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God, we pray that You would restore what the locusts have eaten. Heal us, Father, and restore Your vision for families in America!
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As we gather with family members for the Thanksgiving holiday and will again for the Christmas holiday in a mere few weeks, we may be thinking about the blessing and the pain in our families and about God’s ultimate plan for the institution He created–family. This article was initially published in an IFA newsletter in November, 1990.Ā Ā 

In our ministries to families, we have adopted a most important theme: ā€œLife is relationships.ā€ One of the key foundation stones of our nation is strong, healthy families, and these are begun with the covenant of marriage. The stability of this relationship promotes family unity which is the backbone of a stable society.Ā 

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It is significant that the Bible focuses on the FAMILY as being central in communicating faith to our children. Nearly every problem in our society can be traced to a failure to build our families on the Word of God. The Fatherhood of God is the authority on which all good relationships are built. When the founders of America were settling on a form of government, they went directly to the Bible. Upon its precepts they established the authority of civil government. The Word of God clearly teaches people how to live in relationship with one another. In a family, the individual is taught to live under the authority of God, thereby coming to know the essence of Fatherhood.Ā 

The most important element missing in our culture today is this element of Fatherhood. Fatherhood is authority! In Ephesians 3:14-15, Paul says, ā€œI kneel before the Father, from whom His whole family in heaven and earth derives its name.ā€Ā 

The psalmist said, ā€œGod set the lonely in families.ā€ (Psalm 68:6) The family is where a person learns how to relate and conduct himself as a citizen of the land, and as a member of the body of Christ. Foundations of discipline are set–rules of behavior that must be taught and learned. To most of us, ā€œdisciplineā€ is an undesirable word. But it is absolutely necessary if a people are to live together under our system of government.Ā 

Discipline is an acquired pattern of behavior. It demands regulation, and, because of our nature, that regulation must be established by someone other than ourselves. The regulations of God form His Fatherhood, bringing us into Sonship. The family unit is an organism made up of relationships which are established in a two-fold directionā€”both horizontal and vertical. In the family a child learns to submit to authority. At the same time he learns to deal with the confrontations of living with other people of equal standing.

However, the ā€œAmerican Wayā€ of life is fast becoming what Isaiah saw when he wrote, ā€œEach of us has turned to his own way.ā€ (Isaiah 53:6) The independent spirit of ā€œdoing my own thingā€ has brought America into decline and to a dangerous place. Forces are at work using subtle ways of encouraging such a lawless spirit.Ā 

The family is a vital link between the individual, his nation and his church. A good life is produced by good relationships, learned in the home under the oversight of parents called to administer the loving fatherhood of God. Most behavioral problems encountered by adults could have and should have been corrected when they were children under their parentsā€™ direction.Ā 

Today we need to reverse the trend which our society has drifted into. It is crucial that we see what we are producing. The leaders for all segments of our culture will emerge from the children now being raised in our homes. Thus, a return to biblical family life is essential.Ā 

The family is the training ground for any successful society. If training in responsible behavior does not occur in the home, someone else will have to deal with the problems arising from this lack of training later. When young people enter society, their pattern of conduct and morality is already set. Suddenly, they encounter the authority which is necessary to the orderly functioning of society. If they cannot live correctly in society, the state must often stress correctives that should have been applied in the home.Ā 

Training a child to be a responsible person demands commitment and courage. Unity is essential between parents. A couple must develop a harmonious relationship which calls for sacrificing their spirit of independence so they are then able to give full attention to their roles as parents.Ā 

Parent-child interaction should be a series of exchanges from which a step-by-step plan of maturity comes into view. First there is instruction; then comes correction. Make sure instructions are clearly understood, then correct it with reproof if necessary. Try again. IF your instructions have been carried out, commend the child. If not, administer discipline and try again. Consistency and repetition are essential. Weeks or even months are required to set patterns of behavior, both good and bad. And it takes several weeks or longer to change them. Biblica patterns of behavior should be set when children are young and pliable.Ā Ā 

The natural thing for a child to do is to set his own laws. Infants believe that everyone exists just for their benefit. Parents must see that the essential element of their relationship with the child is AUTHORITY. Reasonable boundaries are set by the parents to bring their children into maturity. Parents set these standards, not the child. The discipline of life is set by those given the authority.Ā 

The only focus standing against the elements of destruction in society are the God-ordained family and the Church. Against these two institutions the enemy has arrayed all his forces. Some of the pressures Satan has brought against the family are well disguised, taking on assumed names such as ā€œrights,ā€ not responsibility; or ā€œfreedomā€ versus unity. These must be exposed and resisted with all the power and wisdom that is ours through the Spirit of God. In our homes we must stand and wage warfare against the forces of the ā€œindependent self.ā€Ā 

Any organization, society or nation will go where its leaders take it. Paul told the youthful apostolic leaders: ā€œA leader [in the Body of Christ] must manage his own family well and see that his own children obey him with proper respect.ā€ (1 Timothy 3:4-5) The same is true for any in governmental leadership.Ā 

Christians must pray and intercede fervently for God to restore that which ā€œthe locusts have eaten.ā€ Let us all capture the vision of what He is calling us to do as individuals, as couples, as children, to help restore the rightful function of the family in our society. This will involve a strong commitment from us to get our own house in order, demonstrating to all who see us just what it means to BE a family.Ā 

When God spoke to His people of old about prayer for their nation, He addressed Himself to ā€œthose who are called by My name.ā€ (2 Chronicles 7:14) Those who are called by His name will bear the responsibility for bringing to Him those prayers which will bring the healing of their nation. May we, who are the people of God, called by His name, take our responsibility in prayer, seeking our identity as HIS FAMILY and Him as our FATHER.

How are you praying for the families and children of America? Share your prayers and scriptures below.

(Photo Credit: Patricia Prudente on Unsplash)

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Darlene Estlow
November 29, 2024

Father, set our families, fathers, mothers, children, on your course, on your way. Help us build families your way. Give us repentance and a turning to you that we may glorify you and bring children into adulthood as worshippers of you.

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MaryJo Coleman
February 28, 2023

Father this is a prayer for the ages!
Restore. Restore. Restore. Please align us with Your Spirit! For Your Glory!

14
Libby Martin
February 27, 2023

My heart hurts as I watched the next generation never see a moving of the Holy Spirit, the old times when people would fall in Altars, repent and be changed, I pray for these young people and us closer to home and our beloved America. To God be all the Glory! Amen

11
Priscilla Meyenburg
February 26, 2023

Heavenly Father you gave us as parents a warning in Isaiah 53:-6 – We all like sheep have gone astray, and each of us has turned to our own way,, ā€œthe Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us allā€ā€œGods word taught us, but as parents in our teachings we rejected Him. Father I know that this is the case Iā€™ve seen it as the generations have passed before me., Families( parents have forgotten their roles as parents) very few discipline their children in the correct way, our Churches do not teach on Gods words of how to be a family, as God directed in his word. God as I was reading a passage that Washington stated at His Presidency it spoke to my heart as a Parent, as a Grandmother, as a Great grandmother: ā€œ We ought to be no less persuaded that the propitious smiles of Heaven, can never be expected on a Nation ( that disregards the eternal Result of order and right), which heaven itself has ordained.ā€ WOW! Godā€™s words from a former President just did a declaration. God I also see where we did a wrong -of being a parent and the pit we fell in as generation, after generation failed- we never righted the wrong as parents – as Gods words taught us. The true words written by A newsletter in 1990 showed us a great example that must have been overlooked! Or the locusts ate? ā€œ The natural thing for a child to do is to set his own laws. Infants believe that everyone exists just for their benefit. Parents must see that the essential element of their relationship with the child is AUTHORITY. Reasonable boundaries are set by the parents to bring their children into maturity. Parents set these standards, not the childā€ These lines that were written applies to what has not happened in most of the generations we see today. Father God Our prayers need to be focused on drastic change within the foundations of the Family,. God we must repent as parents to allow the evil sneaky attacks that Satan loosed upon Families by using words such as ā€œrights,ā€ not responsibilityā€, ā€œ how is she or he going to grow up if we as parents keep telling themā€ ā€œ what to doā€? I agree this was a deception of evil from Satan we were blinded by. ā€œ order and rightā€ . My prayers, as my eyes are opened is that parents, grandparents will pray in earnest that we Take Back -what Satan has stolen from us ā€œtake our responsibility in prayer, seeking our identity as HIS FAMILY, it is never to late to repent and take back what has been used for destruction in a Family Unity that God ordained for us to follow .I know from reading Gods words and the words of our founding fathers. We must research and look at all of the wrongs that has been implanted in our way of living. These seeds- which has seeds of plantings from many families that has help erode our Government values as well.. what has been raised up in our families has been planted in our Branches of Government. Isaiah 33- is powerful v. 22 explains that the Lord is our Judge, our lawgiver, our king! ā€œ it is only going to be He that will save usā€ if we go back in history our children did not stand a true chance of schooling, Our Universities were formed on Gods words, What happened we ask ourselves? In my research I found profound words from KCM: How we can correct! ā€œ Whatever the devil has stolen from youā€”time, relationships, money or healthā€”itā€™s time to recover it all. Itā€™s time to charge into the devilā€™s camp with these 7 Confessions To Take Back What the Devil Has Stolen that you can declare in faith.ā€œ Ken C. (he))has written these 7 declarations that will help in our prayer times a tool of good recourse. .ā€ declare in the Name of Jesusā€¦

1. The favor of God in my life restores everything the enemy has stolen from me. (Exodus 3:21)
2. I am expecting great victories in the face of great impossibilities. (Joshua 11:20)
3. I have found the thief, and he must restore to me seven times what he stole. (Proverbs 6:31)
4. I am pursuing total restoration of my money, time, opportunities, health and relationships; and I will, without fail, recover all. (1 Samuel 30:6-8)
5. I am the head and not the tail, above and not beneath. I expect blessings to chase me down and overtake me. Every tongue that rises against me will be shown to be in the wrong. No weapon formed against me, my finances, my health, my family or my ministry will ever prosper. (Deuteronomy 28:13)
6. God is turning my situation around right now. As I obey Him and praise Him with a grateful heart, my faith and trust in Him is opening the door for a total and complete restoration of everything that has been stolen. (Romans 8:28)
7. I am more than a conqueror! I am not only recovering everything that has been stolen from me, but I am going to a new level beyond that in Jesusā€™ Name! (Romans 8:37) **************************
As you speak these declarations over your life, let their truth permeate your spirit. Resolve to only speak victory over your situation from this day forward. Then, listen for the direction of the Holy Spirit. He will lead and guide you to the place where you can reclaim everything that has ever been stolen. God is the God of restorationā€ Pray these words for complete Unity in our families, our children, our Government that comes from our children generations, after generations! We exist for ā€œ the glory of Godā€ and going forward for our Christian Faith to be re- established in our homes, churches, & government ; this was Gods destiny for America as He loved Israel, He loved America to be a role model for other Nations. We were created in Gods image not satans. We are Gods children we will take America back and start planting the seeds God gave us, The seeds of Life. God gave us Authority letā€™s learn to use it. Be blessed šŸ§Žā€ā™€ļø

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Susan CC
February 26, 2023

Thank you for this truth, Jay Fesperman!

ā€œā€¦we need to reverse the trend which our society has drifted into.ā€

Dear Abba Father, thank You. Because of Jesusā€™ sacrifice on the cross, we can call You Father. In Holy Spirit authority, we can pray without ceasing and KNOW we are always heard. I pray this morning for You to create a new trend in our society. Please give us Your vision and show us how to pray Lord. Remind us that we are called by Your Name and You have a purpose for each of us. I pray You will restore us individually and we will seek to continue that work with our spouses, children, parents, siblingsā€¦.families. In my appeal, I am asking for Your foundational order to be woven back into our society. This is for Your Glory and the good of our nation. Thank You Father. Thank You Jesus. Thank You Holy Spirit. Amen

15
    Susan CC
    November 29, 2024

    This message was important on Feb. 26, 2023 and equally so today, These passages have impacted prayer for my family and all families:

    Isaiah 59:21 ā€œAs for Me, this is My covenant with them,ā€ says the Lord: ā€œMy Spirit who is on you, and My words that I have put in your mouth, will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouth of your children, or from the mouth of your childrenā€™s children, from now on and forever,ā€ says the Lord.

    Matthew 24:6-12 You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars….but the end is not yet. For nation will rise up against nation… famines and earthquakes.. these events are the beginning of birth pains. Because lawlessness will multiply, the love of many will grow cold.

    Romans 8:29 For those He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers.

    Dear Heavenly Father, apart from You, life is meaningless. Your Spirit is alive and active in so many of us and because of this, we rely on Your Word to guide and direct us and our families. Please keep every jot and tittle in our mouths and hearts now and throughout the generations to come. Please keep us fearless as we witness war, hunger, hurt, lawlessnessā€¦.but MOST importantly, please keep our hearts from turning cold toward our loved ones ā€¦Your loved ones. Families are Your design Lord, please infuse our families…all families with strength and honor toward You and toward one another. I ask this and so much more, in the Name of Jesus Christ. He is Your only begotten Son, the firstborn among many brothers and sister. Amen

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