Praying for Your Children

1 sam 1-3

Wow, I learned some amazing truths about child rearing in this passage. It really is amazing that Samuel turned out to be great.

Although he wad raised in a priest's home, it wasn't a great situation. Eli's sons were wicked and God rebuked Eli because he "honored his sons above me (God)".

So basically...

1. Samuel had horrible influences around him.

2. Samuel had a weak father figure raising him.

3. To add to it, Samuel didn't even have a Bible to help guide him..."there was no open vision."

The only thing I can attribute to this child's tenderheartedness to God was God's grace and a praying mother. She wasn't there to create the "perfect enviroment". She had decided the greatest control she had over her son was to plead God's control.

Oh so convicting. Sometimes I am guilty of thinking that a perfect or atleast a really good environment would be the key to helping to raise a godly child, though that is important...greater importance is fervent prayer like Hannah's. Lord, I fail miserably at being a praying mother for Destiny and a praying sister for Ariel. Help me to change this. This is encouraging to know that the circumstances, that I cannot control, are not the key, but that my prayers, which I can control, can make all the difference.