Young people, this verse clearly states that your life will be blessed [or happy] if your parents are just [or right with God] so that they will walk in integrity [or in spiritual maturity]. Being a godly parent is not easy. Your parents have many burdens that you do not see. They are humans and struggle with sin just as you do. One of the things you can do to help your parents stay right with God and walk in spiritual maturity as they rear you is to pray for them.

Transition

This evening I am going to show you from the book of Proverbs, 10 Ways to Pray for Your Parents. These are prayers asking God to make your parents better. When you pray these prayers, you must be willing to obey your parents when God answers your prayers.

Pray that Dad & Mum will give you biblical instruction and doctrine, Pr 1:8; 2:1-5; 4:2

  1. Pray that their instruction will be biblical
    1. Your parents are influenced by the ideas of the world. Sometimes it is difficult to know God’s will.
    2. Ask God to help your parents know truth. Ask God to help your parents sift every instruction through the Bible sifter (1Th 5:21-22).
  2. Pray that their doctrine will be biblical
    1. Your parents need to know the Bible in order to teach you biblical doctrine. Pray that God will help them to read the Bible daily and to learn so they can teach you.
    2. Pray that your parents will not be pulled away towards any of the false teachings of erring churches. If your parents do not have biblical doctrine, it will be difficult for you to learn biblical doctrine.

Pray that Dad & Mum will carefully warn you of dangers in life, Pr 1:10, 15

  1. Life is full of dangers
    1. Bad friends are dangerous to your character.
    2. Mobile phones can be dangerous. Texting, gaming, talking to bad friends, searching the web, all can be dangerous.
    3. Books, magazines, TV, video, music, popular fashions all can be dangerous.
    4. Boy-girl relationships are very dangerous.
  2. Parents often fail to warn ahead of time
    1. They may not know how to say what needs to be said.
    2. They may not know how old you should be when they warn you of a danger.
    3. They get busy and don’t think to warn.
    4. Pray that your parents will carefully warn you.

Pray that Dad & Mum will adequately prepare you for sexual temptations, Pr 2:12, 16

  1. Sexual temptations are all around young people
    1. These temptations are part of our human nature, especially as you start to grow up.
    2. Many children talk about these temptations in a dirty way. That is not right.
    3. Many young people yield to sexual temptations without realizing the dangers and heartaches involved.
  2. Parents often feel uneasy talking about sexual temptations.
    1. Help your parents by asking questions that you want answered. Don’t be embarrassed.
    2. Pray that God will give them wisdom in preparing you for sexual temptations.

Pray that Dad & Mum will give you counsel that will lengthen your life, Pr 4:10

  1. Bad counsel will shorten your life
    1. The counsel of bad friends may lead you into life-shortening habits.
    2. The devil’s encouragement to live a sinful life may shorten life.
  2. Biblical counsel can lengthen your life
    1. Obeying your parent’s laws and commands will lengthen your life (Pr 3:1-2).
    2. God said that honouring your parents will lengthen your life. (Exod 20:12) “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.”

Pray that Dad & Mum will show you by their example how to get God’s wisdom, Pr 5:1

  1. Parents often lack God’s wisdom
    1. Wisdom is the God-given ability to make right choices.
    2. Wisdom comes from God. As we study the Bible and draw close to the Lord, we can get His wisdom.
    3. Many parents do not spend much time in the Bible. Therefore, they lack wisdom.
  2. Pray that your parents will be wise so they can teach you to be wise
    1. Pray that your parents will daily study the Bible.
    2. Pray that God will give them wisdom to lead you.
    3. Pray that they will teach you by example how to get God’s wisdom.

Pray that Dad & Mum’s commands will be Bible-based so they will be fair, Pr 6:20, 7:1

  1. Commands are like fences to keep you in line.
    1. Commands can be good or bad.
    2. Commands can be fair or unreasonable.
    3. Your parents need God’s help to make commands and laws that are always biblical, good, fair, and reasonable.
  2. Biblical commands will keep you from going astray.
    1. Pray that God will guide your parents in making good and fair rules.
    2. Pray that your parents will rightly enforce the rules.

Pray that Dad & Mum will teach you to spot false teachings, Pr 19:27

  1. Our world is full of false teachings
    1. The world is all wrong about abortion, evolution, music and living with a partner unmarried.
    2. False teachings include cult heresies, Charismatic chaos, baby baptism, confirmation and “best Bible text” issues.
  2. You need your parents to teach you truth.
    1. Pray that your parents will be wise in this area.
    2. Ask them questions about things that are unclear.

Pray that Dad & Mum will train you up in God’s way, Pr 22:6

  1. Training is guidance to get you started in life.
    1. Training is teaching the rules and practicing right.
    2. Like sport training, this training takes work and repetition.
  2. Pray that your parents will train you properly
    1. God has a specific way that He wants your parents to train you. God’s way is the way you should go.
    2. This training will take about 20 years or more. Pray that God will guide your parents as they train you. Being good coaches is a huge task and they need God’s help.

Pray that Dad & Mum will seek your heart, Pr 23:26

  1. Your heart is your love and loyalty
    1. The one who has your heart steers your conduct.
    2. Many young people give their heart to a close friend instead of to their parents. That is a BIG mistake.
  2. God wants your parents to have your heart.
    1. Your parents ought to spend loving time with you to gain and keep your heart. Parents often fail at this.
    2. Pray that your parents see the need and seek your heart.

Pray that by Dad & Mum’s example you will learn to fear the LORD, Pr 24:21

  1. Fearing the Lord is very important (Ecclesiastes 12:13)
    1. This is fearing to do anything that would offend God.
    2. It is respecting God and putting Him above all else.
    3. You cannot get wisdom without fearing God (Proverbs 9:10).
  2. Fearing God is learned.
    1. Your parents ought to be the ones who teach you how to fear the Lord. Watch their lives. Learn from them.
    2. If they are not teaching this by their example, pray for them. Pray that God will help them to help you.

Conclusion

God created your body. He knows what will make your life truly happy. God gave these 10 instructions to parents and children to help you reach your full happy potential.

You parents will never be perfect, but God can make them better if you will pray for them. Take this list of 10 prayer requests and pray for your parents every day. If you do not pray for your parents and they fail in one of these areas, it is partly your fault. As you pray, ask God to help you obey in each of these areas.

Song: Teach Me to Pray – 346
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10 Ways to Pray for Your Parents
1 May 2016 PM – Proverbs 20:7 – Fortifying the Family – Scott Childs