[Ohio-Communities-of-Faith] "Witnessing to Adult Children"- Brenda Walsh Ministries Daily Devotion

Sat Aug 7 18:21:42 UTC 2021

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Witnessing to Adult Children
Many parents suffer the pain of seeing their adult children abandon their faith. Moms and dads who faithfully attended church, prayed, read the Bible, and taught their kids right from wrong, are completely blown away when their adult children no longer want anything to do with religion. It leaves them perplexed and wondering, “What did I do wrong?” Even if you did everything perfectly, (and no one is perfect) - once children become “adults,” they have the right to make their own decisions. Like it or not, your parenting days are over. You can no longer insist that they obey you. Constantly nagging and reminding them that you “taught them better than that” isn’t going to work either. In fact, it will only push them further away from God. The best way to witness is to be a living example of Christ, so first you need to renew your own relationship with God. Pray for forgiveness for any mistakes you may have made that impacted them spiritually. Ask for your children’s forgiveness as well and be willing to listen to them respectfully without judgment and criticism. But don’t wallow in regrets and self-pity. Accept God’s forgiveness and the peace that comes with it. Develop a warm relationship with your children and make sure they know you love them. Don’t preach, nag, judge, or criticize as that will never win a heart to God. Set a goal to pray daily for your children’s salvation without announcing it to them. Doing so may seem condescending and be taken in a negative way. Last but not least, claim God’s promise in Proverbs 22:6: “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Even if you don’t have the privilege of seeing your children, surrender their lives to Christ in your lifetime - keep praying. Remember that God will honor your prayers even after you are gone. Text: Isaiah 49:25, Jeremiah 31:16-17, Philippians 1:6, Proverbs 20:7

Bible Texts:
Isaiah 49:25 NKJV - But thus says the LORD: "Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, And the prey of the terrible be delivered; For I will contend with him who contends with you, And I will save your children. 

Jeremiah 31:16-17 NKJV - Thus says the LORD: "Refrain your voice from weeping, And your eyes from tears; For your work shall be rewarded, says the LORD, And they shall come back from the land of the enemy. There is hope in your future, says the LORD, That your children shall come back to their own border. 

Philippians 1:6 NKJV - being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; 

Proverbs 20:7 NKJV - The righteous man walks in his integrity; His children are blessed after him.

© Brenda Walsh Ministries www.brendawalsh.com

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