Upside Down Kingdom - Pt 2

Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” And he laid his hands on them and went away. (Matthew 19:13-15 ESV).

As we continue our series in specific prayers for our family, today I encourage you to pray that Jesus will call them and no one will hinder them from coming. I found a picture of a t-shirt recently that was both expressive and humorous. My sincere hope is that I will not receive any visits from law enforcement when their computer filters pick up this photo though! It does express a very important principle of prayer for our families. Our reading today helps us understand how important it is for our children to have as clear and unhindered a path to Jesus as possible. The shirt is a bit violent sounding, but it expresses the seriousness of our need to protect our children and grandchildren as much as possible. Let me make a few suggestions: A part of that protection is in how we model our own faith and journey. There are so many things that vie for our attention. We can become distracted so easily. Those distractions typically become stumbling blocks for our family. We have practiced the “do as I say and not what I do” pattern of teaching far too long. What we do counts. We also need to be careful about what allow into our children’s lives. The culture in which we live has not valued childhood as it should. Innocence has often been lost in the name of getting better, or doing it faster. Technology has become a god of its own in promoting knowledge for sake of knowledge. Protect their childhood. Allow them to grow and mature at an appropriate pace. And, of course, pray for their individual journey. Prayer cannot be minimized. It is an expression of a deep-seated commitment and desire. In this case that commitment and desire is rooted in the well being of our children and grandchildren. Of course, I am not suggesting violence toward those who threaten our families. Although a good scare might be in order. I still have a target silhouette with a group of fifty well place shots from my .40 caliber Glock hanging in my shop that I may be sure any prospective dates for my granddaughters see before they actually go out (just kidding – sort of). Well, you get the idea. Pray and work that they will not be hindered from coming to Jesus.