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Loving Father,
Your Son Jesus was so obedient that He humbled Himself to death on the cross (Philippians 2:8). His prayer was, “Yet not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39). Jesus was so passionate about obedience that He said, “My food . . . is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work” (John 4:34). His time on earth provides a real-life example for us to follow.
I desire to be like Jesus, but so often fall short of my goal. Some days I imagine You are up in heaven, thinking, “How many times do I have to tell him/her?” Please forgive my lack of diligence in following Your directions.
I ask that You would give me a humble, obedient spirit that desires to wholeheartedly obey Your commands. I pray with David, “Oh that my ways were steadfast in obeying Your decrees! . . . Teach me, O Lord, to follow Your decrees; then I will keep them to the end. Give me understanding and I will keep Your law and obey it with all my heart” (Psalm 119:5, 33-34). I pray my children will see in me a passion for doing Your will that inspires them to follow You wholeheartedly.
Your heart is filled with pain over sin, yet You are gracious, slow to anger and abounding in love (Genesis 6:5-6, Exodus 34:6, Psalm 145:8). I find it grievous and frustrating when my children do not obey me. Please fill me with Your Spirit to enable me to provide correction as You would, in a gracious and loving way. After all, it is easier for my children to obey me when I give advice gently and patiently, than when I am in “drill sergeant mode.” When my children are disobedient, please give me Your wisdom so that I may “govern” them in a discerning way, distinguishing between right and wrong (1 Kings 3:9). Help me to notice and give them appropriate recognition when they do obey.
I pray for my child, ________. I don't want him/her to do the right thing just because he/she has to. Rather, I ask that You would bless ________ with an obedient heart that desires to obey You and others in authority. Please help ________ to keep his/her way pure by living according to Your Word. May ________ be diligent in seeking You with all of his/her heart so that he/she will not stray from Your commands.
I pray that because ________ has hidden Your Word in his/her heart, he/she would be kept from sinning against You (Psalm 119:9-11). As ________ grows up, I pray he/she would guard Your teachings as the apple of his/her eye. Bind them on ________'s fingers, Lord, and write them on the tablet of his/her heart (Proverbs 7:1-3).
We read in 1 John 2:5-6, “But if anyone obeys His word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in Him: Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did.” This is my prayer for our family – that we will obey Your Word and walk as Jesus walked, in complete obedience to You. Amen.
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