June 16, 2017
Ephesians 6:1-4
(All Scripture is from the New King James Version unless otherwise indicated)
I am choosing another featured Scripture for this second installment of Praying Biblically For Our Children. It is II Timothy 5:8 – and at first may not seem like a good choice for the subject we are considering: “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” Paul is addressing the subject of financial and material provision given by the church to those in true need. But, he is saying, the responsibility of a family provider is to take care of his own first – and not leave the it to the church to provide!
My wife and I take our responsibility to provide for our family seriously! And not only financially and materially, but also by praying regularly for them! Thus, I have sought ways to creatively and Biblically pray for my family members.
Our first grandchild, Chelsea Faith, has a family of her own…
• John – Chelsea’s husband, has a strong Biblical name. John the apostle and his brother James in Mark 3:17 were nicknamed, “…Boanerges, that is, ‘Sons of Thunder.’ ” And so I pray for John, “Lord, may John be a Son of Thunder for you, loving you, serving you, and loudly sounding out the gospel so others can clearly hear! ”
• Noah is my first great-grandson! In the Bible, God said of Noah, in Genesis 7:1: “…I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation.” And so I pray for Noah, “God Almighty, may my Noah be found righteous by a strong faith in Jesus Christ, in his generation! ”
• Annabelle was born to Chelsea Thanksgiving day – our first great-grand-daughter! Chelsea calls her AB, short for Annabelle, and I call her Abi (or Abby). I have always liked the name Abby, and Abi is Biblical. The name is found in II Kings 18:2, concerning, “…Hezekiah, king of Judah….His mother’s name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah.” (II Kings 18:1, 2). Hezekiah was a good and godly king who reigned for 29 years in Jerusalem (see II Kings 18:2-7). Although it does not stipulate, Abi must have been a godly influence in her son’s life for him to turn out to be such a strong follower of Jehovah! And so I pray for my Abi, “God, may she grow up to be a woman of strong faith who will be the mother of faithful children who, in turn, will influence many people! ”
• John brought his own daughter into the relationship with Chelsea – Madelynn (called Maddy). In my mind, I have adopted her as my own great-granddaughter! I have not found any Biblical connection with the name Madelynn or Maddy, so I pray for her, “Oh Lord, just make Maddie a strong Christian who will marry an equally strong Christian man. May they raise a faithful family! ”
• Ann, my daughter, is married to Daniel, and their firstborn is named Daniel after his father. As I wrote in the last blog:
We read the story of Daniel in the Bible book that carries his name. Daniel
served the Lord even though he was taken captive as a teenager from Jerusa-
lem to Babylon! He was so faithful, he served in the Babylonian court for
over seven decades, serving under six Babylonian kings, and two Medo/Per-
sian kings. According to the Biblical record, he influenced at least two kings
to come to faith in Jehovah! (See Daniel, chapters 4 and 6).
And so I pray for both my Daniels, “God, may father and son be such a strong Christians that they will even influence even kings, and others in high positions! ”
• Meagan is Dan and Ann’s daughter! Meagan is a fine young teenager with a sweet disposition. Although I can’t find a Biblical equivalent to her name, I pray this was for Meagan: “Father, may Meagan have an open heart to Your Son Jesus and follow Him faithfully. May she marry a young man of solid Christian conviction, and raise a family of strong believing children.”
• Ann’s half-brother’s given name is Anthony – but everyone called him Bobby! He was with us for four years and then went back to live with his biological mother. We have lost track if him for over thirty years, but I pray for him daily! While he does not carry a Biblical name, Saint Anthony of the early thirteenth century AD was a pious young man who joined the Franciscan Order. He was a great teacher and preacher, and was canonized by Pope Gregory IX less than one year after his death, at the young age of 35! In 1946, Pope Pius XII proclaimed Anthony a Doctor of the Church – a high honor! And so I pray for Bobby (Anthony): “Oh, God, I so want to see Bobby in heaven and hug and love him. Please, may he and his family be strong Christians! ”
I saved the best for last!
• Hope is my dear and wonderful wife of almost 49 years! While I had nothing to do with choosing her name, I rejoice in what her parents decided to name her! Paul wrote in Romans 5:3 through 5:
…we…glory in tribulation, 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.
No, Hope has never disappointed me! She is a strong Christian woman whom I see reading and studying her Bible often. She regularly prays, and we pray together frequently. We are active in our church, and she has supported me through the ups and downs of 44 years of being a pastor! She is my confidant, my lover, my best friend! So I pray for my wife Hope, “Thank you, Lord God, for my Hope! May she never make You (or me) ashamed! Keep us both in health and in love with each other and – most of all – in love with You! ”
May these two blogs help us in Praying Biblically For Our Children and the rest of our families!