2019 Prayer and Fasting, Day 5

I can't believe it is already June! More and more, time seems to be moving faster than I can even keep up with. I understand that it is just something that will continue for the rest of my mortal life here on the earth.

Given my back having gotten worse over the last few days, I re-shuffled my schedule a bit this weekend, making tomorrow (Sunday) busier (and making today easier). Therefore, I'm doing my devotional and extended prayer time today, on Saturday. I'm choosing to continue in the book of 1 Kings, because this section is very rich, both in the Bible passages and the devotionals.

Bible passage: 1 Kings 2:1-4, NIV

When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son.
“I am about to go the way of all the earth,” he said. “So be strong, act like a man, and observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses. Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go and that the Lord may keep his promise to me: ‘If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.’

Devotional: A Father and His Son (taken from the above passage)

David charges his son Solomon to be a wise ruler. Each generation wants "the best" for the next. Think about the children you know -- within your sphere of influence -- whether you are a parent, a relative, a teacher, or a member of a community with children. What hopes do you have for these children? What hopes do you think God may have for them? What blessings or struggles have children brought into your life? How have these children affected your relationship with God? How would you pray today for them?

My experience with children has largely been as a piano teacher, and occasionally as a community member, which will inform my answers.

1.) My hope -- for each child to grow, to learn to enjoy the journey as they grow -- to find joy in music-making (hopefully in their piano-playing), to create, and to do well in life. (And to practice!)

2.) God's hopes -- for each of them to come to Christ on their own and receive Him as both Savior and as Lord. For each of them to be strong Adults for the kingdom of heaven.

3.) Blessings/struggles -- the children in my life, past and present, have taught me a lot; I've gotten to see their personalities and what makes each one of them who they are, which is really cool. Discipline, on the other hand, is a challenge. Like all us adults, children are inherently self-centered and have to be taught to think of others, what's ok vs what's not ok, etc. Sometimes my attempts to teach them something -- typically within the boundaries of the piano student-teacher relationship -- is met with a form of resistance: a sarcastic comment, a loud scream, or a silent angry staredown. Some days -- or even seasons -- I know from the beginning that this particular piano lesson is automatically going to require all of my endurance, and sometimes even more than what I have to give (hence my praying on the drive to the lesson, and gratitudes once I've left that house).

4.) How have they affected my relationship with God? When I first started teaching lessons, they and their families represented my entire income at the time. But they also represented a seed, out of which the possibilities were endless -- a seed of my own learning, growing, developing for all sorts of other future hopeful endeavors (a career; a family; a ministry, perhaps?). Even now, though the novelty has long worn off, they are still a part of my life. I don't know what is next, but I do know that the children in my life are specially loved by God.

5.) How would I pray for them? I would pray for protection. Sure, I'll also pray for their growth, their nurturing, their development. But this world is increasingly becoming a more dangerous place, seemingly at an exponential level. So, protection, first and foremost.

As kind of an aside, continuing the monologue from the above passage, King David -- the very old, frail, and near-death King David, mind you -- right after he gives Solomon his wisdom for how to rule Israel, also gives him some commands like some Godfather mobster on his deathbed in terms of final wishes for taking out his rivals. I thought this was interesting:

1 Kings 2:5-9, NIV

“Now you yourself know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me—what he did to the two commanders of Israel’s armies, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether. He killed them, shedding their blood in peacetime as if in battle, and with that blood he stained the belt around his waist and the sandals on his feet. Deal with him according to your wisdom, but do not let his gray head go down to the grave in peace.
“But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai of Gilead and let them be among those who eat at your table. They stood by me when I fled from your brother Absalom.
“And remember, you have with you Shimei son of Gera, the Benjamite from Bahurim, who called down bitter curses on me the day I went to Mahanaim. When he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the Lord: ‘I will not put you to death by the sword.’ But now, do not consider him innocent. You are a man of wisdom; you will know what to do to him. Bring his gray head down to the grave in blood.”

Now you know.