June 19 – God Created the Family

One of the big issues facing Christians today is how to raise our children in a godly way? It is an absolutely crucial question. Yesterday, Pastor Samuel preached about spiritual fatherhood, and about how to be a good father today.

Father, as we consider how to pray for parents, and for the raising up of more godly fathers – may You direct our thoughts into an intentional mind-set that guides us in how best to raise our children with a great love for Christ and His ways.

After all, family is rooted in Your Creation. You saw that Adam needed a life partner – You created Eve and brought her to Adam, they became husband and wife.

Among the principles laid down in the Creation Ordinances was marriage and family life. Exodus 20:12, ‘Honour your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you’ – the Fifth commandment.

You planned for the family to be at the heart of society. In essence, being a parent is an office, just as a pastor or evangelist or prophet. As such, there is the promise of Your grace, help and anointing to accomplish the task. This applies to Christian couples and equally to a Christian parent who is single or married to someone who is not a Christian.

Lord, grant us Your grace, help and anointing in this whole area. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

June 20 – Father, if parents walk with You as You intend, then they can expect to live fruitful lives – Genesis 1:28, ‘God blessed Adam and Eve and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.’

There are three principles which are important:

1. Honouring parents is the fifth commandment. If followed and obeyed by the children, then there is an opportunity for the children to be greatly blessed. Ephesians 6:1-3, CSB, ‘1Children, obey your parents in the Lord, because this is right. 2Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise, 3so that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life in the land.’

2. Your blessing on the family produces fruitfulness, multiplication and long life. Taking into consideration Genesis 1:28 and Exodus 20:12, we can expect these things to take place – You are faithful to Your word 

3. There is a responsibility on children to honour their parent or parents. As children learn how to honour their parents, they are blessed. This also teaches them how to honour and obey You. This lifestyle pleases You, especially when it includes obedience and a faith-filled attitude. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

June 21 – Teaching Children to have Patience, and a Proper Attitude Towards Parent/Parents

Proverbs 1:8, NLT, ‘My child, listen when your father corrects you. Don’t neglect your mother’s instruction.’

Proverbs 23:22, NLT, ‘Listen to your father, who gave you life, and don’t despise your mother when she is old.’

This is a universal principle which applies to all parents, but is especially is in line with Scripture when it is practised by Christian parents and their children.

Father, so many family relationships are riven by strife, anger and mistrust. We pray for breakthrough, a ministry of forgiveness and reconciliation through Telford Elim, in person and online, and Your peace to be at the heart of each family relationship in our church, among those we reach, and beyond that through the UK Church and its ministries.

We pray for the fruit of the Spirit to be evident and present in each family in or associated with our church. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

June 22 – Ephesians 6:1-4 CSB, ‘1Children, obey your parents in the Lord, because this is right. 2Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise, 3so that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life in the land. 4Fathers, don’t stir up anger in your children, but bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.’

Jesus honoured His parents by being obedient to them (Luke 2:51).

Parents can discourage their children in the faith and need to be careful not to do this. Colossians 3:20-21, ‘Children obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord. Father’s do not provoke your children lest they become discouraged.’

Father, twice in these passages fathers are admonished not to discourage nor to produce anger in their children. This is a great issue. So many children have been either discouraged or provoked to anger by their fathers. Your word is always true and right.

Heal the idea of fatherhood in our nation. Transform it so that fatherhood is seen through the prism of Your pure and loving fatherhood. We ask for a new emphasis in the Church on what it means to be a godly, honouring and Christ-like father/spiritual father in these days – one who encourages and inspires their children in walking with Christ. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

June 23 – Raising Children in Christ

Father, Your word states that a Christian husband and wife is the best model for marriage; however, there are many single Christian mums and dads who are dong an amazing job of raising their children in Christ.

We pray that all Christian parents will be equipped to raise their children in a way that teaches Your truth for life, family, relationships and society. We pray for the blessings of:

1. Understanding how to obey Your word in godly ways which honour Your authority and truth – while creating a redemptive pathway for those who have practised sinful behaviour as parents which leads them to Christ, and onto Your pathway for the family.

2. Presenting an example of faith which is real and seeks to raise children with an understanding of their need to also follow Christ as their own personal Lord and Saviour.

3. Family relationships which help teach children about Your relationship in Trinity.

4. Family life modelling Your love though sanctified family love as a defence against the impact of the world.

5. Producing good soil which allows righteousness, hope and Kingdom values to be produced – these in turn become change agents through the family establishing Christ’s Kingdom in the world. Amen.

June 24 – Family as a Worshipping Unit

Raising children in a Christian family unit creates a worshipping family who…

a.        pray

b.        read the Bible

c.        take communion together

d.        give thanks for past mercies

e.        give praise to You for Your faithfulness and love in and through Christ

f.         and learn generosity of spirit which creates a gracious and generous attitude in their children who then give to the church and those in need without begrudging what is given.

Lord, we pray that families will talk about Christ and His word, pray for each other, our church family and our communities. That these values will enrich our children and prepare them for a faith-filled life following Christ. Amen.

June 25 – Today is Elim Mission’s Sunday and we are having a speaker, Pastor Hani Shadad coming to share about missions D.V.

Father, as Pastor Hani comes to speak today – we pray for Your anointing and blessing on Elim Missions, Hani, his family, and the work he is involved in. May they be blessed, the work prosper and flourish as they labour for You, and much good fruit come from it.

We pray for each missionary working overseas, or here in the UK. May they know a rich anointing on their lives, the provision of spiritual power, resources and courage they need to fulfil Your call and the ministry You have purposed for them to do.

Raise up many more women and men who will go out and share Christ with the nations, preaching the good news of the Gospel, baptising and making many disciples who then become disciple-makers themselves. In Jesus’ name. Amen.