One of the greatest fears of every parent is that our children would experience sickness, tragedy, or, worse yet, fall away from the faith. But God has left us promises in the Scripture that we can hold on to. The enemy knows that if he can distract us with fear, we cannot excel in faith! But we are told not to be fearful about anything!
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind (II Timothy 1:7). The devil knows that if he can ensnare us with worry, we will be unable to trust our Maker. However, we are invited to "cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you" (I Peter 5:7). Satan knows that if he can cause us to look only at what is seen we will never be able to hope for the unseen. But Paul encourages us by the prompting of the Holy Spirit that "faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" (Hebrews 11:1).
How do we keep that hope when what we see seems to compete against our faith? We need to remember that "faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17). When circumstances tell us something different than the promises of God, we must go back to what God said in his Word to reset our faith. Here are a few scriptures to help:
When your children are troubled
Author: Kim Sullivan
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind (II Timothy 1:7). The devil knows that if he can ensnare us with worry, we will be unable to trust our Maker. However, we are invited to "cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you" (I Peter 5:7). Satan knows that if he can cause us to look only at what is seen we will never be able to hope for the unseen. But Paul encourages us by the prompting of the Holy Spirit that "faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" (Hebrews 11:1).
How do we keep that hope when what we see seems to compete against our faith? We need to remember that "faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17). When circumstances tell us something different than the promises of God, we must go back to what God said in his Word to reset our faith. Here are a few scriptures to help:
When your children are troubled
- For the child: Isaiah 54:13 "All your sons will be taught by the LORD, and great will be your children's peace."
- For the parent: Isaiah 26:3 "You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you." Trust God with your children and you will be in peace. Keep your mind on what He says and not what you see.
- For the child: Isaiah 49:25 (Amp) “For I will contend with him who contends with you, And I will save (defend, preserve, rescue, deliver) your children.”
- For the parent: Philippians 4:6-7 "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." When you are tempted to be worried about your children, bring that very worry and concern to your Father. He knows what it is like to be a parent. Express your concerns to Him and then leave them at His alter. He will replace your worries with peace!
- For the child: Jeremiah 31:16-17 (Amp)“Thus says the LORD: Refrain your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears; for your work (raising of your children, prayer) shall be rewarded, says the LORD, and they (your children) shall come back from the land of the enemy. There is hope (something you can expect) in your future, says the LORD, that your children shall come back to their own border (place of peace and safety and well-being).”
- For the parent: Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Ensure that you are doing your part in training your child. Impart God’s words and principles to them when you can. Even better, ask God to help you exemplify your Father’s heart and to live out His commands. When you make mistakes, openly discuss them with your children, so that they can watch you run to God in your imperfections, rather than running from Him.
- For the child: Isaiah 49:25 "I will contend with him who contends with you; and I will save your children". This may seem like a strange verse for unhealthy relationships. However, relationships often contend for our priorities and the correct order of things. Let God contend with those things as importance of friendships, business partners, and spouses as they are growing up so that they will be armed with wisdom as they grow older. Then, as they grow older trust and lean on the fact that they have been equipped with the standards necessary to make good choices. Let the Holy Spirit remind them of his Word. It remains inside of them. "For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God" (I Peter 1:23). God’s Word is imperishable; another English translation uses the word "incorruptible." He is the author and the finisher of your children’s faith! (Hebrews 12:2) God may open a door for you to minister to your adult child about this. In the meantime? Let God contend…
- For the parent: Philippians 1:6 (NIV) "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."
Author: Kim Sullivan