The Power Of Praying Parents Part 2

One reason for us to Jesus phone number for God can count the tears parents gone to the farm country like the prodigal son in the Bible. Their kids chose a path destined for failure. But there is great and persistent prayer and our God is a God answers prayer from the Moody Church in this morning to discuss it across the finish line dilutes her as you teach today on the hour of praying parents. Can you give us a word of hope.

Dave, I most assuredly can give you a word of hope. Let me begin by talking about my own parents on their 70th wedding anniversary. I asked my mother I said mother. You know the names of all of your children.

Of course she knows the names of the children but the grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She said oh yeah cyber prayer list and I mention them to God every day when she died. There was a long prayer list the children. The grandchildren the great-grandchildren and some missionaries. Prayer makes a difference and Rebecca and I've tried to model dad in our marriage as well so matter fact we told our story. It's titled the story of our marriage.

50 years of God's faithfulness.

I believe that this will be a great encouragement to you as you struggle through your own challenges in marriage and all marriages of course have them and we've done this in order to allow a window so to speak into the lives or home. God is given us three precious daughters were glad that they have all come to saving faith. They have married Christian husbands. But I need to tell you it's because of God's faithfulness and not always because of hours. Would you like to know more. Asked for the story of our marriage. 50 years of God's faithfulness go to RTW offer.com RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 and now we go to the pulpit of Moody church where we learn more about what it is like to intercede for your family. Parents, what you need to do is to say to God, is there anything that we need to ask us for that has been part of the reason why our child is rebelling. Oftentimes there is nothing as I mentioned excellent parents have four children and family.

One rebels.

The other three followed God, are you going to explain that is not the fault of the parents, but sometimes the parents contribute to it. Years ago I told you the story of a man who is sitting in the back row of the church. I always try to keep my eye on those of you at the back row and try to figure out know where you sitting so far away. I don't mind that as long as you can still hear me can you hear me back there. I hope so. He was sitting in the back of the church and 200 men were on their knees praying and in anger. He said God you'll never get me you'll never humbled me while later on he told the story that God humbled him. God got him to use his phrase yet to go to five sons and to confess to every one of them, his anger, his inconsistent discipline. The bad witness that he was to them and as a result of that new relationships were opened up and pretty soon the children began to warm up to him and warm up to God. The first thing that you have to do is to say, Lord, change me. You see when you look at the story here of the Canaanite woman is very clear that Jesus just didn't want to do a work in her child of deliverance from a demonic spirit. Jesus wanted to do a work in her to. He wanted to solicit from her the kind of brokenness. The worship falling before him the kind of faith that he could command Jesus wanted and that also in her life so there two people that God wants to change in a family. I remember a couple that confess that the real reason why they were so angry with her child rebellion is because of their pride now here we have this nice family and church. Everybody comes everybody arrives at the same time and we all go home and now suddenly this nice family. This nice family has a girl like that you've disgraced us parents repent of that. The real issue is not whether or not your child. Disgraces you the real issue is whether your child has disgraced God and the gospel and what we must do is to humble ourselves. So the first thing to pray as God change me. The second thing to pray is the Lord he's yours. He's yours. You know I got a text the other day from a couple that's dealing with a 16-year-old. The got into pornography and that whole mess and they're trying to navigate their way through well when you're 16 years old, you still take guidance from your parents and all and I I understand that though it's becoming more and more difficult. But you know there comes a time in the life of a child where you have to relinquish. That's the word that came to me yesterday afternoon.

You have to relinquish that child and say this child belongs to God. And there comes a time when you just just simply say you don't have to preach Adam one more time about what he's doing is wrong. He's heard it a thousand times. He's rejected it a thousand times. He knows he knows he knows that he's decided to go on the opposite direction. Parents God can do what you and I can he can do what you and I can so you have to be willing to pray Lord he is yours. I think of this woman again in utter desperation, there's nothing that I can do to this child. There's nothing that I can say to the child or say to the demon God, give me a call from say the word. Give me a little bit of the overflow of your tremendous power. That's all that I'm asking for. And Jesus said oh amen great is your faith may it be to you as you asked right the second thing you praise Lord. He's yours third Lord change his heart change his heart. Oftentimes what happens when we have a product goal is this, you'll find that parents will say now look at if you sleep together, look at all of the implications are. Stop getting drunk on the weekends. Don't you see that you're going to get into trouble. Yada yada yada doesn't work does it. Don't you ever wish that you could compel the obedience of your child when it be great if we parents could make decisions for them. So at last they get it right. I heard a few murmurs coming back from the congregation. I assume you're still out there. Are you you know why you and I can't compel obedience is because we can't compel the human heart.

The immortal words of Woody Allen, the heart wants what the heart wants and you can't shut down that want so what you really need to do is to say all God change his heart and that something that only God can do. You can't how we wish we could but we can. If your child is never been converted.

The Bible says that conversion is like causing the blind to see. Can you do that miracle can you cause the blind man to see. It's like causing the deaf to hear. Can you cause the deaf to hear. It is like raising the dead. Can you cause the dead to rise. I can't and I proved it told you years ago that I used to take young preachers to the cemetery and have them preach to the dead seriously. I wanted them to get the feel of what it was like to be a pastor came out a little differently than I attended.

Got the point. I mean I'm serious, I would go to the cemetery.

I asked them choose a tombstone preach to the dead.

See if you can get them to rise. The color drained from their face.

I would do it then and then they'd say how you feel is pretty stupid.

I said yeah that's the way I feel to and that's the way you feel when you're preach the gospel except for the fact God may cause the resurrection.

If he doesn't, it's a lost cause. So if the prodigal is unconverted, you're praying for a miracle change his heart if he is converted, then he can prove it because once your converted you more and more over your sin than the unconverted you the unconverted don't mourn over there send their very comfortable with their sin. So what you pray is Lord change his heart.

Number four Lord let sin run its course led to sin, run its course. Once a child is out of the home and the old enough and on his way yet to let sin run its course. One of the things you should never do is to help somebody in the far country. Enjoy the far country, the father of the prodigal didn't go out and say you know I just hate to see my kid eating with the pigs I should go alongside and at least by am a good meal. You know what brought the prodigal son home. It was the smell of pigs and the bland diet that he shared with them and he finally came to his senses and said enough already.

I'm going to return to my father. I wish you have had better motivation to come back to dad, but that was the motivation that once he got there he was glad he did. Yesterday morning I read a story about a widow who spent $200,000 including the mortgaging of her house to help her wayward son stay out of jail in two by am out of all the trouble he got himself into all the times I will mom you know if you do this one more time. I'll pay you back. I'll pay you back yada yada yada $200,000, according to the story he's paid back about 1500.

And now I suppose he's hitting on somebody else to bail them out. Sometimes sin has to run its course and people have to learn by experience that the way of the transgressor is hard. Next, what you have to say is Lord I'm gonna wait I'm gonna wait to welcome them home and I mean both of those words I'm gonna wait and it may take years and when he's ready to come home. I will be here to welcome him because I love him and I intercede for him and I'll always be there for that child never when he comes home, will he find the door closed in his face because he's humiliated us know you're always welcome back, and I'll wait for you to return.

Now I can't speak and preach on the power of praying parents without making a reference to my own parents. One day when Rebecca and I just been married a few years. She she said I want you to sit down. I've some news for you and she said I just got a phone call from Canada that your dad has cancer. Alright so dad has cancer so he's not gonna probably live until their 50th anniversary so the kids get together and they have 1/45 anniversary. His dad ain't going to live to number 50 well what happened was he went to church. The elders anointed him with oil and somehow for some strange reason this tumor disappear. The doctor said I don't know it's not here, but come back every year to have it checked out. Now. So after having 1/45 we had 1/50 and then for 55 we just took them out for dinner, but we had a big 60th and then we had 1/65 and then we pulled out all the stops for 70th and that they lived seven years beyond that.

My father did 77 years they lived together, but here's the deal at their 70th. I'm sitting beside my mother, everybody's there.

They come from all parts of the country. I said mother. Do you know the names of all of your great grandchildren. I didn't know who in the world. All these kids belong to and really I'll never forget her response.

She went like this with her hand.

Oh yeah, she said I have a prayer list and I mention them to our heavenly father every day when mother died at the age of 103 a day after her death. We found her prayer list.

We took the prayer list and we photocopied it.

We sent it to all of the children and the grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She had on her list 121 people also missionaries were on that list because we wanted the grandchildren to see that when they were born in her own handwriting. She added it to the list.

We wanted to seek see you are on grandmas prayer list. I believe that my own life and ministry today is largely a result of praying parents not have to say. Since then Rebecca my dear wife has become a great prayer warrior.

Of course else I have to confess in all honesty that she prays more earnestly in intercession for our grandchildren than I do, though I do pray for our grandchildren every week. Cycling them through Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, but what is it that mother used to pray.

She spoke English, which used to pray in German and I still hear her prayers. I know exactly what she prayed because she would pray this, and I suppose I've heard something like this 100 times. She would say, oh Lord, give my children and then she often named them a hunger and thirst, but not after bread and water made a thirst for you and made a thirst for righteousness used to pour out her heart, praying, hunger and thirst for righteousness, that she'd always include this which we as kids she say, may they flee from sin like one might flee from a serpent. So my dear mother went to her grave, praying for 121 people perhaps not every day in her final closing months and years there it is praying parents have tremendous power.

Now I have to say we weren't the perfect family that everybody thought we were. We had people fool just like you have some people fooled to alright but maybe that's why both of my sisters were missionaries, one in Africa, the other in Mexico each 30 years brothers who walk with God, praying parents. I'm going to encourage you today by a story that comes Steen hundred years ago there was a woman by the name of Monica. Monica was in an arranged marriage. She was a fervent Christian but she married an unbeliever ship, three sons, three children to walk with God. One didn't.

One ran off, lived immorally the mistress and love the. The sinful lifestyle of sexuality.

Monica used to pray for her wayward son. She was to weep for her wayward son. One day she went to her bishop and her bishop said this very famous words in church history. Don't you wish you'd say something that people would still be quoting 1600 years from now. The bishop said it is not possible that a son up so many tears would perish. Your son will be saved a few years before she died, her son was saved.

Apparently her husband was also before he died. What she didn't know, and I always like this. What we died when we die, but we don't know she would didn't know that she had a son who would be so famous in church history that actually he would have more impact on Christianity than any man who ever lived apart from Jesus and Paul, maybe John the apostle's name was Augustine sometimes pronounced Augustine I could talk about him and his impact.

Some of it good, some of it we would say wasn't good but his influence. Huge, huge as an apologist for the Christian faith.

And what happened was, you probably heard me tell the story he was in a garden and he overheard some kids playing in one side, one seem to be saying take up and read take up and read so Augustine turns to this passage.

I hadn't planned to read it, but since I have a Bible here.

I can it says let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires and here he was deeply into desires and sexuality. He was so smitten with conviction. He was converted because it was not possible that a son of so many tears would perish. Later on, when Augustine wrote his famous book the confessions which everyone should read.

He talked about his struggle with sin. But in it he said my mother watered the earth with her tears the power of a praying parent. Whether it's a Canaanite woman of 2000 years ago. Monica 1600 years ago or your life in my life.

God is waiting for faith to put a stake in the ground saying Satan you will not have my child, I insist upon this and I will not stop praying and seeking. I will not be discounted and discouraged. Jesus will set whole woman, great is thy faith let it be to the as you will. And if you will let us pray father I stand here today giving gratitude to you for my own parents that prayed so fervently for us and then I think of the many who perhaps don't have parents like that, but they can be moms and dads and grandparents who do intercede for their children. Lord is the months and years go by.

May we never be discouraged but may we continue to intercede and say Lord we insist our child is yours bring them back home.

Meanwhile, Lord. There many particles listening to this message right now. I pray that they may turn to Christ. I pray that they might come to father and home and to sale God we have rebelled. Now before I close this prayer. Can we have a moment, and you talk to God. Would you pray for your product will would you pray for a product will if you don't have one. Would you pray people and speaking to you if you've never received Christ or your product will tell God what he spoken to you about today. Father we pray today that people may get alone with you in a bedroom outside somewhere. Spell out their hearts for their families for their children for their relatives for this church for all of us.

And may we to the point of tears.

Seek your face that we might hear all let it be to you as you desire Jesus name we pray. This is pastor elixir mass speak to your heart for just a moment.

I believe that this series of messages titled fighting for your family. Not only is an encouragement to all who listen, but will also give instruction help, and even deliverance from homes that are bound by evil abuse demonic influences.

These are the kinds of issues that are talked about in this series of messages for gift of any amount.

This series can be yours. It's titled fighting for your family. Here's what you do you go to RTW offer.com RTW offer.com or you can call us at 1-888-218-9337. I'll be giving you that information again.

In just a moment. I don't think I need to tell you that our homes today are in disarray and if you want to know how parent should work together. The influence of that parents have over children. The power of prayer.

All of these kinds of issues are discussed in this series of messages even when I was preaching it here at the Moody church. I was so gratified to see the response of those families in need. Finding help.

It's titled fighting for your family which you can do is go to RTW offer.com RTW offer.com or you can call us at 1-888-218-9337 thanks in advance for your gifts because together we are making a difference. 1-888-218-9337 you can write to us running to win 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago, IL 60614 running to win is all about helping you find for your race if the family is the bedrock of society stable marriages, the bedrock of the family. That's why divorce is so damaging in divorce, there are no winners. Next time I'm running to win why marriage must be viewed as a lifetime proposition.

Thanks for listening for Dr. Erwin Blitzer this is Damon how Mr. running to win is sponsored by the Moody church