From Deuteronomy 6:6-7, the Bible shows us that we must pass on the word and prayer to our children, to our entire household, to our entire family, and to our generation. The time we are living in is a troublesome time, not only for adults but also for children, because there is danger and bad influence everywhere.
Before, we could talk to a child and tell them that a certain thing on TV was bad or not to read a certain book, but now bad influence has been distributed into all kinds of things, even into the very phone we all use daily. The games children play come filled with violence, bad words, and even witchcraft and satanism. The reality is that the devil wants to win the hearts of children and youth so he can use them for evil.
How many youths do not possess firearms, or use offensive words against each other, and afterwards the result makes it to the press, whether they took someone’s life or someone took theirs! It is time for us to take this matter seriously, because day by day more victims of evil, malice, and immorality fall among our youth.
Not only must we pray for our children, but we must teach our children to pray, guide our children in the ways of God, just as we teach them to eat so they have strength, because they have to face life every day, and the global situation of the world is very dark. Our young people are going through a time where they need to survive many types of attacks against their lives, and if God’s word says to pray, that truly means we must teach our youth to pray.
The influence of evil is so great that a youth can fall into depression, a youth can experience stress; let us not say “they are just a youth and nothing is wrong”. Remember that the thief came to steal, kill, and destroy, and that applies to everyone equally. The influence of alcohol, drugs, pornography, violence, and carrying weapons is very great due to a lack of knowledge of God’s word. Anger dominates a child very easily when they do not have a prayer life, because it seems like there is no way out except through violence.
Not to mention the emotional life the youth are living, in which they feel they must prove who they are and what they are capable of, and that often costs them their freedom and even their lives. The need for prayer is great: for peace and tranquility, for wisdom, for love, to forgive, and to respect each other’s lives. Prayer also brings the fear of God among youths, and thus they turn away from evil.
Around every corner one turns, there is something evil, some bad influence lurking for our youth. We can no longer sit cross-handed and think that school and the internet can do the job that we as parents must do at home. We as parents must make time available to pray, but we also beg every parent: teach your child to pray, because a child can have everything, but if their spiritual defense is low, they can fall to bad influence.
Let us ask God to place a wall of protection around our youth, and make them conscious that we are truly in an evil and troublesome time. Lord, we beg you to protect our children.
By Pastor Marcel Balootje