Restoring the Crown

Recently in the news, I learned about a 17-year-old young man who was shot and killed in a nearby town. The incident was discovered when an on-duty police officer heard shots fired and responded to the scene. The victim lay dead in the street, and the assailant remains at large. At the time of this article, details regarding the shooting remain unknown. In my heart, I was so troubled by this situation, I stopped and prayed for the victim's family, the shooter and his family, neighbors in the area, law enforcement, and the entire town. I wondered how can we allow this evil to continue in our nation?

The Scriptures tell us that the devil comes to steal, kill, and destroy. We see evidence of his demonic work in this recent shooting event, in the outrageous violent behavior of some young people, in our divisive culture, and in the breakdown and destruction of the traditional family unit. We have failed to protect and cherish the sanctity of marriage, the unity of parents as mothers and fathers, and the discipline of children, all as the Lord intended. We have missed the mark, failing to follow sound advice from Scriptures: "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it", (Proverbs 22:6, NKJV).

And we know that such training does not just magically happen! It takes love, commitment and perseverance to properly raise children. Even more importantly, we need dedication to maintain a united family, and above all, faithful alignment with our heavenly Father. These positive family values can be traced back to Biblical times. Thousands of years ago, families who knew and followed their Lord received clear guidance about His plans for raising godly children. But, as this Scripture reflects, families sometimes neglected to apply the Lord's plans. For example, as we see in Scripture, "There is a generation that curses its father, and does not bless its mother. There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes Yet is not washed from its filthiness. There is a generation - oh, how lofty are their eyes! And their eyelids are lifted up," (Proverbs 30:11-13, NKJV). Sounds like pride, rebellion, self will, and evil acts of violence - much like our current society, more than we realize.

How, then, do we return the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children's hearts to the fathers, as we read in the Word from Malachi 4:6, (NKJV)?

I believe restoration of individuals, families, towns and our nation, will begin with commitment to re-aligning our hearts with the Lord and to praying sincere heartfelt targeted prayers. I have witnessed the power of prayer to restore in my own family, with close friends, with prayer intercessors at my home church, and with personal mentors in larger ministries. At times, the Lord responds quickly to our prayers, and at other times, He shows us that His holy and perfect restoration comes during the waiting.

But you might be saying, "Wait, that sounds too simple." Yep. Lately, the Lord has been dealing with me about aligning more closely with Him to follow His way in all things, not just when I feel troubled. So now, I seek Him daily in the morning, and I pray as He directs me. I pray specific and direct prayer over situations that come before me. I pray that His will be done in each of those areas. And as He reveals the needs, I respond with precise prayer according to His Holy Word. This alignment has led me to greater peace in my life and a new commitment to pray specifically according to His direction.

And how might others get involved? Let's get back to the Scripture that tells us to train up a child in the way he should go.... Proverbs 22:6 (NKJV), and let's apply it wherever we go. In my opinion, we can all teach children about love, compassion for others, respect for authority, proper boundaries, and righteous living. Parents, grandparents, single moms, single dads, aunts and uncles, teachers, coaches, pastors, lay ministers, youth workers, and many others can re-align more closely with the Lord's plans and demonstrate the Lord's ways through their lives.

Like the Israelites, it may take a generation or two for our society to be transformed back to positive alignment with His Holy blueprints for life, but we must start today. And what better time than Father's Day to regroup and reposition in the Lord's will for our lives?

And finally, to all the fathers and grandfathers, uncles, and stepfathers: you are so needed, so loved, so neglected, and so misaligned in our culture. Do no grow weary in well-doing, but persevere in your role as loving, strong effective leaders and role models in our families. Be restored and wear your crown as you return to your God-given assignment as loving husband, godly father, wise grandfather, or faithful uncle. Be the one who leads his family to follow the Lord with kind, loving, yet firm, guidance. And especially be the father who knows and cherishes his heavenly Father as the One who guides us all.

Questions for Reflection:

1. How can you help restore the fathers to the children and the children to the fathers?

2. What are some of the ways you can use to train up a child, any child, in the way he should go?

3. What are some specific ways we can come against and dismantle the curses attacking our children and youth today - childhood trauma, physical and sexual abuse, drugs and alcohol addictions, gender confusion, divorce, absent fathers, and so on? Share your thoughts......