By Dr. Don Dunlap
Pastoral Counselor
If your daily schedule is crowding out family devotions you can simplify and reach your goals.
Family Counseling Ministries -
Are you intimidated at the thought of working yet another
task into your packed daily schedule? In Article #13 of a 20-part series on
family devotions, Dr. Dunlap continues a discussion of thirteen vital life
principles that parents can teach children as they go about their daily
routines. He offers suggestions on how to teach sons and daughters principles
such as the Loyalty Principle, the Stewardship Principle, and the Fear of God
Principle.
The Prayer Principle is the tenth principle
in our continuing list. It defines prayer as the means by which we conduct
vital communication with God. Parents must teach their children that God
delights in responding to our prayers. He wants His children to tell Him their
hearts’ desires. Children should grasp the truth that “they have not because
they ask not, and they ask and do not receive because they ask amiss.”
It is a good idea to help children memorize Colossians
4:2, “Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of
thanksgiving.”
Challenge children to maintain an attitude of prayer—to pray
without ceasing.
Parents should lead children to understand the truth that God
does not always answer our prayers in the way we want Him to. He knows what is
best for each one of us, and He sometimes answers “no” to our requests.
Children must learn from an early age to seek God’s face
more earnestly than they seek His hand. They will learn a valuable truth about
joy and peace if they learn to love God more than they love what He can do for
them.
The eleventh principle is the Fear of God Principle
and it states that Christians ought to acknowledge and revere God’s holiness.
The Bible calls this the fear of God. We read in Proverbs 22:4,
The reward of humility and the fear of the Lord are riches,
honor and life.
When our children learn to fear God with a holy reverence,
they begin to acquire godly wisdom—a pursuit far more important than the
acquisition of knowledge alone.
Principle #12 is the Independent Research Principle,
which assures us that God has invited us to explore His universe and we should
be diligent to do it. Parents should warn children, however, that they should
not learn the details of evil. God does not want us to “know evil” with our
minds. Mothers and fathers should teach children, instead, to discern evil in
their spirits. We find this warning in 1 Thessalonians 5:22, “Avoid every kind
of evil.”
Parents should tell their children that sons and daughters are
“living epistles, known and read by all men.”
The final principle is the Lab Journal Principle.
It is a good idea to encourage children to record ideas and discoveries so that
they can draw biblical applications from their life experiences. They should
then use their journals as a basis to help other people grow in Christ Jesus.
The words of 2 Timothy 2:2 are a marvelous challenge:
The things you have heard me say in the presence of many
witnesses, entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.
Dr. Don
Dunlap, a pioneer in the placement of Pastoral Counselors in the offices of
Christian physicians, has conducted over twenty thousand appointments during
his ministerial career. His counseling practice includes adults, children and
families in crisis. Dr. Dunlap is committed to facilitating a network of
telephone counselors. His goal is to provide help for the many people unable to
meet face to face with a competent Bible-based counselor. For a complete
library of Dr. Dunlap’s articles, indexed by topic, go to Family Counseling Ministries. You
may also make an appointment for personal telephone counseling by clicking on Family Counseling Ministries.
Family Counseling Ministries is a Christianity.com
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