praying effectively: Honor Your Parents (Ex., Lev., Deut.)

(Exodus 20:12)  “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you."

(Exodus 21:15, 17)  “He who strikes his father or his mother shall surely be put to death... 17 He who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death."

(Leviticus 20:9)  ‘If there is anyone who curses his father or his mother, he shall surely be put to death; he has cursed his father or his mother, his bloodguiltiness is upon him.

(Deuteronomy 6:16)  ‘Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, that your days may be prolonged and that it may go well with you on the land which the Lord your God gives you.'

Reminder:  "praying effectively" involves knowing God's will.  When we pray in His will (in His name), He may choose to not answer those prayers in the time period that we would like, or HOW we would like - but He will answer those prayers!

It is God's will:
- that we should never hit or curse our parents
- that we honor our parents

Today's prayer:

Dear Lord God, I've known this commandment for a long time, but it is blowing my mind a bit that this is emphasized so much in Your word.

Help me to show more respect to my parents!  Help me to be the loving, respectful daughter that I should be.  Bring to mind anything that I've done or said that was not right, so that I can apologize.  And when I speak or think about them, may I do so without disrespecting them.  May I see them through Your eyes.

Thank You so much for giving me a loving, patient Dad!  As a steadfast Christian, he was one of my key mentors in life.  As well, Mom was a wise woman who taught me to bring Christianity into every aspect of my life, teaching me to think and make choices for myself - in Your wisdom and strength.

I know they were not perfect.  Thank You for helping me easily forgive those few things and learn from them, as well as look past any of that, as they were sincerely trying their best through some very difficult challenges.  And as a parent myself, they were essentially excellent role models to follow.

Although my mom passed away many years ago, thank You for guiding Dad towards marrying a lovely woman who is a wonderful surrogate "mom" who does her best to show love to us.  Help me to continue fostering a healthy, loving relationship with her.

Thank You for bringing such loving in-law parents into my life!  As Dad H. recently passed away, please guide Mom H. toward feeling safe and still loved and respected.

As all the parents are aging, please give me patience and grace toward them.  Please protect all our parents, physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.   May all caregivers who enter their lives be wisely and sincerely caring!

Thank You for being our perfect heavenly Father.  Amen.