Handing Down Your Faith, Part 2

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life in Christ Jesus,

To Timothy, my beloved son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience the way my forefathers did, as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day, longing to see you, even as I recall your tears, so that I may be filled with joy. For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well. For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:1-7

Prayer plays a central part in successfully handing down your faith to your children. As you pray together as a family, you will develop a family unity that problems cannot destroy. As you pray, you will all focus your attention toward God Who wants to bless His children, especially the family unit, more than you could ever imagine.

The Bible says that since the beginning of time, people have not seen, heard, or perceived all that God has prepared for “the one who waits for Him” (Isaiah 64:4). It is a very good thing to wait on the Lord in prayer and to teach your children to do the same. You should encourage your children to pray about decisions concerning their standards and values as well as their behavior. If this is to happen, your children will need to know how to pray and realize the importance of prayer in their daily lives.

Without learning to pray and to depend wholly upon God for everything, they will continue to look to someone else to meet their needs and answer their questions. All too often the young people who have no background for making wise and godly decisions think they are accountable only to themselves.

Abiding faith in God is handed down by principle pattern, persistence, participation, and prayer.