It is said, "A house divided will fall."
I have been praying for more than a year that God would unite my wife and I in a unified vision for our marriage. A shared purpose. A calling if you will. Of course there is the obvious, "Tell people about Christ." As well as, "glorifying God in all that we do." But these statements are broad and apply to every follower of Christ. What I was praying for was something that my wife and I can unite together, as a team, in order to pursue. Something worth fighting for.
As my previous blog described, God seemed to move in us as we prayed for our future children. That God would make us uncommon parents. Parents that don't fit in with the rest of America, because we fit in better with the Kingdom of God. The mission: raise kingdom minded world changers.
Several days went by and I was reading a book that I thought was totally unrelated to parenting. The author shifted gears for a chapter and started describing ways to help your children navigate living as sheep among wolves. One of the ideas presented was to make your home the preferred "hang out" for your children and their friends. If this is accomplished, you'll know who they are hanging out with. You'll know what kind of influences are entering their world. Thus, you know how to defend against the strategies of the enemy. In addition, you can be a very positive influence in the lives of other children who may not have such good examples of love in their lives.
This really piqued my interest. I recalled several childhood friends whose houses were perfect examples of the "preferred hangout." I really got excited. I started remembering times in the distant past, when I used to dream about what life would be like in my future, with kids. I desired my house to be "the house." Backyard bar-b-ques, endless summer nights in the pool. I even had "Movie Pool" night where a family friendly movie was projected to a back yard screen as a pool full of friends and their children looked on. There would be pool tables, ping-pong tables, etc. This vision wasn't just about fun. It is about gaining an audience for Christ.
I shared my thoughts with Vanessa. She said she had the same thought just weeks before. To me this seemed just a little more confirmation of our unified vision. Our divine mission... something worth fighting for.
"Father, I know there are obstacles in between us and this vision that is from you. But that is okay. Because you are God! You are all powerful... and you love us. You are giving us this mission. I can trust you to remove those obstacles as we walk forward in the path you lead us down. Father, I ask that your Holy Spirit keep us focused and attentive. Give us discernment to know your voice and follow where Jesus our shepherd leads. Lead us into your divine will. I pray that you be glorified in our difficulties through delivering victories. I pray that your glory not stop there but continue to have ripple effects across space and time. Father, use us to change the next generation. In Jesus name, Amen."
David
I have been praying for more than a year that God would unite my wife and I in a unified vision for our marriage. A shared purpose. A calling if you will. Of course there is the obvious, "Tell people about Christ." As well as, "glorifying God in all that we do." But these statements are broad and apply to every follower of Christ. What I was praying for was something that my wife and I can unite together, as a team, in order to pursue. Something worth fighting for.
As my previous blog described, God seemed to move in us as we prayed for our future children. That God would make us uncommon parents. Parents that don't fit in with the rest of America, because we fit in better with the Kingdom of God. The mission: raise kingdom minded world changers.
Several days went by and I was reading a book that I thought was totally unrelated to parenting. The author shifted gears for a chapter and started describing ways to help your children navigate living as sheep among wolves. One of the ideas presented was to make your home the preferred "hang out" for your children and their friends. If this is accomplished, you'll know who they are hanging out with. You'll know what kind of influences are entering their world. Thus, you know how to defend against the strategies of the enemy. In addition, you can be a very positive influence in the lives of other children who may not have such good examples of love in their lives.
This really piqued my interest. I recalled several childhood friends whose houses were perfect examples of the "preferred hangout." I really got excited. I started remembering times in the distant past, when I used to dream about what life would be like in my future, with kids. I desired my house to be "the house." Backyard bar-b-ques, endless summer nights in the pool. I even had "Movie Pool" night where a family friendly movie was projected to a back yard screen as a pool full of friends and their children looked on. There would be pool tables, ping-pong tables, etc. This vision wasn't just about fun. It is about gaining an audience for Christ.
I shared my thoughts with Vanessa. She said she had the same thought just weeks before. To me this seemed just a little more confirmation of our unified vision. Our divine mission... something worth fighting for.
"Father, I know there are obstacles in between us and this vision that is from you. But that is okay. Because you are God! You are all powerful... and you love us. You are giving us this mission. I can trust you to remove those obstacles as we walk forward in the path you lead us down. Father, I ask that your Holy Spirit keep us focused and attentive. Give us discernment to know your voice and follow where Jesus our shepherd leads. Lead us into your divine will. I pray that you be glorified in our difficulties through delivering victories. I pray that your glory not stop there but continue to have ripple effects across space and time. Father, use us to change the next generation. In Jesus name, Amen."
David
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