing to us. Whatever our morning's need may be, let it like a strong current bear us to the ocean of divine love. Jesus can soon remove our sorrow. He delights to comfort us. Let us hasten to Him while He waits to meet us.

Charles Spurgeon

Wow... What great words of encouragement to parents every where...! We can NEVER pray enough for our children. I praise God this morning for bringing that great lesson to me today.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Lord, Thank You for reminding me (again) that YOU are the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE. I can do nothing under my own power. It's all about You. Every good and perfect gift comes from YOU, my King.

Father God, being a parent is such an awesome responsibility. Thank You for the blessing of my children. I lift up Connor and Elijah to You this morning. Help me to be the Godly influence in their lives that You have called me to be. Help me to discipline in love. Help me to be a role model. Lord I present my children to You this morning and every morning.

Father God, You have also blessed my precious wife and I with the lives of many young people in our tennis and art classes. Praise You Lord. We think of these precious young ones as our very own when they are in our care. Lord Jesus I also lift up every child and every parent in our sphere of influence to You this morning. Bless them with Your Grace, Father.

Help us as parents to raise up a generation who knows You as their Lord and Savior. Help us to instill in this generation values and ethics that are Your values and ethics, Lord. Father help us teach the meaning and importance of family, loyalty, honor, and respect.

Lord I believe there is nothing more important than presenting our young people to You and then as parents living our own lives in humble obedience to Your Word. My prayer this morning is for grace and mercy for the mistakes I have made in my parenting, especially not fully giving my problems to You. And Lord I pray also that you continue to help Monica and I to live in obedience to You as Godly role models.

You know what's going on in my house, Lord. You know what's going on in the homes of every family in the world. I pray for change. I pray for a revival. And Lord I leave it all in Your most capable hands. There is no problem to big for the Author of Life and Creator of the heavens and the earth. Father God I rest in You. And I pray these things in the power of the name of Jesus Christ,my Lord and Savior, Amen.