Praying for our students through the year - day 27 (Head to Toe - part 1)

Now that we have made it through the alphabet, we covered lots of Godly Character Traits to pray over our children. Today we are going to start praying for our kids, grand kids, students, and others from "head to toe". A great way to remember them is to think of each of these as you are getting ready in the mornings...

1. Pray for their mind - for them to earnestly seek wisdom, knowledge and understanding. Pray they will learn to value discernment and choose the best yes. Pray they will center their thoughts on holy and pure things--not on pleasures of this world or things that will draw them away from God. Pray they will develop a Biblical World View and focus on God's Word as Truth. (Book of Proverbs, James 1:5, Psalm 119:97)
2. Pray for their eyes - Ask God to protect their innocence and not let them grow up too quickly. Pray they will not look on unwholesome things. I hate to say it, but children are exposed to porn at a very young age now (some statistics show this happens as early as 3rd grade). Pray for God to protect them from this form of evil. Pray they will choose good social media, if they have access to it. Pray they will focus on right and pure things, not lustful temptations. Pray they will have eyes to see the good in people and show Christ-like love. Pray they will love God and their neighbors. (Psalm 101:3).
3. Pray for their ears - Pray they will be quick to hear and slow to speak. Pray they will not listen to gossip, or negative influences around them. Pray they will incline their ears to instruction and to the ways of the Lord. Pray they will listen to music that is positive---music does not make someone a monster, however garbage in will result in garbage out. Pray they choose to watch and listen to good TV shows and movies that are not filled with violence and evil. What shows are their ears and eyes hearing and seeing on TV or the theater? (Proverbs 8:32). 
   
4. Pray for their mouth - Ask God to help them learn to control their tongue. Pray they will learn the value of speaking truth instead of speaking lies. Pray they will learn the value of silence. Pray their words will be pleasing to our Heavenly Father and for uplifting others. Pray they will not use their mouths to bring others down or for destruction. Pray they will speak with respect and use their words to worship and praise God. (Psalm 34:13).

Praying for our students through the year - day 26 (Z) Zeal

Wow our kids are starting their 7th week of school today! We are going to start this week by praying for  Zeal. Romans 12:11 says: "Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord."  Zeal or being zealous is energetic enthusiasm; a strong feeling of interest and enthusiasm that makes someone very eager or determined to accomplish something. When Jesus performed miracles he often asked the people not to tell, yet it made them want to tell it more zealously (Mark 7:36).  Today, Christ commanded us to tell everyone about Him to the utmost parts of the earth, but do we?  Revelation 3:19 says “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent”.  We are all guilty of sin, of not obeying His Word, and of having less Godly Character than we should at some point in our lives, but the secret is to learn to repent. Then we can learn to be more zealous. Sincerely ask God to forgive you, and He will. Pray your child will become more zealous for the Lord and His Word today. Pray they will have enthusiasm to share His love with others. Pray they will be eager and determined to accomplish all God has called them to do. 

We have made it through all 26 letters of Godly Character; the Bible says Jesus is the Alpha and Omega which are Greek letters for A and Z (Revelation 1:7-8). He is the beginning and the end of the alphabet; He is everything in between.  Jesus is the Eternal Ruler of past, present, and future. He is the A, Z, Alpha, Omega, Beginning, End, First and Last! We need to be on fire for God because one day this world will have no more chances to choose to accept the Lord, we will be out of opportunities to Go and Tell those He has put before us. Pray your child will have their priorities in line with what really matters in life. It’s all about Jesus! Pray they will have enough zeal to live out loud everywhere and not hide their “Christian-side” from others. Pray God will unsettle them until they seek a deeper relationship with their Heavenly Father. Pray they will seek Him as their personal Lord and Savior. Pray they will grow in their Godly Character daily. Pray they will have uncontainable ZEAL for the Lord today and everyday until He returns! 

Praying for our students through the year - day 25 (Y) Yearning

Today we are praying for our children have a yearning for Christ! Yearning is a deep, tender and urgent longing; an appetite or craving. Pray your children will have a yearning to know more about Jesus and the Bible.  Isaiah 26:9 says “My soul yearns for you in the night; my spirit within me earnestly seeks you”. The old hymn More About Jesus describes yearning well: 

“More about Jesus would I know, More of His grace to others show; More of His saving fullness see, More of His love Who died for me. More about Jesus let me learn, More of His holy will discern; Spirit of God, my teacher be, Showing the things of Christ to me...".  

Our lives should be more about Jesus, not about us! Do you yearn to know Him deeper?  Pray you and your family will yearn for a deeper relationship with God. Psalm 42:1-2 says “As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God”. We have to crave, thirst, yearn for a relationship with God. Pray your child learns to crave and thirst for this relationship above all others. Pray the Holy Spirit will create a yearning for His Word.  Pray they will become more in love with God than anything else in this world. Pray your whole family will work on developing a yearning for God. Make it a goal to spend more time in prayer and reading His Word. Crave Him today!

Praying for our students through the year - day 24 (X) eXcellence

It is hard for me to believe the 6th week of school is almost over and we are almost to the end of the alphabet on praying for our children.  Today we are praying for eXcellence. There are a few character traits in which each of us should have a desire to excel. Just to mention 23...pray for your child to excel in his or her attitude, boldness, courage, discernment, enthusiasm, friendship, generosity, humility, initiative, joyfulness, knowledge, listening, maturity, being neighbors, obedience, perseverance, being quiet, respectfulness, self-control, thankfulness, understanding, victory, and work ethic! (this was the first 23 prayer topics if you need to go back and review check out my old blog posts) Excellence goes beyond dreams and what we can do and is about what we SHOULD do and how we SHOULD act. We need to also pray for our children to excel in prayer. It is vital for us to learn to communicate with God and teach our children to do the same. When I was a student I remember receiving an "excellence in education" plaque every year; excellence is not about just making a good grade or doing what we are supposed to at that moment, but about sustaining that attitude for a lifetime.

Philippians 3;13-14 states: "Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus".

We need to press on until the end of our time on this earth and pray our children will do the same. Excellence in all we do should be a priority. Excellence demands that we do our very best with the abilities that God has given us. Pray your children will learn to exhibit moral excellence, then there will be evidence that the fruit of the Holy Spirit is growing in their lives.

"Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation." 1 Peter 2:12 NASB

Praying for our students through the year - day 23 (W) Work Ethic

Today pray your child will have a great work ethic. It doesn't matter if we are doing school work, part-time jobs, working to perform a role in a play, be part of a sports team, doing chores, or in a career, God wants each of us to do our best. Teach your children to use their hands and minds to accomplish good things that honor God. Teach them that work is good, but we also need to let our bodies rest and reflect on all God has blessed us with (Exodus 23:12).  

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. Colossians 3:23-24

Teach your children that hard work and dedication produces positive results. The Bible teaches us to develop solid work ethic and to put our all in what we do.  I once heard "wherever we are, be 100% there". It is easy to try to multitask or be distracted when we are busy however we should be dedicated to what we are doing. God put Adam in the garden to WORK and take care of it (Gen. 2:15). 

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going. 

Ecclesiastes 9:10

Teach them that all they do has a purpose! Laziness can be a problem and become habitual. Model the example of joyfully working in front of your children and others. Teach them to not be idle; that there are consequences to being lazy.  (2 Thess 3:10). Pray your child will find joy in working, as working for the Lord. Pray they will not want to be lazy or idle. Pray they will put forth their BEST effort in ALL they do. Pray they will have a desire to work hard and want to succeed at achieving their goals. Give them praise to encourage them as you seem them working hard and accomplishing milestones, but remember it is ok to let them fail. Lessons can be learned from failure. Failure may motivate them to work harder next time. Pray for a good work ethic today! 

Praying for our students through the year - day 22 (V) Victory

Today let's pray for victory for our kids. How do we define victory? I am not talking about winning at everything they do, or being first. True victory is loving God with all of our hearts, souls and minds and loving our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:36-38).

1 John 5:4 says: For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

We have victory over our sin when we are living for Christ. Pray that our children learn to live for Christ every day. Pray they will have victory over their sins. Pray they will overcome this world and all that allures them away from God. Pray they will choose right over wrong. Pray God will provide them with the strength and integrity needed to overcome all that hinders them from having victory. Pray that will not be tricked by the traps and snares of the enemy as he tries to enslave them to sin. Pray that they will understand this victory cannot be accomplished on their own, but through the power of the Holy Spirit living in them, through following His direction daily! Pray they will have VICTORY in JESUS today!

Praying for our students through the year - day 21 (U) Understanding

Wow! The 1st half of the first 9 weeks of school has ended. The 6th week of school is beginning. Today we are praying for understanding, Understanding has two parts: 1) the ability to learn, comprehend, and make decisions and 2) being sympathetic, tolerant, or wise towards people. The first is about gaining knowledge  - whether it be of the Bible, or at school, or work. We should ask God to help us understand; especially what His Word says and how to apply it to our lives. The second part of understanding is how we treat others; we should show them Christ-like love and try to see their point of view. We should try to relate to what is going on in their lives; having compassion.  

Proverbs 18:2 says “A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion”. 

Don’t be selfish about having it “your way”, listen to others and be kind. Godly Character is more important that getting it “our way” all the time. 

Proverbs 2:1-6 says “My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding”. 

Wisdom and understanding come from God, however to obtain it, we must seek it. His Word reveals it, but we must read His Word if we want to gain it. True understanding is of God and we can’t create it by our own efforts. We have to seek it, want it, and search for it. It doesn’t come easy, nothing we treasure does. Once we obtain it, we must always try to use it and be understanding toward others. Thank our Heavenly Father for making understanding and wisdom available to us. Pray He will help each of us and our children study more and earnestly seek understanding. Also, pray we will all grow in understanding toward others and show compassion and mercy to all. 

Praying for our students through the year - day 20 (T) Thankfulness

Thankfulness is a prominent Bible theme. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." Did you catch that? Give thanks in all circumstances. We should have thankful hearts. Thankfulness should be a way of life for us, naturally flowing from our hearts and mouths. Pray for your children to be thankful today. Psalm 136:1 says "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever." In this verse,  God's Word gives us 2 reasons to be thankful; because He is GOOD and His Love endures FOREVER! Help your children learn what it means to be thankful in all situations; when we are sad or have bad days, when we are stressed, busy, and when life is going good. When our boys were younger I would try to ask them: "What was the best part of your day today? What was the worst part? What was the funniest thing that happened today? Was there anything bad, sad or that upset you today?" This gets your children talking more than asking "How was your day?" Also, once they answer, you can teach them to be thankful during those times. We do prayer requests and praise items at church, it makes me sad at how quickly we can make a list of problems, yet it is so difficult to think of reasons to be thankful. I ask in Children's Church sometimes, "tell me something good that happened today?"... let us all learn to give thanks with grateful hearts! Let’s pray for our children to learn to be more thankful today; we are so blessed and should never take it for granted. 

I can't help but think of the Thankfulness song from Madame Blueberry - Veggie Tales:

I thank God for this day,
For the sun in the sky,
For my mom and my dad,
For my piece of apple pie!
For our home on the ground,
For His love that's all around,
That's why I say thanks every day!
Because a thankful heart is a happy heart!
I'm glad for what I have,
That's an easy way to start!
For the love that He shares,
'Cause He listens to my prayers,
That's why I say thanks every day! 

Praying for our students through the year - day 19 (S) Self-Control

Today we are praying for Self-control for our children! In order to have self-control we must have

self-discipline; the power or ability to control our thoughts, actions, feelings and desires with the intention of improving self. Self-control is restraint exercised over one's own impulses, emotions, or desires. Self-control is self-discipline in action.

Galatians 5:22-23 says “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

Self-control comes from the Holy Spirit living in us. 

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 says “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified”. 

It is hard without the help of the Holy Spirit to keep our keep our emotions in check. It can be difficult to not lose our temper or to spout off at the mouth. It can be hard to not go too far in relationships and to save ourselves for marriage. It can be difficult to not overeat or be a slob. It is hard to make it a priority to spend quality time in God’s Word, or attend church faithfully to worship and share with others…however, all of these things are possible when we let the Holy Spirit control our thoughts, words and actions. With His help, self-control is obtainable. Teach your children to talk to God; help them learn to tell God what areas they are struggling with and how to look in His Word for answers to help them overcome. He will guide us when we sincerely ask Him. Pray your children will learn self-control in their life. Pray they will learn to control whatever battle rages inside of them. Pray they will have strength to stand strong and lean on God so that their emotions, impulses and desires don't run out of control. Pray they will be a positive example of God's Love to everyone around them. Pray they will learn to think before they speak or act. Teach them to internally reflect and ponder these questions before they take action:  "Is what I am about to do or say pleasing to God? Is it helpful or hurtful to others and to my testimony"? Encourage them to live out loud for Christ!

Praying for our students through the year - day 18 (R) Respect

Today I am praying for my sons to respect others, (not just my sons but my whole family). Respect is regard for the feelings, wishes, rights, or traditions of others. The apostle Peter tells us we should show respect to everyone. (1 Peter 2:17) ...this includes God, family, friends, and those in authority over us. Pray your kids learn to be respectful to others. Pray they will realize all people were created in the image of God and worthy of respect and love. Even when others do not believe in Christ, we should still love them in hopes that they may come to a salvation knowledge of Him. Christ loved all people enough to die for them; we should treat them in a decent manner. The Bible tells us to love God most and that He needs to be the first priority in our life, then we should love our neighbors as ourselves. To truly love our neighbors we must show them respect. Pray your family to have enough self-discipline to show proper respect to all people. Model respect in front of your children - they are watching, listening and learning how to interact from your example. If we argue, complain, have negative comments, or show a lack of respect toward others, then our children will learn to do the same. On the other hand, if we model the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-26) then they will learn to pattern these characteristics from the Holy Spirit also. Pray for your family to grow more respectful today!

"Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor." Romans 12:10

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Matthew 22:37-38

Praying for our students through the year - day 17 (Q) Quiet

Ecclesiastes 3:7b

Today we are praying that our children, and ourselves, learn the virtue of being quiet. We need to learn to hold our tongues. The tongue has incredible power, it can build up or destroy in a matter of seconds. It can bring blessings or curse others, praises or words of hate. Colossians 4:6 tells us to let our words be seasoned with salt and full of grace. In Ephesians we are told to not let any unwholesome talk come out of our mouths, to only say things that are beneficial. Have you ever heard if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all?...well sometimes it may be better for us to be QUIET! Pray your child learns when it is best to just be quiet. Pray they learn to be quiet in class, church, or during other times of instruction. Also pray they learn how to be quiet before their Heavenly Father. Lord, teach us to hold our tongues. I once read a book called "When to Speak Up, and When to Shut Up" - some things to ponder before speaking are: 

1. Does the situation directly involve me?
2. Do I have something valuable and purposeful to contribute by speaking?
3. What will happen by my speaking or being silent? 
4. What will the consequences be (good and bad) if I choose to speak or be silent?
5. What are the motives of my speaking or being silent?

"There will be times when we speak out instead of remaining silent and there will be times we are silent when a voice should come forth." ---Michael D. Sedler

We all probably have past regrets of when we spoke wrong words or didn't speak when we knew we should have. Pray that your past choices of how your used your tongue will guide you in how you chose to speak or be quiet in the future. We can all learn from past mistakes. We want our words to glorify God, bring healing, salvation, and honor to God - not self. We want them to promote more holy communication and learning, not destruction. On the other hand, we want our QUIET to bring personal time with the Lord, learning and time for Him to speak to us. We do not want our lack of words to reflect pouting or anger. It can be difficult to discern when to speak and when to be silent, that is why praying for discernment (day 4) must never stop. Teach your child the value of quietness and meditation. Teach them how to be quiet before the Lord. Show them how to read God's Word and how to meditate on it. When we meditate on God's Word we are quite before The Word, deliberately focusing on it, reflecting on the meaning and context, studying the passage to learn from it - not just reading it - we cannot do this is we are reading it and moving on with out stopping and being quite before the Lord. God's voice is steady and unwavering, yet we must quiet our voices and soul to be able to hear it. Pray your children will learn to be quiet daily before the Lord and allow Him to speak to their soul. Pray He will quiet their fears, anxiety, and self-doubt of their tempted bodies, and help them realized they are made for more! Once we learn to be QUIET before the Lord then we will be able to SHOUT his mercy, grace, love and forgiveness to the world around us from the rooftops!

"A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back." Proverbs 29:11 

“Teach me, and I will be silent; make me understand how I have gone astray." Job 6:24

"Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble." Proverbs 21:23 

"What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops." Matthew 10:27 ESV

"And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed." Mark 1:35 ESV - Jesus even got away by himself to be quiet and alone with God. He is our perfect example of how to live. Spending quiet time alone with Him keeps us focused and helps us not get overwhelmed or burned out. Make sure you are quiet before the Lord today!

Praying for our students through the year - day 16 (P) Perseverance

Today pray for your child to have perseverance - doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success. It is pressing on even when it is hard or when others oppose you. As our world drifts further into sin, Christians must have perseverance. Pray for your child to learn to never give up, no matter what obstacles they face; even if they are persecuted for their believe in Christ. As believers, we have power and strength from the Holy Spirit; during hard times He will help us press on. We need to pray for perseverance, for understanding of God's Word, and to not be led away by false teachers or temptations that try to pull us away from our faith. Pray your child will stand for what they believe and stay strong when persecuted. Pray they will boldly witness to others and share their faith. Pray they will lean on the strength of the Holy Spirit when tempted or persecuted and be open enough to come talk to you, as their parents, about their problems.  Pray they will persevere in this dark world around them and realize this is just their temporary home. 

"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." Romans 5:1-5 NKJV

"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9

Praying for our students through the year - day 15 (O) Obedient

Today pray for your child to be obedient. Being obedient is being submissive to authority; yielding to commands, performing what is required, or abstaining from what is forbidden. 

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” Ephesians 6:1-3 ESV

Obedience is commanded by God. Disobedience is a sin because it disregards the standards set by our Holy God. Anything less than FULL and COMPLETE obedience is a sin. Pray that your children will learn to not only listen, but to obey. James tells us in 1:22 to be doers of the word, not only hearers. As parents, we need to require obedience out of our children. This is not only a way for our children to show respect to parents, those in authority, to elders, and others, but also a command. Our love for Christ should be a great motivator for us to be obedient. Christ was obedient even unto death (Philippians 2:8). Pray your child will be diligent in following instructions: the instructions of their teachers, parents, those in authority, and most of all Christ. Pray your children will see an example of you passionately obeying and following God. Pray that your example will passionately inspire them to seek His Will and direction for their lives wholeheartedly. Pray your children will not do the right thing just because they have to, but because they truly desire to please God. Pray they will hide God's Word in their hearts so they will know what Truth is and what to believe and obey. Pray they will be taught Truth in all things and not lured away by this world. Pray they will obey the 1st time and not suffer the consequences of a life on detour because of disobedience. We do not want our child to be like Jonah and run the other way when God calls them to a difficult task, so teach them while they are young to be obedient in all things. 

Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. 

Colossians 3:20

"And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes." Deuteronomy 6:6-8

Praying for our students through the year - day 14 (N) Neighbors

Today pray that your child will learn to understand who their biblical neighbors are. Pray they will understand their neighbors are everyone around them, including their enemies. Pray they will learn how to respect and treat others in a manner pleasing to the Lord. Pray they will learn to develop a self-sacrificing love. Pray they will learn to help others in need. The parable of the Good Samaritan is a great example of loving your neighbor in Luke 10:25-37. Pray your child will grow in a deeper understanding of Christ so that they may see and understand the greatest example of loving others. May we all be guilty of offering others help, comforting others, binding others wounds, visiting or caring for the sick and frail, and loving others with Christ-like love. 

The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 

Mark 12:31 ESV

Praying for our students through the year - day 13 (M) Maturity

Will you join me in praying for maturity today?

1 Corinthians 14:20 says "Brothers, do not be children in your thinking...but in your thinking be mature."

Christian Maturity is something that develops with time. It is a process that begins when a person accepts Jesus as their Savior. The Apostle Paul said that spiritual growth is an ongoing process in Philippians 3:12-14 "Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own…But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." In order for Christian maturity to develop in our life, we must make a choice to read and meditate on God's Word, allow God to renew our mind, and then be obedient to what we learn.

Romans 12:1-2 says, "present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” 

As we mature, we should learn to walk obediently with God. Maturity is making a choice to live by God’s ways instead of the world’s ways. Pray your student will develop christian maturity in their life. We should never stop growing; we need to keep learning and growing in our faith until the day the Lord calls us home.  Progressive sanctification is what gradually separates Christ's followers from the world and makes us more and more like Him. Pray this maturity will happen in your child's life.  Pray they will break free from the power and love of sin. Pray that your child will step by step, day by day, intentionally choose the right path. It won’t always be easy, so encourage them. They will have growing pains, but reaching maturity is worth the battle. Pray you will see evidence of their maturity by seeing them apply God's Word in everyday circumstances in their life. Pray your student does not stay in the same place in their relationship with God as where they were when they first got saved. If your child hasn't come to realize they need a personal relationship with Christ and that He is our Redeemer and Savior, pray they will mature to understand this soon. Pray your child will fall in love with God’s Word and want to read, meditate, and memorize it so that they can apply it to their life. Pray your child will put away childish behavior and mature into the person God has called them to be. Pray they will never stop growing!

Maturity Growth Markers: 

We will always have room for improvement, but the more time you spend studying God’s Word, the more you will want to do it. So let me ask you some maturity/spiritual growth questions. 

1. Is reading your Bible a “want to” or a “have to” decision? Do you enjoy God's Word?
2. How often do you pray? Do you enjoy talking to your Heavenly Father?
3. Do you ever read your Bible besides when studying for Sunday School or church? 
4. Do you study your Sunday School lesson? 
5. Do you pay attention in church and try to learn or are you busy on your phone, clipping your fingernails, or sleeping? Do you try to find jobs to serve instead of having to sit in service and be fed?
6. Do you have a desire to serve God and help others grow and deepen their understanding?

Take time to honestly evaluate your Christian Maturity.  Are you still milk fed like a baby or are your growing? Spiritual maturity should be a priority for us. 

"Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil" (Hebrews 5:13-14). 

As a believer, we are not to always be milk-fed. Instead, we are called to grow and chew on the "meat" of God's Word. 

Praying for our students through the year - day 12 (L) Listening

Let us pray for listening ears today. We have 2 ears and one mouth for a reason...mine just tends to be a loud mouth sometimes! Do we listen twice as much as we speak? James wrote to us in the New Testament we should be quick to hear and slow to speak, but in a me first world this can be a difficult thing to teach our children. Sadly many of us are quick to do right the opposite of what James teaches--we are quick to speak and slow to hear. We stop listening so that we can start thinking about what we are going to say next to win the argument or just to keep the conversation going. When our babies are born we treat them as if the whole universe revolves around them and they are the absolute center of our attention; later only to have to teach them it doesn't. We need to pray our children learn to listen to God's Word 1st and foremost. We need to pray they learn to listen respectfully to others as a way to show Christ-like love. We need to pray they learn to listen to their teachers and others in authority over them. God hears our prayers...HE listens to us...if God does that for us, we should do the same for others. (See 1 Peter 3:12) A sympathetic ear may be just what a brother or sister, friend, neighbor, or even stranger is needing and we may be in that conversation for such a time as this. "Hearing" is not always listening...I have been guilty of saying yes or no to my kids when they were little when I was distracted with chores later to think 'what did they just ask me?', 'what did I just give an answer to?'. Have you ever left being with someone and tried to remember what the conversation was about, or when multiple people are waiting to talk to you and you can't remember all the questions you answered?...if not, maybe that's just me and my distracted listening skills...The point is we can HEAR and not really LISTEN! Our kids are the same way. We need to pray for them to develop good listening skills. Depending on the situation, taking notes helps tremendously with my listening skills and keeps me from being distracted by my surroundings. If we never stop talking an learn to be a good listener we may miss the most important Still Small Voice one day. 1 Kings 19:11-13

Here are some tips to improve listening - pray for your children (or you, or me!) to improve in these areas:

1. Pray for the ability to truly listen instead of using the time the other person is speaking to form your next thoughts.
2. Pray for the ability to not interrupt the other person, learn to let others finish their sentences. 
3. Help your children learn good visual listening cues that shows they are active listeners (ie. nodding their heads yes or no).

"The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice." Proverbs 12:15

"Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak" James 1:19a

Praying for our students through the year - day 11 (K) Knowledge

Today we are praying for our students to gain knowledge. Knowledge can be defined as the fact or state of knowing; the perception of fact or truth. To “know” something is to perceive it or to be aware of it. A well-informed and knowledgeable Christian possesses character and morals that have Godly influence. Such a person is always ready for action in the army of the Lord. While knowledge of the Lord (Biblical knowledge or wisdom) is the most important knowledge we can possess, learning is also important. Pray for your child to have a teachable spirit this school year. Pray they will listen and submit to their teacher's, coach's or manager's instructions this year so that they can grow in knowledge no matter how intelligent they think they already are. We should never stop learning. Pray your child will be aware of not only God's existence but also learn to have a deep appreciation for Him and desire a relationship with Him. Pray your child will have a desire to pay attention and learn at school, college or work each day as they study or train so that they can become all God has called them to be. We know from Proverbs 2:6 that the Lord gives wisdom and out of His mouth comes knowledge and understanding. We must seek it diligently and help our children learn to do the same. Wisdom and knowledge are something to be sought after. I am a nerd, through and through, I love to read and learn, but we must not get so caught up with learning that we do not put into action the knowledge we have gained. In Robby Gallaty's book Bearing Fruit  he states:

"Friends, we need to be careful that we are not so heavenly minded that we are no earthly good, as the old saying goes." Many don't need another Bible study guide to teach them theological truth; you need to invest the Bible you've studied into the lives of others around us. It is for this very reason discipleship is essential for spiritual growth."

Pray you and your child will be given the opportunities each day to use their Biblical knowledge and book knowledge to glorify God someway, somehow.  How can you help another grow? James tells us that if we lack wisdom and ask God will give it abundantly...have you asked? Proverbs 1 tells us about the beginning of knowledge. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction." (vs.7)  Fear does not mean to be scared of God but to have respect for Him, His Word, His Will, His Way, His Authority - to worship and praise Him. God has infinite and absolute knowledge! Our knowledge will be flawed compared to His but we should still seek to obtain it...don't settle for mediocre and doing less than your best when God sent His Very Best One and Only Son for us! We should never seek knowledge for our own vainglory, but use it to bring about maturity in our lives so that we may better serve and glorify God.

"5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness,7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Peter 1:5-8

"and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Jon 8:32

Praying for our students through the year - day 10 (J) Joyfulness

Joyfulness is our prayer for the day! Joy is great delight caused by God. Our Father God provides exceptionally good and satisfying pleasure or delight regardless of our situation. Can you say that you truly have JOY down in your heart? Joy is not the same as happiness; which is based on our emotions and changes with our feelings and situations. Happiness is affected by the the world around us. Joy is within, from us abiding in Christ alone. Too often the worries of this world can turn our smiles upside down into frowns. We let today's stresses rob us of our joy. My 17 year old told me last night how life was so much easier as a child...he is still a kid in my eyes! Anyway, when he was young, the stress of the day all went away after a good night's sleep - the problems from the day before vanished. He said now, we just get a slight reprieve from them once we manage to fall asleep, then they are all still there the next morning. This makes my heart hurt that we can't take away the stresses that our children face, but we can model how to be Godly adults and deal with the stress of life. We will always have job/school demands, busy (or over-busy) schedules, chores, bills, deadlines, the list can go on...however we do NOT have to let these steal our JOY!  Teach them while you have them at home how to manage stress and not let the weight of this world rob them of their joyfulness. Pray Satan will not steal their joy by filling your child's mind with self-doubt, fear, anxiety, the need to fit in, or any other negativity. Pray they will learn true JOY comes from the LORD and is ever-present regardless of situations. Remind them of what  2 Samuel 22:2-4 says - the Lord is our rock, fortress, and deliverer; where we take refuge - we have a our Savior, worthy to be praised! If He can deliver us and provide us refuge and salvation that gives us enough reason to have JOY! Even with trials we can still have JOY! Look at Paul and Silas...is our joy contagious?  Pray it will be! Look at Acts 16:25-34 in verse 34 the jailers entire household rejoiced and believed after Paul and Silas prayed, worshiped, and witnessed. Wow, what an example for how we should joyfully live!

Pray that your family's faith will be seen as genuine and joyful; that it will portray the great love God has for us.  Let our lives reflect His love---He sent His one and only Son to die for us so that we could have a relationship with Him and be forgiven for our sins...this should let our JOY always SHINE no matter what is happening around us!

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 

Philippians 4:4-7

Then my soul will rejoice in the Lord, exulting in his salvation. Psalm 35:9

Joy in Action

"Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning."

Psalm 30:5b

Josh Wilson sings it best in "Before the Morning": “My friend, you know how this all ends and you know where you're going, you just don't know how you get there so just say a prayer and hold on, cause there's good who love God, life is not a snapshot, it might take a little time, but you'll see the bigger picture. Would dare you, would you dare, to believe, that you still have a reason to sing, 'cause the pain you've been feeling, can't compare to the joy that's coming. So hold on, you got to wait for the light, press on, just fight the good fight because the pain you've been feeling, it's just the dark before the morning."

Praying for our students through the year - day 9 (I) Initiative

Initiative - the ability to assess and initiate things independently; the power or opportunity to act or take charge before others do. Do we exhibit initiative in our daily lives? If not how can we teach it to our children and pray for them to develop it? How or what can we do to develop a better attitude about taking the lead when God directs us? How can we function better, stronger, and faster, even in times of uncertainly and stress? Read Ephesians 5:8-14. We are called to walk as children of the Light, to discern what is pleasing, to take no part in unfruitful works of darkness. What are we busy doing? We should each press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. We each are called to do something as long as we have breath in us. Pray that we each have the initiative to carry it out until the day of our departure from this temporary home. Let us encourage one another to do good deeds and meet together for encouragement and uplifting, not to tear each other down. Pray we and our children will recognize and do what needs to be done without being asked! We cannot do what we are called to do if we do not have the initiative to GET UP and START moving! Opposites of this trait are laziness, letting others lead even when we are capable or called, or refusing to put forth our best effort. Pray these negative traits will be absent for your child's life and your own. We must be motivated to go after the life in which Christ has called each of our families! Do you have the initiative to pick up the torch and lead the way, getting others to follow you, as you follow Christ? Will you make excuses, letting others follow you and your family into perhaps laziness, the world, sin, or excuses? Remember we are called to be a Light to this world; in it but not of it!

Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. I John 3:18

A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich. Proverbs 10:24

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:1-2

Points to Ponder:

(C) Shutterstock

1. Do you need someone else to motivate you or do you set your own goals?
2. Can you tell when changes are good or bad when things are changing around you? Do you stand for God's Word when these changes occur?
3. In what situations did you fail to be motivated when you should have been? Why?
4. What areas of your life would improve if you had more Godly initiative?

Make sure your motivation is Christ-centered and pray for your family to have more initiative to help do what He had called each of you to accomplish for His Glory! He will empower you to accomplish what He has called you to do! Do you want your family to make their mark in this fleeting world or will you take the initiative to pray for your family to make a mark for His Eternal Kingdom?

Praying for our students through the year - day 8 (H) Humility

According to the dictionary, HUMILITY is: freedom from pride or arrogance: the quality or state of being humble. Biblical humility goes hand in hand with being submissive or ready to conform to authority, obedient and meek. This type attitude allows us to create peace and have unity. Pray that your children develop humility. Pray that they are never so prideful and puffed up that they cannot accept correction. Pray that they never think their opinions are always right and always better than others around them. This type of thinking will never help in creating unity in the body of Christ. While we don't want our children on the other end of the spectrum, either, where they bow down to the world and others around them. They must truly be in the Word to know what it says so they will know when and how to stand. We were bought with a price...the blood of Christ, therefore we should serve Him alone. Who do we teach our children to please...the world around them or Christ? What do our actions show them is the most important? What are we truly worshiping? Do we need to pray for humility in our own lives as well? Pray our children will humbly seek to please Christ each and every day of their lives. We need to teach them to love God and obey Him, above everything and everyone. We need not try to keep up with our friends, or whatever is the latest trend to keep them in the popular crowd...remember we are in this world and not of it...

For real do we need more "scrunchies, metal straws, save the turtles" and such things now days "sksksk and i oop oop"...(and I don't even have daughters and I hear about this stuff---if you are clueless be thankful and don't lose brain cells by googling it...girls and their trends now days struggling to fit in.)

Instead pray for your kids to have a right ATTITUDE that will not hurt other kids, to be BOLD in their belief in Christ and sharing it, to have COURAGE & DISCERNMENT about when and what to say that is the best thing at the right time with ENTHUSIASM. Pray they will be FRIENDLY and GENEROUS.  Then they will be on the right track to biblical HUMILITY! When we humble ourselves we have the same mindset as Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. He came to seek and save the lost. He humbled himself and became obedient, even unto death on a cross. (see Luke 19:10 and Philippians 2:7-8)

"5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you" 1 Peter 5:5-6

"For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think..." Romans 12:3a

Praying for our Students through the School Year - Day 7 (G) - Generosity!

It is day 7 of 178 days of praying for our students. Today we are praying for "generosity". Scripture tells us we are to give generously. Generosity is being kind and unselfish, especially as it pertains to money and other things we consider valuable. It is sharing abundantly with others, even if they are strangers or undeserving in our eyes. 

We are told in the Bible about how people gave freely with willing hearts. God sets the perfect example of giving...He gave his one and only Son so that the world might be saved! This is also how we should define love: to lay down our lives for others. We need to pray that when we see others in need the Holy Spirit will convict us to act, to help, to love in deeds and actions...to be generous. Paul states in Acts 20:35 is it more blessed to give than to receive. I always enjoy watching others open gifts we have purchased for them. Pray that your children will develop a generous heart, instead of a me, me, me attitude of a life centered all around them. The selfish, worldly treasures we store up here will all vanish; moths and thieves will destroy or steal them. (Matt 6:19-24) We need to teach our kids to store up their treasures in Heaven and we need to lead by example. Pray your children will develop generosity. This does not mean they have to give ALL their money away. We can store up treasures in heaven by being Christ-like: loving deeply, forgiving without holding grudges, sharing the good news of the gospel, enduring persecution with right attitudes, praying for others, and it can also mean giving of their time and money to serve Christ and His Church. Pray your child will answer the call to whatever it is God wants them to do today. Also pray they will generously give their body to Christ to go into the career He wants them to do when they are older. Pray for their future spouse. If they can learn to give generously now, all of their relationships will be better in the future, because it is truly better to give than receive. What we truly value is evident by how we live. Where are we storing up our treasures? What are we teaching our kids is most important? Where is our generosity, if we had a "generosity meter"? Do we treasure Jesus or this world...it can't be both ways? Pray your family will become consumed with living and loving like Jesus. Pray your family will become so generous that it will be sold out for Christ and His Kingdom alone!

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. John 3:16-17 ESV

6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 ESV

Store up your treasures in heaven!