A PARENT’S FAITH

If you follow and read my blog you will know that I often hear God speak through my interactions with my grandchildren. I love being a grandparent, it is a joy and a privilege. But before I was a grandparent, I was a parent. And I still am! My children might be grown now, but they are still my children. I love them dearly and continue to want the best for them.

THE CHALLENGES

Being a parent is a wonderful God gift. But it isn’t always easy. You do your best to care for your children, and to teach them the best way to live. As a Christian parent you try to show them a real living faith, and point them towards Jesus. At each stage, from baby, through to toddler, schoolchild, teenager, and young adult, there are challenges! Even when they are grown and left home, even when they have children of their own, still the challenges of parenting don’t end. I am blessed to still be needed by my children, to still have involvement in their lives. But when I see them struggling, when I watch them make life decisions that aren’t the wisest, when I don’t see all my prayers for them answered, being a parent is hard.

God spoke to me in a really special way about that this week.

A PARENT’S FAITH

There are two stories close to each other in Matthew’s gospel featuring parents. In chapter 15 a Gentile woman, a mother, humbles herself before Jesus, pleading for healing for her daughter. She has to persist, but Jesus acknowledges her and honours her faith, and her daughter is healed instantly.

In chapter 17 a father has brought his son to Jesus’ disciples to be healed, and they have failed to do so. Jesus steps in, and heals him, with an ensuing discussion about faith. In Mark’s version of the story we have the phrase from that desperate father’s mouth that resonates with us all, ‘Lord I believe; help my unbelief!’. But it was the father’s simple words in Matt 17:15 that jumped off the page for me as I read it this week, ‘Lord, have mercy on my Son!’. I know the heart behind those words. The desperation, the longing, the hope.

GOD HONOURS PARENTS

In both of those Gospel stories Jesus responded to the faith of parents, on behalf of their children. This is such a beautiful truth. God honours parents. We know this, He wrote it into the Ten Commandments! I believe He has a special place in His heart for parents who pray in faith for their children.

I asked God about this and I heard His whisper in response,

‘I love to hear the prayers of parents. I know the pain of loving a child, and seeing that child suffer. Yes, I do have a heart for parents; I have a special place for their tears.

The faith of parents in a powerful commodity in my Kingdom. Don’t ever give up believing for your children, even when they appear faithless. I hear your prayers as you bring them close to me. I call forth your faith and I will respond to it. Don’t give up! Don’t think I haven’t heard. I will answer. I love your children, even more than you do.’

If you are a praying parent, take these words for yourself, and be encouraged! If you are not a parent, but pray for children in your life and family, He hears those prayers too, and sees your faith. Thank you, Father!

Joy Margetts is a published author and blogger. Her books are works of Christian Historical fiction. Set in medieval Wales against the backdrop of Cistercian abbey life, they tell stories of faith, hope and God’s redemptive power. Her debut novel ‘The Healing‘ was published by Instant Apostle on 19 March 2021.

‘The Pilgrim‘, her second full length novel, was published by Instant Apostle on 22 July 2022, and her third novel, ‘The Bride‘, published on 20th October 2023. Her first non-fiction book, an Advent Devotional, ‘Christ Illuminated‘ was published in September 2023.

More information on Joy, and her books can be found here