Blog Categories
Respite For the Weary
Dear Children,I want you to know, I am earnestly praying you will all learn how to earnestly pray. Did you know, your Father and Creator longs to hear your voice, and desires a sweet personal relationship with you? Prayer is so important, dear children, for so many different reasons.1. In prayer, we can worship God. Lift Him up, children; speak and sing to Him concerning His power and greatness. This will remind you of your humble position before your mighty God, who is so full of love for you. He is worthy to be praised!2. In prayer, we can be thankful to God. Look around, children; you are blessed. Never forget to thank the Bestower of every good gift, especially for the gift of freedom we have in Christ. This alone should be a reason to always be grateful. He has given you life everlasting! What an unfathomable blessing!But also, sweet ones, always remember to be thankful for the little things. For example, when I was in college, my roommate, Stacy, and I would thank God at night for “three good things” concerning that particular day. It was a good little game; and sometimes, the focus on the “good things” would change my whole disposition before I went to sleep! (Even if, on occasion, our third “good thing” was simply that we did not have to think of a fourth “good thing”) As hard and miserable as the day may have seemed, we would have to giggle at our tired humor. You see, God promises to honor even your attempts at a thankful heart, filling us with a peace that passes all understanding.3. In prayer, we can ask for forgiveness from our sin. Never forget to do this, sweet ones. There has to be an emptying out before there can be a pouring in, otherwise the clear fresh Water will turn a murky brown. Remember, He already knows your sin, but, He is waiting to hear you speak from your troubled heart. It’s called confession.4. In prayer, we can cry out to God concerning ourselves—in our sorrow, in our pain, in our struggles, in our confusion. I cannot tell you, dear ones, how many times I have cried, and even sobbed before the Lord—sometimes speaking, sometimes speechless (for the Holy Spirit has words for us when we cannot express our trouble or sorrow). And, you know, afterwards, I come away so refreshed! Having faith that my plea for help has been heard, I grasp hold of the endless compassion He has poured all over my heart. Pour out your heartache before Him, children. He is listening!5. In prayer, we can cry out to God concerning others. Children when you feel completely helpless concerning someone else’s situation, or struggle, or tragedy, the absolute BEST thing you can do for them is pray. God is the One in control of their life, so plead your case before Him and cry for mercy before the God of all mercy. Pray for them to have the treasures of His will: His comfort, His direction, His healing, and His love. If you fervently pray for the hearts and souls of other people, you will be sure to see God at work, in His time and in His way (and sometimes through you!). Your faith, and theirs, will be strengthened through watching Him answer prayers.Children, I think you’ve figured out by now that neither your Daddy nor I are sinless. Do please forgive us when our own sin has affected you. We do love you the best we humanly can, but God is the one Who has the perfect love for you. I, also, have to continually go to this perfect One to be wiped clean. I’m still learning, just like you are. But, I have figured out (by the grace of God), the more I speak to Him, and the more I give up my will to Him, then the more He is able to rescue me from my “old self,” and replace it with the “new.”As the familiar praise-song teaches, “Our God is an awesome God who reigns... with wisdom, power, and love.” Talk to Him, dear children, in the morning, at noon, and at night. Then, you will discover how much this awesome God cares for your little heart.
I love you
1. Construct a prayer together with your children using the five points in the letter.Praise God for the one attribute of His character;Thank God for one “good thing”;Pray for one Godly attribute you would like to attain over time (patience, kindness, self-control, etc.);Pray for one person;Pray for forgiveness of one sin.2. Get on your knees and pray this prayer with your children. Remind them, they can also pray throughout the day alone.3. Practice this exercise again and again, asking your children to change the one attribute of God, the one “good thing,” etc., each time. Explain to them, they are beginning to learn the concept of “praying without ceasing”.
Dear Heavenly Father,I pray each of my children will regard praying to You—the altogether righteous, yet merciful God—as an honor and a privilege. For the price was the blood of Jesus, in order to be able to step into Your presence in this way! As they meditate on Your broad and amazing character, may they, with a thankful heart, praise and worship You. May they use songs, hymns, and spiritual songs, proclaiming, “the Lord lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation” (Ps. 18:46).At the same time they are lifting Your Name on high, may my children also humble themselves in Your presence, dear Lord. Convict them of their sin. Give them the ability to confess this to You on bended knee. Help them to empty themselves, so You can both purify them, and fill them with Your marvelous grace!And as my children continue to pray, keep them sensitive not only to their own needs, but also to the needs of others. May they petition these things to You, Holy Father, knowing and believing that You, dear Jesus, ever live to make intercession for your children. Thank You for the promise, of being able to ask anything according to Your will, and it will be given to us!O God, You are a jealous God. What an incredible truth to know that You, the King of Heaven and Earth, cherish the voice of each child you created. And not only do you love us, You also allow us to (somehow in Your wonderful mysterious way) “play a role” in the furthering of your kingdom as we devote ourselves to prayer. Thank You for Your Word which says, “the effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much” (James 5:16). Impress on my children’s hearts, dear Lord, to pray in this manner, so Your power and Your glory may be manifested in their lives. May the way You choose to answer their prayers be a great faith- builder in their relationship to You, just as it has been in mine.Thank You, dear Father, for Your compassionate listening ear, Your faithful working hands, and Your unconditional loving heart. May my children forever cling to You – always praising, always confessing, and always crying out to You as their Lord and as their Saviour.
Amen
Ps. 145:1-3; I Thess. 5:18; Phil. 4:6-7; Ps. 5:1-3; Ps. 143:4-8; Rom. 8:26-27; Eph. 6:18; James 5:13-18; Heb. 4:15- 16; Ps. 51:1-13; Ps. 55:16-17
Ps. 150:1-6; I John 1:9; Heb. 7:25; Luke 17:11-19; Ps. 61:1-4; I Thess. 5:17
Dear Children,From the words of Jesus, this is compassion:“A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho; and he fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went off leaving him half dead. And by chance a certain priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, and came to him, and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the inn keeper and said, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return, I will repay you’ “ (Luke 10:30-35).Children, do you see the difference in the hearts of these men who came upon the beaten man laying by the roadside? The priest and the Levite, supposedly God-fearing men, went to the extreme of passing on the other side of the road, literally avoiding a dying man! But the Samaritan, whose people happened to be despised by the Jews because of their mixed Gentile blood, did everything he could to give life back to him. Do you see, this compassionate Samaritan went out of his way to help a dying man, who, at this particular time period, was considered an “enemy”? And also, do you see it cost him time, and money, and energy? However, he was pleased to offer his help.Sweet ones, I want you to know, there are so many people “out there” who are not only suffering physically, but are, more importantly, “dying” spiritually. I am praying you will be able to see and feel the pain and hurt of another person’s heart, so that you can help bind up their wounds through the love of Christ. Jesus expects this from you, you know. His last words in the story about the Good Samaritan were directed to all of us: “Go and do the same” (Luke 10:37) Heed this call, and open the eyes of your heart—see, with compassion, the hunger of the hungry, the sickness of the sickly, the hurt of the hurting, and the loneliness of the lonely. Then, have mercy on them just as your Heavenly Father had mercy on you.
I love you
Dear Heavenly Father,You are the God of great compassion, “(staying) near to the brokenhearted and (saving) those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18). Thank You for Your intimate love that can bind up the wounds of an aching soul. May my children see how You work and be awed by it. Then by Your Spirit, may they desire to have a heart full of compassion that mirrors Yours. May they never get so involved in their own selfish desires that they become oblivious to the needs (physically, emotionally, and spiritually) of hurting people around them. Forgive me for doing this very thing, dear Lord. Convict my heart, and my husband’s, to be a living example of how to show compassion to others—loving our neighbors (whoever they may be) as we love ourselves. Help us to be able to “rejoice with those who rejoice, and to weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15).But more than looking at us, may they look to You, Lord Jesus, the greatest living example of compassion there ever was or will be! May my children be deeply touched by the way You gave endless mercy to those suffering around You while You walked on this earth—healing the sick, feeding the hungry, listening to the needy, and saving the lost. And the same compassion in Your eyes and the same love in Your touch that You gave then, is still poured out in abundance on Your children today. For You never change, and Your compassion never fails—it is new every morning. Thank You dear Jesus, for this truth! May my children fall at Your feet and find this endless mercy. Then, may they rise up, and extend this same compassion to all those around them who may be crushed in spirit.
Amen
Is. 61:1, Pr. 3:3-4; Ps. 41:1-3; Luke 6:36
Matt. 22:36-40; Rom. 12:15-16; Matt. 9:36-38; Matt. 11:4-5; Is. 30:18-19; Heb. 13:8; Lam. 3:21-25; Ps. 40:11; Col. 3:12-14; Matt. 25:36-40; Matt. 5:7
Dear Children,I want to make something very clear to you. If you have obtained all these things I have just written to you in my previous letters:An obedient heart,A steadfast heart,A compassionate heart,And a prayerful heart,But do not have a heart full of love, then your efforts have all been done in vain.Remember the good Samaritan? If he had done everything exactly the same—picked up the dying man, cared for him, taken him to an inn, and paid for his stay--- but did it out of duty, and not out of love for both God and man, this merciful act would have meant nothing to our Heavenly Father. Yes, the sick man would still have gotten well, but the point of the story (and of our lives) is to develop a love for our God, as well as for our neighbor.Also, if you pray beautiful prayers using big, wonderful words, making it sound “impressive” to God or others, but there is no love in your heart towards Him, did you know your prayer will actually sound like clanging cymbals in His ears?Please understand children, God is not merely interested in your compassionate acts, or your generous services. His focus is on the heart of love which produces these things. And He does not want your time, your energy, or your money. He wants to see a heart of love which compels you to give of these things freely and cheerfully. Again, I tell you, sweet ones, He is not interested in this diligent work for His kingdom or these fancy prayers that lift up His Name, if there is not a true love for Him which moves you to say and do these things. Cease striving for all of this if there is not a genuine love for your Heavenly Father first. Your ambition in life is to know God, to know of His love, and then to give this love away to others. Stop and ask Him to pour His pure love deep inside your heart. His love is like no other. His love is the greatest of all these things. “It is the perfect bond of unity” (Col. 3:14). After, and only after, you have obtained this love from Him and for Him, can you then go forward – living for the One who has this kind of love for you.
I love you
1. Serve your children a cold bowl of soup for lunch. Wait for their expression and questioning.2. Explain there is nothing wrong with the soup; all the ingredients are there. However, it does not taste nearly as appetizing because of the lack of warmth. Compare the “lack of warmth” to the “lack of love” that sometimes might appear in our thoughts, actions, and attitudes.3. Now, heat up your children’s soup, as well as your own, and enjoy it together. But, before doing so, pray: “God, please gently break open my humanly cold heart and warm it up with Your perfect love.” (Remind your children, the more willing you are to have a break in your heart, the more gentle this break will be!)
Dear Heavenly Father,Thank You for loving us perfectly. To think You have adopted us and called us Your very own– thank You! Dear God, I pray my children would meditate on Your love, understand it, and then wholeheartedly claim the breadth and length and height and depth of it. Your love never fails! Fill them up with this love, I pray. May nothing in this world quench it. My heart’s desire is for my children to receive Your “agape” love, and bask in it. May they realize they can obtain an endless supply of Your love by listening to your word and walking in Your ways. May they know You, dear Father, and know of Your love.When they have “found” this love, I then pray they willfully desire to give this love to the hearts of others. I ask that my children would learn to love You, Lord Jesus, (and their neighbor), the way You first loved them --- with all their heart, with all their soul, with all their mind, with all their strength. Help them to realize, all the other spiritual gifts You have given them will mean nothing if they are not preceded by Your love.Encourage them, dear God, to run the race set before them, with the power of Your mighty love living inside of them. May they fix their eyes on Jesus, holding nothing back, dear Lord, but willfully living through faith in You. Thank You, Heavenly Father, for the consistency of Your character—never leaving, never forsaking, always abiding, always faithful. You are Love. May they glean from You, O Father, giver of ALL.
Amen
Ps. 127:1,2; Rom. 13:8-10; I John 3:16-18; Matt. 6:5-8; II Cor. 9:7; Rom. 5:5; I Cor. 13:1-8,13; Rom. 5:8; Ps. 18:1
I John 3:1; 1 John 4:7-21; Deut. 6:5; Heb. 12:1-3; Eph. 5:1-2; Eph. 2:4-7
Read Section 1 Online (FREE)Download Section 1 PDF (FREE)HANDOUT 1: "The Five Love Languages of Children" .docHANDOUT 2: "Personality Types" .docRead Section 2 Online (FREE)Download Section 2 PDF (FREE)Read Section 3 Online (FREE)Download Section 3 PDF (FREE)Read Section 4 Online (FREE)Download Section 4 PDF (FREE)Read Section 5 Online (FREE)Download Section 5 PDF (FREE)Read Section 6 Online (FREE)Download Section 6 PDF (FREE)[This E-Moms study, taken from Chris' book A Mother's Privilege, is taught by Chris Baxter to mothers at her home church Fellowship Bible Church in Brentwood, Tennessee. www.FellowshipNashville.org. To contact Study Administrator, email Emoms@comcast.net]
To The ReaderAbout ten years ago, I wrote a book entitled Living the Lord’s Prayer. Recently, I have taken some time to re-visit the book and its contents. Because the subject matter pertains to helping mothers instruct their children concerning God’s truths found in His word, I have decided to change the title of this study (and future book) to A Mother’s Privilege.You will find that each chapter of this study is divided into three letters:The first letter is written to my children. This letter pertains to a certain truth about God that I desire them to understand. The letters consist of a variety of stories and explanations created for a young mind or young believer. For example, I have written one letter concerning compassion, explaining it in a way in which Jesus would have shown compassion. These letters are for you and your children. You may choose to read some of these letters to them; however, most letters will serve as a launching block to help you create your own simple explanations concerning God’s incredible truths. I have also provided suggestions at the end of each letter to assist you in your teaching time with your children.The second letter is a written prayer for my children. The prayers are a humble plea to our Holy God, asking Him to take this particular truth and bring it to life in their hearts. For example, my desire, and I am sure yours as well, is for our children to not only understand compassion, but also to live and love compassionately, as a way of life.And then, the third letter is God’s word to you. These are scripture references that are found in the two previous letters, making the truth “valid.” To continue with the example, at the end of the compassion chapter, you will find verses pertaining to compassion. My utmost desire is to point you to God’s word, God’s hope, God’s answer to life—Jesus Christ.May the pages of this study, which follows the guidelines of The Lord's Prayer, be beneficial to your heart first. Then, may you take what He has taught you, and impress it into the hearts of your children.Written In His Love,Chris Baxter
Dear Children,When you look outside today, look all around. Do you see the remarkably blue sky, beautifully contrasted against the cotton-like clouds? And then, do you feel the saturating warmth of the far-away sun on your face? With only the brush of His hand, God created this beautiful scene...and more. Now focus closer in. Do you see the flaming red bird perched on that branch singing its distinct little song? Look at the jet-black feathers surrounding its bright-orange beak. What incredible detail from its incredible Creator! And He even knows where this particular bird will fly. Nothing escapes the Creator of life. Heaven is [His] throne, and the earth is [His] footstool. (Is. 66:1a)Now, focus even closer. Look at your hands. Do you see those tiny, little intricate lines on your fingertips? Your sweet Father made those lines, and there is not a single person on this earth that has the same ones as you. He is so involved with you, that He even knows how many hairs you have on your head— remember, He put them there! Realize, sweet ones, He is delighted with how He made you. He wants you to be you, so you can best serve Him. That is why He made you. You are HIS creation, bearing His image.Look around one last time and take this concept to heart:The same God who createdThe overwhelming mountain ranges, and the simple rolling hills,The rapidly flowing rivers, and the steady whispering streams,The pitch black of the night, and the all-encompassing light of the day,Is the same God who created you.And then, most importantly, realize He considers youHis prized possession.Meditate on this truth, my sweet ones. And may it send you to your knees, humbly bowing before this Master-Planner, as well as this Intimate-Creator, giving Him your all.
I love you
1. Take a walk with your children, discussing God’s incredible Creation.2. Make fingerprints with your children, discussing His intricate handiwork.3. Compare God’s awesome vastness with His incredible detail.
O Holy Father,You are the Creator of all life. Everything that moves, and breathes, and has being, You have ordained. You created the beauty of the sunset, the intricate and prideful feathers of a peacock, and the awesome wonder of the wind. However, Your greatest delight in all of creation is Your fingerprint of life that You have placed on each of Your children. How You smile with each touch and each mold. With joy, You give every breath into each heart, body, and soul. O God, help my children to see Your vastness and Your power, but more than that, may they “feel” Your loving touch. Help them to know and believe, they are more beautiful in Your eyes than any breathtaking sunrise or any spectacular mountain top view. You rejoice over them with singing!I ask they would be awed, dear Lord, by Your handiwork around them. May this cause them to humbly serve You as the Creator, not only of the universe but also as the Creator of their own hearts. Assure them that they have been made in Your image, the King of kings. Wrap them in your robe of righteousness and place Your crown of beauty upon their heads, so they may shine for Your glory. Give them the heart to respond to Your call—to live, to love, to serve, and to be a magnificent display of your splendor. Continually remind them, dear Lord, of this truth: Your purpose for giving them each breath and life is for Your glory only! Prompt them to live accordingly, dear Father, so they may find Your blessed peace in their souls.
Amen
Ps. 104:1-6; Is. 40:12-14,18; Ps. 139:1-6; Matt. 10:29-31; Is. 62:3-4; Job 38:4-12; Ps. 8
Col. 1:16; Gen. 2:7; Zeph. 3:17; Is. 61:10; II Thess. 1:11-12; Ps. 150:6
Dear Children,Did you know that after Moses went up to the mountain to talk with God concerning the Ten Commandments, his face shone bright like the sun? The holiness of God created the radiance on Moses’ face. And did you know that a long, long time ago, in the Old Testament, God lived in a Holy Temple which His people, the Israelites, built for Him? You could not see Him, but His presence was there in the form of a thick cloud. There was one room called the Holy of Holies where His Spirit resided. No one, except the High Priest at that time, could enter this throne room because it was so full of the glory of God. If they did, they were sure to die.Let me give you another picture of God’s holiness, as you listen to this true story found in the Bible...Once upon a time, king David, along with the Israelite people, desired to worship their God and celebrate His goodness by singing and dancing before His holy presence. In order to do this, they felt the ark of the a covenant needed to be carried back to their city.Now, the ark was a holy representation of God’s presence among His people. God Himself had given specific instructions on how this “holy treasure box” should be transported from city to city. The men of Israel, however, disregarded God’s instruction, and decided to carry the ark on a cart pulled by an ox. At one point in their travel, the ox almost turned the cart over, which caused the ark to wobble. A man named Uzzah saw this shifting, so he quickly reached out his hand to steady the holy ark. But when his hand touched the ark, God struck him down instantly, and he died (I Chron. 13:9-10). You see, children, God had specifically warned His people not to touch the ark! Uzzah’s tragic death was a serious reminder to the Israelites, and to us, that God is too holy for our human touch!However, an amazing thing has happened! Do you know where this holy God now lives? He can live in you! If you believe, sweet children, that Jesus died on the cross and rose again, then His Holy Spirit will come and live in your heart. He is the bridge between the human heart and God’s heart. You now are His holy temple, and your heart is the Holy of Holies. Jesus, the perfect High Priest, lives in you. We do not have to be terrified of His presence any longer, just awed that a God so full of power and greatness has graciously chosen to live inside His people! He longs to live in your heart and reign over it. He can “make your face shine” too! Please let Him, sweet ones, for He is all good, all loving, and altogether holy.
I love you
1. Take a flashlight into a dark room. Turn it on, and explain how God’s holiness penetrates darkness.2. Stay in the dark room, put a white pillow case over the flashlight.3. From this illustration, discuss how God’s holiness (flashlight) can shine through you.
O Lord God,I pray my children will be given a great understanding of exactly Whom they serve. You are holy— omniscient, all powerful, altogether righteous, pure and awesome God:You are the God who parted the Red Sea, making water stand like a wallYou are the God who caused fire to come down from heaven—consuming the sacrifice, the water, the wood, and even the stones around it.You are the God, who can make a mountain tremble and shake because of your presence; and a temple curtain tear from top to bottom because of your plan.Thank you, dear God, for the gift of being able to enter into the Holy of Holies because of the blood Jesus shed on the cross. You are our High Priest, Lord Jesus! Previous to Your holy sacrifice, no one could come before You without the fear of possible death. But now, because of You, we can come boldly with the reverence, the awe, and the gratitude of LIFE everlasting! You are the God of compassion, the God of purity, the God of absolute power, and the God of amazing love! “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God, the Almighty” (Rev. 4:8)Please give my children the reverential fear of Your character, dear God, which is the beginning of wisdom (Ps. 11:10). May they never see You as a small god who is here only to fulfill their big wish list. Instead, may they consider the magnitude of Your holiness as they humbly, yet confidently, approach Your throne of grace on bended knee. With a thankful heart, may they present to You their praises for who You are, their confession for who they are not; and then, their petitions for what you would have them to be, through Your power and for Your glory. May You reign, dear Father, as holy King of kings in their lives.
Amen
Ex. 34:1-8, 28-35; Ex. 40:34,38; Chron. 13:1-14; Rom. 5:5-6; Rev. 3:20; I Cor. 6:19-20; Phil. 2:12-15; Ps. 34:5
Is. 46:8-10; Heb. 4:14-16; Is. 6:1-2,8; Rom. 12:1; Ps. 27:4-5
Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved. Psalm 55:22
Dear Lord,
Why do we insist on holding heavy burdens when you tell us to give them to you? Help us to first name these things, and then may we "see" ourselves placing each one into your arms. You are able to carry our load, we are not. In Jesus' Name, Amen.