Analysis. Last week a mother in Florida killed her two young children in a murder-suicide following a custody battle with her ex-husband. This is the latest in an alarmingly rising number of reports of parents killing their children. Some do it in a fit of anger over behavior. Others claim to hear voices telling them to kill their children. A grievous number of children die from abuse or neglect, according to a report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The report lists 1,750 fatalities due to abuse or neglect, and 618,000 nonfatal victims. In 77% of these cases, the parents were the perpetrators.

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As disturbing as this trend is, in and of itself, even more disturbing is the fact that over half the victims were under 1 year old. Small children are some of the most vulnerable members of our society. They are born into families upon whom they depend to protect, feed, and raise them. Parents are the primary educators who, by God’s design, teach them love, life skills, and responsibility. The very last people on earth who should harm children are their parents.

Yet, it is happening. Why?

There are at least two reasons:

1. Satan hates children, because God loves them: Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” And he laid his hands on them and went away (Matthew 19:13–15 ESV).
   He gave us the right to call ourselves His children and placed a spirit within us that cries “Abba, Father.” The concept of parent-child relationship is inherent in His design for humanity. But Satan hates everything that God loves. For that reason, he attacks our children across a broad front: abusive agendas in school; violence in society; instability of parental relationships; drugs; and inciting parents to commit acts of violence against their children. This is one of many tragic symptoms of these days in which lawlessness abounds as the love of many grows cold (see Matthew 24:12). How much lower can we sink than to witness the love of parents toward their children grow cold and the people children should trust the most commit acts of violence against them?
2. Satan also knows that children are our future, and he cannot abide that. Again, by God’s design, as people age they are replaced by younger people who are supposed to grow up in stable homes and in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (see Ephesians 6:4). Children raised to learn discipline, love, responsibility, problem solving, conflict resolution, and respect make for a bright future. But children who are the victims of abuse and neglect do not. And parents who abuse their children, or worse, who kill them, rob society of a life formed by God in the womb with the potential to contribute to a brighter future. That is precisely what Satan wants, because he is out to destroy humanity — God’s image bearers. And destroying children — our future — is one of the ways in which Satan seeks to weaken the human race so that he can dominate and ultimately destroy it. This is the same agenda that is behind abortion, child trafficking, child pornography, pedophilia, child indoctrination, teenage gang violence, and every form of destructive agenda now being promoted in the schools. Satan wages war on humanity’s future to weaken it so that people will kneel in worship to him as the false messiah who has ostensibly come to restore order (see Revelation 13:11–13).

Our Prayers Will Make a Difference

It is imperative that we as God’s children — we who are redeemed and adopted into His household — begin praying to the heavenly Father for the children of all humanity. Let’s do this knowing that He cares about the oppressed and abused, especially children. We also know that He has appointed us to pray, that He has chosen to do mighty things through our prayers, and that His Church is the possessor and steward of His design for healthy family life. From that vantage point, we must pray that:

• God would directly intervene in the lives of children who are abused, neglected, and at risk of being murdered;
• God would empower His Church to rescue children and to teach and model to the world the principles of wise and godly parenting;
• the Lord would raise up ministries to rescue children from abuse and to assist parents who suffer from mental and emotional disorders or drug addiction;
• the government would awaken to the depths of this crisis and provide parenting classes and other forms of assistance and violence prevention to families in need;
• government officials would turn to the Church in fruitful partnership to address this crisis;
• many children would turn to Christ and find healing in Him from any abuse, violence, and breach of parental trust.

Let’s pray here and now:

Father, we ask You to free children everywhere from abuse at the hands of parents and other adults — and especially from any abuse brought on by demonic oppression in the lives of the parents. Empower Your Church to be an example of godly parenting and to teach this to the world. Raise up ministries that will provide needy children with a loving, constructive, safe environment. In these last days before Christ’s return, as love grows cold and violence abounds, we ask You to come alongside these who are the most vulnerable, and let them experience Your loving presence. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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Remco Brommet is a pastor, spiritual-growth teacher, and prayer leader with over 40 years of experience in Europe, Southeast Asia, Africa, and the U.S. He was born and raised in the Netherlands and pastored his first church in Amsterdam. He moved to the U.S. in 1986. He and his wife, Jennifer, live north of Atlanta. When not writing books, he blogs at www.deeperlifeblog.com and assists his wife as a content developer and prayer coordinator for True Identity Ministries. Jennifer and Remco are passionate about bringing people into a deeper relationship with Christ. Photo Credit: AnkNet/Getty Images Signature.