The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. (James 5:16, NIV)
Golf offers us all kinds of wonderful opportunities—the chance to be outdoors, exercise, friendship, and fun. What golf never promises is that you will play well today!
Many people, even well-meaning believers, carry the mistaken idea that God has promised salvation for every person.
Among the many golfers we meet within our Links Fellowships across the country are many, many retiring and retired people. One of the frequent questions on their spiritual mind is this: What about my children?
Many believers who have come to faith later in their own lives did not bring up their children in “the fear and admonition of the Lord.” Their children were given no foundation in the faith, and they have no interest in Jesus now.
Others did raise their children with Christ in mind, making every attempt to impress upon their children the wonder of life with him. Yet their children have walked away from their upbringing and the Lord who was presented to them. They have chosen another direction.
What is a parent to do? Well, God does promise us that he will hear our prayers.So you can understand the angst of the parent whose child is not living in the light of Christ. You may well be this parent.
And the worst of it is this: God makes no promises that everything will work out OK for your child. The prophecies of Jeremiah showed such a difficulty:
Now therefore say to the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Look! I am preparing a disaster for you and devising a plan against you. So turn from your evil ways, each one of you, and reform your ways and your actions.’ But they will reply, ‘It’s no use. We will continue with our own plans; each of us will follow the stubbornness of his evil heart.’” (Jeremiah 18:11-12)
Jesus, in his Parable of the Sower and the Seeds, laid out an equally troubling reality: Many will hear the good news of kingdom life but never receive it or never flourish in it. Many will wither in their faith. Some will die without ever having possessed it.
What is a parent to do? Well, God does promise us that he will hear our prayers. When we are living righteously ourselves—with the righteousness that comes by faith in Jesus—we can pray with confidence that God will hear us. We can pour out our hearts to him, and we can anticipate a powerful effect to our prayers.
Each person’s salvation is still in the hands of the sovereign Lord of the universe. But knowing that our pleas are being heard in the halls of heaven should make us people more fervent in prayer and more demonstrative in our faith before God.
—
Jeff Hopper
Originally published January 17, 2011
Copyright 2011 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.
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