Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Abundant Life

He who has the Son has life;
he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
1 John 5:12

I want my kids to have life. Not just "enjoying their days and satisfied with the things they have" kind of life. Life abundant. The kind of life that Jesus talks about. The kind that stretches you, strengthens you, pours over onto others and just generally blows your mind. I want them to know what it means to LIVE. To live passionately. To live generously. To live actively. To live ABUNDANTLY. Jesus said, "The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life." (John 10:10 NLT). I want that life for my kids. And the only way they will find it is through the Son of God. "He who has the Son has life..."

Lord, I know that life with you is abundant, and life without you is desolate. Sometimes I don't know how to best explain this to my kids. I don't want to scare them or coerce them into loving or following you. But I do want them to know the truth. I want them to know that life is nothing without you. Help me to explain this to them, and help me to live it out in front of them. I pray that they would understand from a very young age that life is all about knowing, loving and having a relationship with you. Help their hearts and minds grasp the concept of a personal relationship with an invisible God. Help them know that they can pray to you anytime - and that when they do, you hear them even though they cannot see you. I pray that as we read them scripture, pray with them and talk to them about living for you the true messages we intend to convey would sink into their hearts. Please, Lord, protect them from the lie that being a follower of you is about works, doing good things and following the rules of "living right". Help their little hearts understand that loving you and knowing you comes first, and the rest is an outpouring of that relationship. It is a confusing concept in our world of right vs. wrong and working to get ahead. I misunderstood it as a child and still struggle with it sometimes. But I pray that my children won't. Please give them hearts of discernment and wisdom, that they may read and understand your Word. And as they build their relationships with you, I pray that they would abide in you just as you abide in them. Let them live out of that relationship. Give them life abundant as they sink the roots of their life deeply in you. I pray that they would always be sensitive to the leadings and promptings of your Spirit. Even if it takes them to far off places to do dangerous things, let them always live in the center of your will. Give them hearts that yearn for life abundant, everlasting and centered in you. I pray that they will "have the Son", and therefore have the "rich and satisfying life" that comes with fully living for you. And I pray that if they are ever tempted to give up abundant life for the empty life this world offers, that you would bring friends, family, circumstances, angels and all the power at your disposal around them to draw them back to you. Take their hearts captive and let their footsteps follow after you all the days of their lives...Amen

I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. John 10:28

For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. Psalm 36:9

I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. John 15:5 NASB

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. John 14:16-19 NLT

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