Generational Blessings: Fighting for the Souls of Your Children
Raising kids who will seek after the Lord is the prayer of every God-fearing mother. We are taught that no matter what distractions or temptations intersect in the crossroads of our child’s life, we can count on this truth found in Proverbs 22:6: “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”
Unfortunately, when our children begin to deviate from the grace and covering of God, we begin to question ourselves and everything we did as a parent. We always want the absolute best for our kids, and when they are not walking out the example we have set, it can be devastating.
One thing I have learned and seen in this lifetime is that fighting for the souls of your children may very well be the fight of your life. Disappointment can quickly turn into self-blame and guilt, and next comes the self-interrogation: What could I have done differently? Where did I go wrong? Often, parents will begin to blame each other for the choices their children make.
In my interview with Cindy Thomas, who pastors alongside her husband, Pastor Scott Thomas at Free Life Chapel in Lakeland Florida, she reveals firsthand the challenges she experienced as a mother and the victory that came as a result of releasing her son into God’s hands.
She recounts to me a personal moment where she prayed desperately before the Lord. “For a time, my son’s heart was not on the things of God. I said to my husband, ‘We’ve got one shot. One shot to raise a godly human, and we failed.’ Now our son is a youth pastor. Nothing is too big for God.”
Whether you’re a pastor or not, all our children are just as susceptible to the distractions and temptations of this world. If the enemy can’t get to us as a parent, he will try to get to the next best thing—our children. However, we cannot sit on the sidelines of our children’s spiritual destiny. Our kids are worth fighting for. I won’t give up, and neither should you. No matter how old they are, as long as we have breath in our lungs, we will fight for them.
With that being said, be encouraged! If your child is not right with God, there is power in the prayer of a mother or father. Don’t give in, and whatever you do, don’t stop praying.
Cindy goes on to encourage us with this: “First, we have to remember that we love our kids, but God loves them more. God has a plan and a purpose for them the same way He does for you. I was the kind of teenager who ran from God, and He was faithful to the prayers of my mom. He was faithful to my prayers for my children, and He absolutely hears your prayers. It gets better from generation to generation. We talk about generational curses, but I like to talk about the ‘generational blessing.’ If your children have walked away, put a demand on those seeds that have been planted. The Word is strong. God’s Word is supernatural and will bring a return.”
Pray for God to send someone to reach your child. Your kids may not respond to you, but God will put somebody in their path who will draw them back. Who knows? You may be the somebody God sends to reach another praying person’s loved one. God is calling men and women to be spiritual fathers and mothers. We need a generation who will rise up and point people to the cross. Accept the call to speak into someone else’s life.
Keep praying for your children. Do not stop praying. Don’t quit speaking words of faith for the future. The situation may not look like what you think should, but God is doing His thing below the surface, and it is good. The blood of Jesus will transform them. He will take a broken heart and put it back together, every time, time and time again. God’s Word is true and perfect. When everything else fails, the Word of God remains. Have confidence in the promises of God. Do not give up.
For more encouragement, tune in to this episode of Rosalinda’s Faith-Fuel Podcast with guest Cindy Thomas. As a parent, you will be blessed. {eoa}
