Live Free with Josh Howerton - Pray for Discernment | Ep. 395 | Friday, August 9, 2024

Episode Date: August 9, 2024

In this podcast episode, we conclude our discussion on the 5 principles of Godly parenting. Today's focus is on the importance of praying for godly discernment at every stage of your child's life. Discernment is a precious gift that should be cherished, and it blossoms through instilling God's word in their heart. For more information, visit lakepointe.church/dailydrive

Thanks for tuning in to today's Daily Drive with Lake Point Church, a daily dose of God's Word for your morning drive. When the word, not the world, becomes the majority of your week, your life will start to change. For that reason, our prayer is that God will speak to you through today's devotional. For more digital content to feed your faith, visit lakepoint.com. Church slash daily drive. And now let's dive in to today's devotional. Hey, it is Friday on the Daily Drive, and we've been talking about family all week long. My name is Mike Bro, and I am an imperfect husband and an imperfect dad who is trying to lean into God's wisdom in order to do what he has called me to do with my life. And I absolutely love my family.

I love being married to Debbie Bro. I love being a dad to Jody, Derek, and Drew. I love being Papa to Hayden, Bryce, Tyler, Jack, Chloe, Levi, Brooks, Layton, Crosby, Dutton, it is the joy of my life. And I am no expert on family matters whatsoever, but I have been learning some principles along the way about giving our kids wings so that someday they can soar with God. Let me refresh where we've been this week. We said, in order to give our kids roots and wings, we've got to give them freedom for discovery. We've got to let them dance their own dance to be who God uniquely made them to be. You've got to trade in your dream house for a dream home and create the

kind of accepting atmosphere in your home. You've got to point in the right direction. We talked about that yesterday. And today, just one last thing. Pray for godly discernment. Pray for godly discernment. You know, our kids are going to face so many crossroads, so many temptations. There are so many invitations out there to mess up their lives. They're going to struggle with relationship choices. They're going to be in situations where their own strength is not going to be enough. It is so hard growing up in this culture today. So you start praying early on that God will give your kids discernment.

Proverbs 3, 21 and 26 says, My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment. Do not let them out of your sight, for they will be life for you, for the Lord will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being snared. It's just saying, discernment is a priceless gift. It's that godly prompting inside of a person

that speaks, don't go down that street, don't get into that car, don't fall for that guy, stay away from that party, don't respond to that post, don't listen to them, they're feeding you a line. Discernment is a gift from God, and every kid ought to have it. So moms and dads, you implant God's word in their heart. You talk through situations way ahead of time. You stress to them the value of discernment. You say, there are many things I pray for you, but most of all I pray that you, that you you would get to know Jesus Christ and find the wisdom of God to guide your decisions.

God has certainly honored that for our daughter Jody. Jody kind of went down a road that was not a great road when she was a junior in high school. And I'm not going to make a long story, but just to make a long story short, God just got a hold of her and turned her around. And it was a pretty cool transition that God did in her life. We're super grateful for that. She went and spent the next year in Haiti working in a medical mission slash orphanage, and God just transformed her life during that year.

And during that time in Haiti, we were really missing her. And so one night we got out the baby books. And we opened up Jody's baby book, you know, with all the pictures and stuff. And we found a prayer that Debbie wrote in that baby book the day that Jody was born. Debbie has been praying for a godly discernment in Jody's life since she was born. The very first prayer recorded in that baby book was a prayer for discernment. And this is what Debbie wrote as like a 22-year-old girl. God, I pray for our new little girl that as she grows to love you,

she will be able to discern what's right and wrong, good and evil, what's important and what's not, what are earthly treasures and what are eternal ones. That's what she prayed. And today, our daughter possesses that gift. She has learned how priceless it is. God has caused her to soar on wings like an eagle, and she's passing along that gift to her girls. And I've always loved what Mary Corzahn writes from the perspective of our kids.

When you thought I wasn't looking, you hung my first painting on the refrigerator, and I wanted to paint another one. When you thought I wasn't looking, you fed a stray cat, and I thought it was a good idea. to be kind to animals. When you thought I wasn't looking, you baked a birthday cake just for me, and I learned that little things are special. When you thought I wasn't looking, you said a prayer, and I believe that there was a God that I could always talk to. When you thought I wasn't looking,

you kissed me good night, and I felt the whole world was right. When you thought it wasn't looking, I saw tears come from your eyes, and I learned that sometimes things hurt, and that it's all right to cry. When you thought I wasn't looking, you smiled, and it made me want to look that pretty too. When you thought I wasn't looking, you cared. And I wanted to be everything I could be. When you thought I wasn't looking, I looked. And I wanted to say thanks for all those things you did when you thought I wasn't looking. So you want to give your kids wings, give them freedom for discovery, let them dance or own dance,

trade in your dream house for a dream home, pointing the right. direction, pray for godly discernment, and then you let them go. And their heavenly father, the one with unfailing love, will help them soar. Hey, next week, we're going to have a special guest. So don't miss an episode. And then I'll see you back the following week and hope you have a great weekend. Thanks for tuning in today. For more biblical teaching and worship, join us for our church online live weekend services on Saturdays and Sundays. For more information about all the digital ministries of Lake Point, visit lakepoint.church slash daily drive.

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