based on sermon by Paul Nyamuda entitled Healing Father Wounds

Transcription

1 Weekly Prayer Strategy (11 18 June 2017) based n sermn by Paul Nyamuda entitled Healing Father Wunds Father is the Greek Wrd Pater (Generatr, riginatr r transmitter f anything, authrs f a family animated by the same spirit as himself. One wh has infused his wn spirit int thers, wh actuates and gverns their minds). Fathers are instrumental tls in Gd s hands fr bringing and maintaining freedm in their children. As we examine this tpic try t see where the gaps cracks and leakages are in yur wn life. Fr the wmen, it s imprtant t knw the rle f the persn yu are married t, in rder t help them. Prayer Pint 1 Pray that Gd shws yu hw yu have been affected by the fathering style f yur father. Ask Gd t shw yu yur gaps with regards t fathering (if yu are a father), and ptential gaps if yu are nt yet. If yu are a wman, ask the Lrd t give yu the grace t supprt yur husband r future husband t be the fathers they are called t be. Fathering is a gd thing Psalms 127:3-5 - "Children are a heritage frm the LORD, ffspring a reward frm him. Like arrws in the hands f a warrir are children brn in ne s yuth. Blessed is the man whse quiver is full f them. They will nt be put t shame when they cntend with their ppnents in curt."(niv) Prverbs 23:24 - "The father f a righteus child has great jy; a man wh fathers a wise sn rejices in him."(niv) What is the current state f affairs with regards t fathering? A new reprt n the living circumstances f yung children (0-4 years) shws that, while 93% f yung children have bth bilgical parents still living, nly 36% f them live with bth bilgical parents. Mst yung children (43%) live with nly their bilgical mther, 2% live with their bilgical father nly, and 19% d nt live with either f their bilgical parents. STATS SA. In 2014 Over 1.1 millin births were registered, but 64% had n infrmatin n fathers. The United States is becming an increasingly fatherless sciety. A generatin ag, an American child culd reasnably expect t grw up with his r her father. Tday, an American child can reasnably expect nt t Fatherlessness is the mst harmful demgraphic trend f this generatin. It is the leading cause f declining child well- being in ur sciety. It is als the engine driving ur mst urgent scial prblems, frm crime t adlescent pregnancy t child sexual abuse t dmestic vilence against wmen. Yet, despite its scale and scial cnsequences, fatherlessness is a prblem that is frequently ignred r denied. Fatherless America by David Blankenhrn 1 P age

2 Hw des fathering tday affect the next generatin? Prverbs 14:26 - "Whever fears the LORD has a secure frtress, and fr their children it will be a refuge."(niv) Rbbie Lw, vicar f St. Peter s, Bushey Heath (church f England), wrte an article in a 2003 issue f Tuchstne. It dealt with a 1994 study in Switzerland n the questin f whether a persn s religin carried thrugh t the next generatin, and if s, why, r if nt, why nt. The findings were staggering, but, upn cnsideratin, they make sense: There is ne critical factr. It is verwhelming, and it is this: It is the religius practice f the father f the family that, abve all, determines the future attendance at r absence frm church f the children. Hw big f an effect is it? If a father des nt g t church, n matter hw faithful his wife s devtins, nly ne child in 50 will becme a regular wrshipper. If a father des g regularly, regardless f the practice f the mther, between tw- thirds and three- quarters f their children will becme churchgers (regular and irregular). If a father ges but irregularly t church, regardless f his wife s devtin, between a half and tw- thirds f their ffspring will find themselves cming t church regularly r ccasinally. A nn- practicing mther with a regular father will see a minimum f tw- thirds f her children ending up at church. In cntrast, a nn- practicing father with a regular mther will see tw- thirds f his children never darken the church dr. If his wife is similarly negligent that figure rises t 80 percent! Prayer Pint 2 Ask Gd t help fathers and ptential fathers t see fathering as a gd thing that is a privilege. Ask Gd t heal ur natin by cnvicting us f the imprtance f fathering. Ask Gd t bring fathers back t their hmes with the gal f actively fathering their children. Pray that mre fathers will get the revelatin that their church ging habits will affect their children s church attendance. What d yu wish yur father gave r did fr yu that yu didn t get? What did yu receive frm yur father that yu mst appreciate? What d yu find mst challenging abut being a father? What are yur current gaps in fathering? What s yur default parenting style? 2 P age

3 Be careful f cmpensatin parenting. (Where yu parent in the ppsite extreme f yur parents). Prayer Pint 3 Pray that fathers becme mre cnscius f their fathering style. Pray that fathers gain the curage t mve away frm unhealthy fathering styles. Pray that Gd brings healing and restratin in yur life where there are gaps and wunds as a result f hw yu were fathered. Fathering is a chice Here are sme key mandates fr the father: T bless Gen 49:26 is a gd example f a father s blessing. Yur father's blessings are greater than the blessings f the ancient muntains, than the bunty f the age- ld hills. Let all these rest n the head f Jseph, n the brw f the prince amng his brthers. This will impact their self belief with regards t their ptential. Biblical blessings can be stated frmally and infrmally. Eg Daniel asking me abut his hckey. A traveling preacher tk ten- year- ld Charles, sat him n his knee, and prphesied, This child will ne day preach the gspel, and he will preach it t great multitudes. I am persuaded that he will preach in the chapel f Rwland Hill,... He called all present t witness what he had said and then gave Charles a cin as a reward if he wuld learn the hymn, Gd mves in a mysterius way His wnders t perfrm. Years later, that prphecy was fulfilled. Spurgen cmments, Did the wrds f Mr. Knill help t bring abut their wn fulfillment? I think s. I believed them, and lked frward t the time when I shuld preach the Wrd (C. H. Spurgen Autbigraphy [The Banner f Truth Trust, 1:28]). He ges n t say that he wasn t even yet cnverted, but thse wrds spurred him n t seek the Lrd s salvatin. T prtect Frm what d we need t prtect ur children? Physically, spiritually, emtinally, sexually and mrally. Sadly in many families kids need t be prtected frm their fathers. 3 P age Gen 19:8 Nw behld, I have tw daughters wh have nt had relatins with man; please let me bring them ut t yu, and d t them whatever yu like; nly d nthing t these men, inasmuch as they have cme under the shelter f my rf, Eg little girls in SA twnships tday nt being prtected. Child lcks n TV. Warning kids abut sweets that have drugs. In UK liqur cabinets at hme. Mdeling smking. T mdel 1 Crinthians 4:14-16

4 I am writing this nt t shame yu but t warn yu as my dear children. 15 Even if yu had ten thusand guardians in Christ, yu d nt have many fathers, fr in Christ Jesus I became yur father thrugh the gspel. 16 Therefre I urge yu t imitate me. Let them see yu pray. Let them see yu vercme in trials. Let them see yu being generus. (eg Mm s shes etc) What are yu nt letting yur children see? Are yu mdeling tenderness? Yur children need t see yu lving yur wife. This is ne f the first things a gd parent is t d. T lead Jshua 24:15 - "But if serving the LORD seems undesirable t yu, then chse fr yurselves this day whm yu will serve, whether the gds yur ancestrs served beynd the Euphrates, r the gds f the Amrites, in whse land yu are living. But as fr me and my husehld, we will serve the LORD."(NIV) Definitin = He makes things happen. Leading biblically invlves serving. Lead in taking accuntability. Lead in visineering. Lead in setting values and standards. Be careful what yu defer t yur wife, it might be yur mandate. Lead in cmmitment t Gd and church. Hw? Lead by mdeling Lead by taking initiative Lead by setting directin Lead by nging evaluatin Lead by stewardship = Yu are mrally respnsible fr the hme befre Gd. Questins leaders ask 1.) Where are we nw? 2.) Where d we need t g? 3.) What must we d t get there? T give identity Ephesians 6:4 - "Fathers, d nt exasperate yur children; instead, bring them up in the training and instructin f the Lrd."(NIV) Clssians 3:21 - "Fathers, d nt embitter yur children, r they will becme discuraged."(niv Hw yu treat yur wife reinfrces in yur daughter a sense f significance r wrthlessness It impacts yur sn with regards t hw t treat wmen r if negative can make him hate men and verly identify with wmen. 4 P age

5 T disciple and teach This is the priestly rle Deuternmy 6:6-9 - "These cmmandments that I give yu tday are t be n yur hearts. Impress them n yur children. Talk abut them when yu sit at hme and when yu walk alng the rad, when yu lie dwn and when yu get up. Tie them as symbls n yur hands and bind them n yur freheads. Write them n the drframes f yur huses and n yur gates."(niv) Prverbs 22:6 - "Start children ff n the way they shuld g, and even when they are ld they will nt turn frm it."(niv) What des this require n yur part? Smetimes yu can t d all the teaching but can at least facilitate it and cnnect them t the right surce. He s a priest. = He makes Gd knwn. Questins priests ask: D my kids knw Gd? D they have an accurate view f Gd? Des ur hme hnr Gd? Are we grwing in hliness? What d they need t knw, d, and be? Hw d they best learn? When and hw will I teach them in this seasn f life? Yur rle is t transfer f gdly wisdm t the next generatin. Yu are the custdian f the spiritual climate f the hme. Hw d yu play this rle? Pass n yur faith t them while they are yung. Disciple yur children. Discipleship invlves: Cnnectin, Ministry develpment, Purpse alignment, Character develpment, Dctrinal & Thelgical Develpment, Prayer, and Crrectin (7 Dimensins). Mdel authentic wrship Initiate family wrship Encurage private wrship Impart wisdm and build character. Mdel a Wrd- centered life T Lve 5 P age

6 Fathers are called t lve as Gd lves. It s a heart thing. Malachi 4:6 - "He will turn the hearts f the parents t their children, and the hearts f the children t their parents; r else I will cme and strike the land with ttal destructin."(niv) Psalm 103:13 - "As a father has cmpassin n his children, s the LORD has cmpassin n thse wh fear him"(niv) Prverbs 3: "My sn, d nt despise the LORD s discipline, and d nt resent his rebuke, because the LORD disciplines thse he lves, as a father the sn he delights in"(niv) As a lver he gives peple what they need mst. Questins lvers ask: Hw are my kids really ding? D they sense my apprval and acceptance? Are we cnnecting at a deep level? What d my children need frm me that nly I can give them? Am I demnstrating empathy The Father as lver demnstrates deep relatinship nt just task rientatin. Hw? Mdeling a lving relatinship with Gd and yur wife TIME Prviding tender lve uncnditinally Prviding tugh lve when necessary Being emtinally intelligent Prayer Pint 4 Pray that Gd helps fathers arund yu t functin accrding t their mandate. If that s yu pray these mandates ver yurself. The mandate t lead, lve, teach and disciple, mdel, give identity and prtect. 6 P age