Early each morning in my time in the Word I focus on two things: familiarity with the Word and intimacy with the Lord.
I am gaining familiarity with the Word by reading through the Bible in a year and cultivating intimacy with the Lord by lingering over specific passages using my Selah Bible study in Mark.
Early this morning, during my time reading through the Bible, I came across this passage in Job and I was convicted.
His sons used to go [in turn] and feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send word and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 When the days of their feasting were over, Job would send [for them] and consecrate them, rising early in the morning and offering burnt offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned and [b]cursed God in their hearts.” Job did this at all [such] time. Job 1:4-5 Amplified
The Hebrew wording for this indicates that since there were seven brothers, it follows that they each, in turn, had a banquet at their house. Seven brothers. Can you imagine, a banquet seven days a week? But what I want us to focus on is not the feasting but on the example of Job.
It says, ‘rising early in the morning and offering burnt offerings according to the number of them all.’
Praying for Your Children
Today, prayer is our offering to the Lord. Psalm 141:2 ‘let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!’
My children, while they will always be my children, are grown with families of their own. When they were in my home, I prayed every morning for them. While they were in college, I did as well. But then, I am not sure what happened. I pray for them throughout my day, but not with the same sense of consistency and purpose I had earlier in their lives. By seeing Job’s response of faith and perseverance, I am encouraged to follow his example.
Seven Days to Pray for Your Children (no matter their age)
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- Salvation “Lord, I ask you to cause salvation to overtake my children so they might obtain the salvation that is only in Christ Jesus!” Is. 45:6, 2 Tim. 2:10
- Self-control “God, help my children to not be like the world around them, but cause them to be alert and possess godly self-control in all they do.” 1 Thess. 5:6
- Love for the Word “Father, cause my children to develop an appetite for your Word and find it to be more precious than gold and sweeter than honey.” Ps 19:10
- Purity “Please create in my children a clean heart, Lord. Convict them of sin and cause them to experience true repentance.” Ps 51:10
- Guard their Heart “Place a guard around their hearts Father, because from it flow the springs of life” Pro 4:23
- Gratitude “Lord, please fill my children to overflowing with thankfulness to You for what You have and are continuing to do in their lives.” Eph. 5:20, Col 2:7
- Joy “Fill my children to overflowing with a true and lasting joy that is given to them by the Holy Spirit.” 1 Thes. 1:6
Lord, as I rise early in the morning, I pray that you would remind me to bring my children before you in prayer. Amen.