Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it – Proverbs 22:6
God is concerned about the family, whether both parents are in the home or not. He’s concerned about the family. As women, we try our best to keep our family together. Many will go through many difficulties to keep the family together, and God sees and will reward you for your efforts. Those of us who were fortunate to be born to praying parents may recall the times we heard our parents praying. We saw the different struggles, hurt, pain, and difficulties our parents went through, and many times, we didn’t understand why they kept on praying.
Why did they keep believing God for something that seemed like it wouldn’t happen? Little did we know, they had a relationship with God, and they didn’t believe in what they were seeing or feeling, but they believed in a God that would be there for them and their family no matter what the family was going through or would go through.
Prayer is the strength in every family; the person who prays is the one who will connect with God for the protection and provision of their family. Without prayer, when the adversary or trouble comes, the family will fall apart, but the family that has someone praying will keep the family intact even through difficult times.
As women of God, we need to teach our children how to pray; although God wants us to pray, He also wants us to teach our children so that they will not trust us to pray, but they will know how to pray for themselves and for others.
Many families have one parent who prays, although both parents are in the home. It can be hard knowing you’re the only one who’s praying, and you see how the adversary comes to destroy the family, and no one else is aware of what’s happening.
It gets lonely sometimes when you want to communicate with your family about God; you want them to desire to have a relationship and fellowship with Him as you do. Like children, they need prayer instilled in them, and when they get old, they will not depart from the teaching you have given them.
Take the time to pray with your child as an infant; while the child is still in your womb, you can read the Bible out loud, and they will hear the Scriptures, just as they hear your voice when you’re talking with them.
Take the Word of God and speak Scripture to your unborn child; speak Scripture over their life and in their life before them being born. Once they’re born, continue to teach them the principles of the Lord. Sometimes, no matter how you have prayed and spoken Scripture over your children, some will depart from the faith and may go against the teaching you have taught them.
Don’t give up; continue to pray for them, and continue to speak the Word of God over their life. The Word of God is established in heaven; it will never return to God void, and He watches over His Word to perform it. Your nonbelieving spouse, don’t get weary; pray and know that God will perfect that which concerns you and your spouse.
If you’re professing to be a Christian, act like one when you’re at home, and don’t let those who have not accepted Jesus see or hear you do anything that will make you’re professing to be a lie or confuse them of what is the life of a true Christian.
God is concerned about the family. It’s the family that makes a nation; it’s the family that makes a neighborhood; it’s the family that will lead others to Christianity when they live according to what they profess.
The violence will stop, the gang banging will stop, the drug addiction will stop, and pushing drugs will be discontinued when we, as mothers, instill in our children the principles of God. When a community has the fear and reverence of God, what we see and hear from the media will no longer be.
When individuals, families, and communities live according to the principles of God, wickedness can’t be established. Our parents taught us to respect others. We were taught to love everyone; we were taught not to bully anyone; we didn’t make fun of people because of their facial appearance, the color of their skin, or how they were dressed.
We were taught education was a must; we were taught to work for what we wanted and not to take what didn’t belong to us. We were taught not to take anything or anyone for granted. We were taught to save money for a rainy day.
We were taught to be clean and keep our appearance modest and respectful to ourselves and others. We were taught to respect God, His people, and His Word; we were taught God should be the head of our life and we should communicate with Him through prayer daily.
A child or family can’t be taught if they’re not given an example of what is right and what is wrong. Whether you’re a believer or non-believer, we can change our families and neighborhoods by teaching them life’s principles, and we learn them through Scripture and express them through our lifestyle.