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I once was that prodigal child \u2014 lost, angry, and struggling to find my identity. Hardened on the outside, but deeply hurting within. The pain of my choices was not only destroying me, but creating heartache within our family and severing my relationships with the people who loved me most.<\/p>\n
By God\u2019s grace, my parents did not give up on me \u2014 despite how tempting it must have been at times. Instead, they entrusted my life to God, prayed for my brokenness, and fought for me in prayers that God eventually answered.<\/p>\n
Parents, if you are raising a seemingly hard-hearted, rebellious son or daughter (whether outwardly or inwardly), I challenge you to take up your arms, fight the spiritual battle that rages over them with all of your God-given strength, and refuse to give up on their life.<\/p>\n
I encourage you to pray these three prayers over lost children.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s incredibly hard to pray for anything but a comfortable, successful, and pain-free life for our children. But as Christian parents, the greatest eternal good that we can pray for them is their salvation over their earthly happiness or comfort. We have to fight for them in this world filled with temporary pleasures, self-gratification, and blurry lines \u2014 entrusting their lives to our Lord \u2014 even if the path of salvation comes through pain.<\/p>\n
I am eternally grateful that my parents loved me enough to pray for my brokenness, a brokenness that would lead to healing.<\/p>\n
And my path of brokenness nearly killed me.<\/p>\n
After a devastating loss of my identity as an athlete and hidden abuse from peers, my life spiraled out of control. I searched for identity and purpose in anything but Jesus. As self-destructive patterns drove me deeper into despair, I longed for an escape from this world, ultimately landing me in the protection of a hospital.<\/p>\n
In that stark white hospital room, the choice before me was clear: be crushed by the weight of my sin or lay the broken pieces of my life at his feet. By his grace, he led me to my knees and has been redeeming those broken pieces ever since.<\/p>\n
We will only be bold enough to pray a prayer of brokenness over our children when we ourselves have been broken before God and trust his love for our children and us. It\u2019s only when we have completely surrendered our children to him that we can pray, \u201cFather, use what you must to save my child from an eternity apart from you, no matter the cost.\u201d<\/p>\n
A battle is being waged over our children\u2019s lives. We have to fight for them, especially when blindness keeps them from fighting the battle themselves.<\/p>\n
I remember my mom telling me the story of a time when I was standing in the kitchen with her, angry at the world, and taking it out on her. She looked at me and said boldly, \u201cI am fighting for you, and I won\u2019t let Satan have victory over your life!\u201d After she spoke those words, I fell into a heap on the floor and burst into tears.<\/p>\n
Although we don\u2019t have a guarantee of our children\u2019s salvation or the outcome we may desire, we can be confident that God is faithful to his promises and hears our prayers. One of the great weapons God has given parents to fight against the world\u2019s pull and the enemy\u2019s schemes over their children is to pray the way Christ did for Peter: \u201cSimon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers\u201d (Luke 22:31\u201332).<\/p>\n
Although Peter was a believer and the children we are praying for may not be, we can still pray to God that he would rescue our children from the power of Satan, give them faith in Christ, and use their lives to advance the gospel and strengthen other believers.<\/p>\n
Even if your child wants nothing to do with the truth and hates to hear the word of God, they can do nothing to stop you from praying Scripture for them. This is another mighty weapon God has given to parents.<\/p>\n
My parents prayed Psalm 18:16\u201319 over my life and prayed it often:<\/p>\n
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