Praying with Dependence on God's Sovereign Grace

This is the sixth of seven posts from the book Zealous: 7 Commitments for the Discipleship of the Next Generation.  Podcasts and other links are at the bottom of this boast.

For more about this series of posts go to the Introduction post

These posts will contain a summary of the commitment along with some ways we are trying to implement that commitment at Trinity Baptist Church.  

The sixth commitment is "Praying with Dependence on God's Sovereign Grace."

Throughout this sixth chapter, the connection to prayer and dependence on God is repeated.  Parents, pastors, and teachers cannot escape their responsibility for nurturing the faith of the next generation.  At the same time, there is no way to escape God's sovereignty - people are "saved by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ" (80).  Ephesians 2:8-9 shows us that salvation is the gift of God so that no one - no child, no parent, no pastor, no grandparent, no Sunday School teacher - may boast.

• We need to pray.
• We need to pray for leaders and learners.
• We need to prayerfully plan.
• We need to prayerfully teach.
• We need to prayerfully and patiently trust in the LORD to do the work.

I want to share a couple of quotes from this chapter and some explanations

"Even when we are zealous for the discipleship of the next generation, we are woefully unequal to the task before us."

We can develop the best vision statement, foster partnership between the church and home, teach God's word well, proclaim the glorious gospel, and develop an awesome discipleship plan.  We should do all of these things.  BUT we need to remember that, ultimately, salvation belongs and comes from our God.  Pray shows this commitment.

"Our best efforts have no power to raise our children from spiritual death to everlasting life."

We can faithfully and truthfully proclaim how we are raised from death to life but we cannot make it happen.

We can faithfully and truthfully proclaim the one who raises sinners from death to life, and we are not the one who does this.

Some specific prayer tips from this chapter are

Pray at home for the next generation.
Pray at church for the next generation.
    Teachers praying for students
    Volunteer intercessors praying for teachers and students
    Corporate prayer for the children's ministry
    Parent-led prayers.

Praying with Dependence of God's grace podcast link.