“Train up a child in the way he should go, teaching him to seek God’s wisdom and will for his abilities and talents; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” — Proverbs 22:6 (AMP)
Yesterday, I witnessed something that reminded me once again: Never give up praying for your children. We raised our children in a Christian home; Yet that doesn't mean that our children are perfect. For whatever reason most people believe that most pastors' children are supposed to be perfect; and “holy”. I have heard many times “Pastors' children are the worst kids”. I tried my best to give my four kids what I did not have growing up. “You can take your children to church; be raised in the church and yet not know God. This is the reason why you can see people in the church for 30 years; yet not born again. To be a Christian we need to grow and not continue drinking formula milk. We need to mature! We need to read the bible. A 20 year old needs to have intimacy time with God. They need to learn how to pray! They need to learn to seek God on their own; not because parents seek God.
We raised our son in a Christian home. We taught him the Word of God. We brought him to church. We planted the seeds of faith. We prayed over him. We tried to show him through our lives that Jesus is not simply something we practice on Sunday. Jesus is the foundation of our home. But there was something I understood as a mother: I could teach him about Jesus, but I could not make the decision for him. Salvation cannot be inherited from your parents. Faith cannot simply be borrowed from your mother or father.
There comes a time when our children must personally decide, “Jesus, I choose You.” And at 26 years old, my son made his own decision to be baptized. That is what made this moment so powerful. This wasn't about his parents forcing him. It wasn't about doing something because he grew up in church. This was his decision. As I watched him enter those baptismal waters, I thought about the prayers that had been prayed throughout the years. Some prayers were whispered. Some prayed with tears. Some prayed when everything looked good. And some were prayed when only God knew what was happening inside a mother's heart. But I kept praying. Because I knew in my heart that my four kids belong to the Lord. My job was just to pray! The battle belongs to the Lord. I understand that maybe you are reading this blog and thinking that I do not understand. But, I can tell you. Yes, I can relate. Maybe, I can not understand your burden as a mother or father. But I understand how embarrassing it is to see our children do things that we did not teach them. Our children at times make decisions that we may or may not agree with. The only thing left to do is pray! Baptism is a public declaration of an inward decision. It says: My old life is buried with Christ. I belong to Jesus. I am choosing to walk in the newness of life. Romans 6:4 reminds us that through baptism we identify with Christ's death and resurrection so that “we also should walk in the newness of life.” Watching my son be baptized reminded me that God has His own timing. Parents, we sometimes become discouraged because we planted a seed and expected to see the fruit immediately. But seeds grow underground before we ever see evidence above the soil. You may have taught your child God's Word and wondered, Did they hear me? You may have brought them to church and wondered, Did any of this stay in their heart? You may have prayed year after year and wondered, Lord, when? Keep praying. Your responsibility is to plant, water, love, teach, model Christ, and pray. God gives the increase. “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.” — 1 Corinthians 3:6 (NKJV). Mothers and Fathers, Don't Stop Praying There are prayers you may pray today that you will not see answered tomorrow. Some answers take years. Some children have to experience life before remembering what Mom and Daddy taught them. But the Word of God planted in their hearts is powerful. Don't give up because you cannot see what God is doing. Don't confuse God's silence with God's absence. Don't measure the effectiveness of your prayers by how quickly circumstances change. Continue covering your children. Continue speaking God's Word. Continue living Christ before them. And most importantly, give them room to develop their own relationship with Jesus Christ. Our children cannot live forever on their parents' faith. Eventually, they must know God for themselves. And that is what made this baptism so precious to me. At 26, he chose. As his mother, I could pray for him. I could teach him. I could encourage him. But I could not step into those baptismal waters in his place. He had to make that decision himself. And he did. Never Give Up This testimony isn't only about baptism. It's about perseverance. It's about believing God's Word even while you're waiting. It's about a mother's prayers. It's about a father's example. It's about seeds planted in a Christian home. And ultimately, it's about the faithfulness and grace of God. So to the mother praying for her son or daughter today: Keep praying. To the father wondering whether your children are listening: Keep living the example. To the parent whose child has wandered: Keep believing in God. To the family waiting for a breakthrough: Don't give up. You may be looking at a seed today, but God already knows what that seed can become. Yesterday, I didn't simply see my 26-year-old son being baptized. I saw years of prayer. I saw seeds that had been planted. I saw perseverance. I saw God's grace. And I was reminded: A praying mother may become tired, but she doesn't stop praying. A waiting season does not mean God has stopped working. And what you planted in faith can still produce fruit years later.
Prayer 🙏
Father, thank You for reminding us that Your timing is perfect. Thank You for every seed of Your Word planted in our children. Give mothers and fathers strength when the waiting becomes difficult. Help us never to stop praying, never to stop believing, and never to stop demonstrating Christ in our homes. Lord, our children ultimately belong to You. Draw them into a personal relationship with Jesus not merely because of what their parents believe, but because they have encountered You for themselves. Thank You for the testimony of baptism, for new beginnings, and for the privilege of witnessing our children publicly declare their faith. May they walk in Your Word, recognize Your voice, remain faithful when the world pulls in another direction, and fulfill every purpose You have placed upon their lives. And to every parent still waiting: strengthen their faith. Remind them that the story is not finished. Help them keep praying, keep planting, and keep believing. In Jesus' mighty name, Amen. 💛
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