OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DATE: THURSDAY 12TH OCTOBER 2017
THEME: OBEDIENT CHILDREN
Memorise:
Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy
days may be long upon the land which the
Lord thy God giveth thee.
Exodus 20:12
Read: Ephesians 6:1-3
6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord:
for this is right.
6:2 Honour thy father and mother; which is
the first commandment with promise;
6:3 That it may be well with thee, and thou
mayest live long on the earth.
Message:
Children are assets of the Almighty God
entrusted to our care. We must therefore
ensure that we do all we can to nurture
them for the Lord and not for ourselves. We
should strive to receive commendation from
the Lord for our efforts in bringing them up
as children He can be proud of. Raising
children in today’s world is serious business.
Unfortunately, we live in a world where
parents have left to chance or entirely
neglected the huge task of bringing up their
children in the fear of the Lord. Many
parents justify themselves by concluding
that they are helpless, and they shift the
blame for their own failures to the
happenings in the society. In the time of
father Abraham, there were also parents
who did not bring up their children to
follow the path of God, but for Abraham, his
testimony was different. God said this
concerning him in Genesis 18:19:
“For I know him, that he will command his
children and his household after him, and
they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do
justice and judgment; that the Lord may
bring upon Abraham that which he hath
spoken of him.”
If you want to raise children who will be
obedient to the Lord, you must be ready to
start right from the beginning of the child’s
life. That is what parenting is all about. It
involves training and educating a child from
the phase of infancy through to adulthood.
If you carry out the job of parenting as unto
the Lord, you will be well rewarded by Him.
There are many parents who realized late in
life that they have neglected their roles as
parents. In order to make amends, some of
them begin to make efforts at “repairing”
the lives of their children, but at that point,
they discover it has become a herculean
task.
Obedient children are godly children,
committed to a life of honesty in all they do.
Such children will never bring shame,
reproach or embarrassment to the God of
their fathers, because they have a deep
understanding of the covenant upon which
they have been groomed. There are parents
today who have lost control of their
children. Some other parents have turned
their children into symbols of idolatry. They
fear their children more than they fear God.
May that not be your portion in Jesus’ Name.
Obedient children must honour their
parents. They must respect them
irrespective of their status in society, if they
want to live a life without regret. When their
parents need their attention or help, they
must be there for them. They must also be
ready to submit willfully to their instructions,
corrections and rebuke. There are children
who bring sorrow to their parents. On the
other hand, children of destiny bring great
comfort to everyone around them. Are you a
child of destiny?
Prayer Point:
Father, let my children please You always,
and grant me grace to care for my parents.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
2 Corinthians 1-3
Daniel 5:29-6:13
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 16: GOD GIVE US CHRISTIAN HOMES
1. God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the Bible is loved and taught,
Homes where the Master’s will is sought,
Homes crowned with beauty Your love has
wrought;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!
2. God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the father is true and strong,
Homes that are free from the blight of
wrong,
Homes that are joyous with love and song;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!
3. God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the mother, in caring quest,
Strives to show others Your way is best,
Homes where the Lord is an honored guest;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!
4. God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the children are led to know
Christ in His beauty who loves them so,
Homes where the altar fires burn and glow;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes