THERE'S HOPE FOR THAT CHILD

A devout Christian mother had a very wayward son who refused to yield to the godly training he was given. He was recalcitrant and rebellious. This young boy was a thorn in her mother's flesh but she kept praying for him. He grew to become a man but didn't change his ways. At old age, his mother kept praying for him until she died. On a certain day, this young man had an accident and he became unconscious. He had an out of body experience and saw himself walking towards hell. He was afraid because he felt the pains and anguish in that atmosphere. As he was about to be thrown into hell, a voice stopped the demons. God opened his eyes to see how his late mother prayed for his salvation while on earth. On the strength of her prayers while on earth, God showed him mercy and he came back to life. Without struggle, he gave his life to Christ and became devoted to the Lord.

The prayer of that Christian mother was stored up for the right time. She left time and transited into eternity but her prayer didn't. That goes to show the efficacy of persistent prayer. Dear Christian parent, don't give up on that child who seems wayward and unyielding. I know the shame, pain and regrets that comes with being a devout Christian parent who follow all that is taught and laid down in healthy parenting yet without result. If you have done all you know to do without positive result, never stop praying and showing love. Prayer is still a very potent weapon to turn things around. It may not happen immediately but be rest assured that it will surely happen. There are reasons best known to God on why certain expectations linger.

Do not give up on that child. Do not curse him/her. There's hope for that child: "At least there is hope for a tree: If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its new shoots will not fail" (Job14:7). I know how shameful it is to have such a child especially if other siblings are godly. You may begin to think about what you did that made you succeed on others and why you failed on this particular one. The more you think and subject yourself to reasoning ( though not bad) you'll always end in one form of guilt and condemnation. Why not make heavy prayer investment into the life of that child? At some point in my life as a Pastor's child, I did unprintable things not because I don't know the truth but because I was under the control of powers stronger than me. However, there was an invisible hand that directed the course of my life and made me who I am today. Only prayer could have done that. In parenting, prayer is what binds all others together. You can chart the course of godliness for that child on your knees. You can break unholy alliances and relationships on your knees and realign your children on the right path.