Praying for Our Children
I often pray Scriptures like John 6:44 and 2 Timothy 2:25–26 over my lost children who are far from God. Is there a point in praying to the Lord for them if God chooses who He draws to Himself?
The salvation of our children is near and dear to the heart of every Christian parent. We all hope to see our children, and all our loved ones, knowing Jesus and thriving in the power of the Holy Spirit. We want them to enjoy the assurance of salvation and a relationship with Christ. The deepest cry of a parent’s heart is that the Lord would show our children His salvation.
The Bible does teach that God draws people to Himself in salvation (John 6:37). Scripture also teaches that those who hear the gospel are responsible for their reaction (John 3:18). “In the Bible, divine sovereignty and human responsibility are not enemies,” theologian J. I. Packer explains. “They are not uneasy neighbors; they are not in an endless state of cold war with each other. They are friends, and they work together.”
It is a comfort to know that God has invited us to bring all of our concerns to Him (1 Peter 5:7). Praying for the salvation of our children, we ask the God of mercy to draw our unsaved children to Himself. But we must also remember to leave the how and when of their salvation to God alone.
BY Dr. Eric C. Redmond
Dr. Eric C. Redmond serves as a professor of Bible at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago and as associate pastor of adult ministries at Calvary Memorial Church in Oak Park, Ill. He is married to Pam and they have five children. He is the author of Say It! Celebrating Expository Preaching in the African American Tradition (Moody Publishers), Where Are All the Brothers? Straight Answers to Men's’ Questions about the Church (Crossway), a commentary on Jonah in the Christ-Centered Exposition Series (B&H Publishers), and a study guide on Ephesians in the Knowing the Bible series (Crossway).