The Right Response

"To him who knocks, the door will be opened."   Matthew 7:8

We've spent the last two weeks talking about serious threats to the physical and spiritual health of your children. Any one of these terrible "weeds," given the chance to fully mature, has the potential to overwhelm your precious son or daughter. If you are feeling a little disheartened tonight, I don't blame you!

That's why I want to encourage you. As parents, we don't have to throw our hands up in despair over the culture's attacks on our kids. We can respond in the way God always wants us to respond in times of trouble—by falling to our knees in prayer. The Lord not only wants us to pray for our children, but also instructs us on how we should ask for that help:

Ask in Jesus' name. Jesus told His disciples, "Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete" (John 16:24). Jesus grants us the authority to make a petition on His behalf. We can come before God on the merits of Christ, not our own qualifications.

Ask while abiding in Jesus. Christ said, "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you" (John 15:7, nkjv). When we seek a close relationship with Jesus, our prayers for our children naturally align with the heart of Christ.

Ask according to God's will. Jesus taught us to pray, "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10). We please God when we recognize His will for our kids, and for us as parents, and pray accordingly.

Ask in faith. There is power in faithful prayer. Likewise, a lack of faith limits your effectiveness in praying for your family. Scripture makes this clear: "When he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind" (James 1:6).

Ask with thanksgiving. "By prayer and petition," Paul says, "with thanksgiving, present your requests to God" (Philippians 4:6). This thanksgiving is the inevitable result of our faith in God's answers to our prayers and our faith in God's loving control over every aspect of our lives and family.

Your prayers will make a difference—perhaps even be the critical influence—in protecting your children from harm. No problem is too great for God to handle. Put your worries, and the threats facing your kids, in His hands. He will hear, and He will answer.

By Dr. James Dobson