We have fasted and prayed every month—except December which is a time of feasting and thanksgiving—for over eight years. We have prayed over several hundred requests together. Of all the things we’ve prayed for, however, only God’s grace alone can answer the following requests. Why?
“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! –Matthew 6:22,23
If we have a healthy, biblical perspective, it will bring light and life to our entire being. If we have a bad, unbiblical perspective, it will birth darkness in our lives. The problem is, how we see is how we see. It takes a great work of grace to help us see otherwise as it is so hard to get outside of ourselves to see things differently. It is usually only after prolonged counseling or a major intervention effort or a tragedy of some kind that we experience awareness of how inaccurate our paradigms can be. Almost all of these eye-opening experiences are difficult and painful.
God wants us to learn to see like He sees. This means getting past our biases, personality quirks, past experiences, etc. Simply put, this takes a lot of grace. God uses His Word, the preaching of His Word, relationships where iron sharpens iron, our spouse’s balance, so forth and so on. Even still, we tend to hang on to how we have always seen because it is the only pair of glasses through which we have seen life. It takes a heart after God to learn to interpret events, the actions of others, and our own actions as He sees them, and this is what we are praying for throughout the month of June. We will be fasting on June 15th or a day that works best for you as individuals.
1. Pray that we would see Jesus Christ in His glory, splendor and majesty, not by man’s definitions but from God’s Word.
- So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” –John 12:21
- I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. –Is. 6:1
2. Pray that we will be aware that other people see things differently than we do and we need to respect this reality (obviously, we want all perspectives to be based on scripture).
- with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, –Eph. 4:2
- The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. 7 And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, –Acts 15:6,7
3. Pray that God would help us grow in grace so we can discern which of our perspectives are godly and biblical and which ones are inaccurate, wrong or sinful.
- Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. –1 Cor. 11:28
- these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. –1 Cor. 2:11
4. Pray that we will raise our children up in such a way to see, interpret and think biblically, and that their eyes would be full of light.
- So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, –Matt. 6:22
- For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee. –Proverbs 23:7
5. Pray that we would see and believe that God is for us as Christian and as Christian homeschoolers.
- For behold, I am for you, and I will turn to you, and you shall be tilled and sown. –Ez. 36:9
- There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. –Romans 8:1
6. Pray that we will create—by the grace of the Holy Spirit—a positive and encouraging home life that gives life to those with whom we come in contact instead of negativity which sucks the life out of people.
- All the days of the afflicted are evil, but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast. –Proverbs 15:15
- Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. –1 Thes. 5:11
7. Pray that God will deliver our children from the spirit of the age and the perspectives that are spawned by that spirit like always being a victim, possessing the scarcity mentality, slandering others who have “more” than us, blaming others, intolerance, slandering, etc.
- Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy,[d]drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do[e]such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. –Gal. 5:19-21
- Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. –Romans 12:1,2
8. Pray that God will give us—and our children—the perspective and desire to fear Him more than people’s opinions.
- The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe. –Proverbs 29:25
- For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. –Gal. 1:10
9. Pray that God will enable us and our children to have a perspective that doesn’t make it all about us.
- Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. –Phil. 2:3
- “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. –Matt. 7:12
10. Pray for healing for those whose perspectives and paradigms are deeply broken because of the sin that is in the world, so that they can interact healthily with others, especially their children.
- O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. –Psalms 30:2
- Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise. –Jer. 17:14
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