Having a Prayertitude (conclusion)

I remember 2 years ago hearing a testimony at church from a Muslim teen (traveling with Eddie James Ministries) on when he gave his heart to Christ. Naturally his parents had trouble accepting this, so he literally had to hide his Bible from them, sneaking it out to read when convenient. Sometimes reading it in the bathroom. This youth was so excited about Jesus and the things God was doing for him that he wanted to share it with his sister. He would sneak into her room late at night, talk to her, and read scripture to her. One night she locked herself in her room and prayed. She prayed to both Allah and to God, demanding each of them to show themselves to her if they were for real. Now, who do you think showed up?Yes! God lit up the room with His presence that only He Himself could do. So, now both brother and sister can work on their parents.

When reaching our own siblings, hopefully our relationship with them has already been established. So, if we're presenting the gospel to them for the very first time, the hard part, a relationship built on trust, is done. The main ingredient is to approach them in love. Express to them the wonderful things that God has done for you, the peace that He has given you, and the love that God has for them. If they turn you away, don't fret or give up on them. There will be other opportunities for you with them. If they become argumentative, stop, find yourself an alone place to pray about it and pray for them, then just continue to show love on them. Don't be so overeager in your reaching them, God will work with you, if you ask Him. You need to continue to show you care for them, help them out when they need it. You might even want to go the extra mile and spend more time with them, just as siblings.

Now comes the hard part, parents with their kids. I am not a parent so I am not speaking from experience.But, we all know, if you've laid the foundation within your home while your kids were young, the groundwork is done:

Train up a child in the way he should go,

And when he is old he will not depart from it. (Prov.22:6)

I love this verse because it is so absolutely true. It is the one verse that parents need to remember most for their kids. Parents need to realize that once their kids become adults they are going to have to make choices on their own, and hopefully they retain the groundwork that you laid upon them. They will test the waters and your patience, but you just have to continuously love them and pray that they make the right choices in life.

It's sort of like the white bread-wheat bread way of life: as a kid you ate white bread and hated the wheat bread your parents may have forced you to eat.But when you got older you ended up loving the wheat bread, that same bread you hated as a kid. As parents you need to be there for your kids no matter what they go through. Us kids, it's what we remember most about our parents; them just being there for us. This is love!

And finally, spouses..another area I can't personally speak of yet. But, I do know the key words for any marriage: to love, honor and cherish till death do us part. When dealing with an unsaved spouse, again, you just need to show them love and pray for them. Have them see that joy and peace that you now have within you. Make them jealous of what you have in Christ Jesus.

A great way to begin ministering to them is just by asking them if you can pray for them. As my Pastor always says: "Don't pray about them, pray for them." In other words, don't pray for God to fix them.

In your daily devotional time or during breakfast,ask your spouse if you could read to them, either a passage of scripture or a snippet from a daily devotional. Begin to plant a seed in them. But, remember to administer grace to them. They may not at first be receptive to your approaching them with something as new into their lives.

Love is our key witness.We need to not look so much for results, because you'll come away disappointed. All you need to do is plant the seed. Always have an attitude of prayer for your family. I've seen and I've heard countless stories of family members coming to Christ while at a funeral because of that loved one's walk with the Lord. That noble Christ-like legacy that you leave behind will be remembered. And.. someone will continue your labor in the Lord for your family.