How to Raise Godly Children | Part 1

From the Love We're Finding studios in Memphis, Tennessee, I'm Byron Tyler, here with Kerry Vaughn, the CEO of Love We're Finding.

Kerry, today, Adrian Rogers. Part one in a message, how to raise godly children. Adrian Rogers says the time to begin to raise godly children is before they're born, and even before they're conceived. That was mom or dad. Somebody was pouring into the children. It was a mentorship time. It was a discipleship time. It was what I call life on life, but they were being poured into. That is so critical in today's society. Well, in the scripture in 1 Samuel, Hannah is one of several women in the Bible who were considered barren, but later gave birth, by God's grace, to children.

Sarah, Rachel, Ruth, Elizabeth, and each of these children went on to bless the Lord and also to do mighty things in His name. Oh, absolutely. I mean, it's not our 401k. It's not our paycheck.

It's not even our accolades, right? It's our children. And what our children's children will do and how they will follow the Lord and how they will live in obedience, we play a role in that.

Yes, we do. And the secret to raising our children is that they might glorify God. And that has to be a priority in our life. I mean, we have to make it a priority.

We have to make it a prayer. It has to be our real purpose. Yeah, I think the best thing that our children can say about us is that, hey, my mom or dad followed the Lord. They were obedient in what God had called them to do, right?

Is there any other compliment greater than that? There's really not. We also know that leadership many times is caught. It's not taught. So you hope that the kids and grandkids catch that along the way and then they begin to exemplify the same type of obedience in their life. That's what we're talking about when we talk about how to raise Godly children. Well, Kerry, Love Worth Finding always loves to hear from our listeners, and I believe you have something for us right now.

I do. Listen to this. A couple of weeks ago, I was looking for answers and was somehow led to Love Worth Finding Ministries.

Adrian Rogers' messages were on the topics I was looking for. Praise the Lord. I'm elated to donate to your wonderful ministry. I feel so blessed to have found your ministry and to share it with my entire family. Is that not amazing?

I mean, we could have not scripted it any better. I mean, it's perfect. They say they were looking for answers, they found what they were looking for, and now they're elated to donate and help support the work continue. Right. And they've been affected by the ministry, and now they want to give it away.

That's exactly what we want. And that's an important time for this month, too, because at the end of June is the end of our physical year. Could you just kind of share a moment why this is so important? It's very critical to us.

The fiscal year end is a big time for us to encourage our partners to come alongside of us and to be a part of something bigger than ourselves, right? I mean, we believe that you have an opportunity to share the gospel through the trusted voice of Adrian Rogers. And so now's the time to give.

Now's the time to raise the bar. And if you have the interest in our ministry, then we want you to come alongside and have the investment in the ministry as well. Well, How to Raise Godly Children, Part 1.

Here's Adrian Rogers. We'll be finding 1 Samuel, Chapter 1. 1 Samuel, Chapter 1. I am speaking today on this subject, How to Raise Godly Kids. I don't know of a more pertinent subject in these days in which we're living. It has well been said that the head of the home is the husband, but the heart of the home is the mother. And I want to speak to you today about the incredible power, the influence of a godly mother in raising godly children. Sometimes when you ask a mother what she does, she may say, you know, I'm just a homemaker and a mother.

But I want to say without stutter or stammer or apology or equivocation, after having thought about it, and I sincerely mean it, the most powerful and influential class of people in the world today are mothers. Now, in this chapter, we're going to meet a mother whose name was Hannah. Now, if your name is Anne or Anna, well, you're named after Hannah, because the H is an aspirate which may be dropped. And the name is a beautiful name.

It means gracious. And indeed, she was a gracious woman. She's what I would call a maximum mom. Now, she didn't live in ideal circumstances. As a matter of fact, her circumstances were not ideal at all. She lived in a day when polygamy, that is, more than one wife was tolerated, and she had an adversary, another wife, who ridiculed her and taunted her and made fun of her because she was barren.

She had no children. And Hannah wanted more than anything else to have a son to serve God. And she prayed and asked God to give her a son, and God gave her a son, and the name of that son was Samuel. And Samuel was perhaps the greatest prophet of God, or one of the greatest prophets at least in the Old Testament. I would say he's the most significant figure between Moses and David, the prophet Samuel. And what we learn from Hannah in this passage of Scripture we're going to look at are what I want to call five powerful principles for raising godly children. If you're a mom or a dad or want to be a mom or a dad, I want you to tune in to what Hannah did and what happened to Hannah, and what Hannah did is a great idea and a great instruction for us today.

First of all, the first of these principles is what I want to call the principle and the power of proper priority, the principle of a proper priority. Now look, if you will, here in 1 Samuel 1, and you're going to find out that in verse 2 it says that Hannah had no children. And then look, if you will, in verse 10. And she was in bitterness of soul and prayed unto the Lord and wept sore. Now why was she so heartbroken? Why was she so bitter? Why was she so broken? Because she wanted a baby. She wanted God to bless her with a child.

Why was this? Because Hannah had a God-given instinct to be a mother. Did you know that is an instinct from God and that children are a blessing from God?

A strange thing has happened in the world today. We have women who are coming up today who have no desire to be mothers. They want to have a career rather than to have a child. But the Bible says in Psalm 127 verse 3, the children are the heritage of the Lord and the fruit of the womb is his reward. That's probably not a greater earthly blessing, not a greater earthly blessing than children. And in Psalm 128, the psalmist is talking about the man who loves God and who fears God, and this is the blessing God describes for him. In verse 3, thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house. Thy children like olive plants round about thy table. Behold that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord.

There's something basically wrong in America, isn't there? When we have a generation today that does not desire to have children, they look upon children as burdens rather than blessings. They say, well, you know, the children, they make a rich man poor.

No, they make a poor man rich. The rich man can't take his money to heaven. I'm taking my children to heaven. And which of us would sell one of our children for a million or a billion dollars? Our riches are in our children and we thank God for them. I say there's something basically wrong when we have a generation that doesn't desire children and there's something drastically wrong when we have a generation that is putting children to death in the mother's womb.

That, friend, is terrible. It is an abomination to almighty God. My heart goes out to those who cannot have children and want children.

May God bless you. But I have some questions about those who can have children and should have children and for whatever reason have stultified the God-given instinct that was in the heart of this precious woman whose name means gracious, this woman named Hannah. So the very first thing in rearing godly children is the principle of a proper priority.

She wanted children. Secondly, there is the principle and the power of prayer. Of prayer, not only of priority, but of prayer. Now look again in verse 10. She was in bitterness of soul and she prayed unto the Lord. She prayed unto the Lord. Now here's a principle.

Listen to it. The time to begin to raise godly children is before they're born and even before they're conceived. Before they're born and even before they're conceived, you should begin to pray for your children. How wonderful that she prayed and asked God not to give her a child and God did give her a child. And that child came in answer to prayer. Do you know what the name Samuel means? Do you know why she named him Samuel?

The name Samuel means asked of the Lord. I asked God for a child and God gave me a child. I was thinking about all of the children who've been a blessing to the world because their mothers prayed and asked for a child. Rachel, who had a son when she was 90 years old, had a son in answer to prayer.

Up until then she'd been barren. Rachel, who was barren, prayed to God and said, Oh God, give me children or I die. And God heard Rachel and she had a son and you know what that son's name was? Joseph, the mighty deliverer of his people.

Manoah's wife wanted a son. She'd been barren and she prayed and asked God to give her a child and she had a son and his name was Samson, the heavyweight champion of the Old Testament, the judge of Israel and the deliverer of God's people. Ruth, the Moabitess, was a widow and she was barren and she prayed and God was gracious to Ruth and God gave to Ruth Obed who was the grandfather of David and was in the house and lineage of our dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I think in the New Testament about Zachariah and Elizabeth, they didn't have a child and they prayed and asked God for a child and God sent John the Baptist and Jesus said of John the Baptist, there was not a greater born of woman than John the Baptist. But these came, they were miracle births.

They came because their parents prayed and said, God, give us a child. Now, what would the world have been like without Samuel? What would the world have been like without Joseph?

What would the world have been like without Samson? What would the world have been like without these mighty leaders that came because the moms, the dads prayed and they said, God, give us a child? Have you thought how the world has been blessed by these babies who came and answered a prayer?

Now, let me just turn that around. Have we thought about why doesn't God send a cure for cancer? Or why doesn't God give us an answer to the AIDS epidemic? Or why doesn't God do something to help the nations to live together? Why doesn't God raise up a statesman? Why doesn't God raise up a leader? Why isn't the person going to take Billy Graham's place? Where are these people?

Why aren't they surfacing? Have you ever thought that maybe we've already killed them in the mother's womb? Have you ever thought about that? Maybe there was a little child that had the answer to cancer, but we killed that child. Maybe there was someone who would have been a mighty deliverer and we destroyed that child.

Thank God for the babies that were born in answer to prayer and thank God for the babies that were preserved in their mother's womb. What is the first principle? It is the principle of priority.

Children are a blessing of the Lord. What is the second principle? It is the principle of prayer. You begin to raise godly children even before they're conceived and before they're born, you begin to pray for these children.

What is the third principle? It, my friend, is the principle and the power of purpose. Of purpose, look in verse 11. And she vowed a vow and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but will give unto thine handmaid a man child, I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life. She said, Lord, if you will give me a child, I will give him back to you.

What was her purpose in prayer? Why did she want a child? That her child would glorify the Lord.

That's what she wanted. She said, God, if the child is a gift from you, then I'm a steward of that gift and therefore I must give this child back to you. Now, that is one of the principles in having godly children, is to see your child as a gift from God and because your child is a gift from God, you give that child back to God. Now, what is your purpose for your children? Why did you have children? You say, well, I want someone to love and I want someone to love me.

That's fine. But what is the burning ambition that you have for your child? What do you want for your child? Is it fame? Is it money? Is it power? Is it prestige?

Is it notoriety? What do you want? What is the purpose of your child? You say, you know, God doesn't seem to answer my prayer when I pray for my children. Well, what are you praying? What is your prayer for your child? You know, James says that we ask and we don't receive because we ask for the wrong things.

We ask amiss, that we might consume it upon our lusts. Joyce and I have four wonderful children. Well, we have five. We have a little boy in heaven.

So we have five children. We have four wonderful children that still walk God's green earth. We pray for our children. You know, I don't think I've ever, ever prayed that they would be successful in business. I don't think I've ever prayed that they would be famous.

I don't think I've ever prayed that they would be wealthy. I have prayed that God would keep them strong. I have prayed that God would give them joy and happiness. But you know what the burning prayer of my heart has been for my children? That they would know and love God with all of their heart. That's what I prayed for them.

That's the desire of my heart. My prayer can be summed up in a verse from 3 John, verse 4, I have no greater joy than to know that my children walk in the truth. No greater joy than to hear that my children walk in the truth.

Now, you know, that psalm that I read to you, Psalm 127, where it says, those children are the heritage of the Lord and the fruit of the womb is his reward. And then that psalm goes on to say, as arrows are in the hand of a mighty man, so are the children of one's youth. Well, what are arrows for?

Arrows are to be shot at the enemy. What are our children for? They are to be used in the warfare against Satan. And I thank God for the arrows that God has put into our quiver and into our bow and we have used those arrows as best we know how to shoot at the enemy. And I can pray and ask God to bless these children because my prayer for them is not that they're going to be wealthy, not that they're going to be powerful, not that they're going to be influential.

They may be somewhere buried and forgotten in the hearts and minds of some people, but God knows where they are. That is the purpose, the principle of purpose. Now, we can't control them.

They must make their own decisions. And let me tell you this about raising children. You must have desires for your children.

You have goals for yourself. Now, my desire for my children is that they will be godly children. My goal is that I will be a godly dad. I cannot ultimately control my children, but I can, by the grace of God, be a godly dad. But what is the purpose that you have for your children? What do you desire for your children? I love that song that says, Give of thy sons to bear the message glorious. Give of thy wealth to speed them on their way.

Pour out your souls for them in prayer victorious, and all that thou spendest, Jesus, will repay. So what are the principles? Priority. Prayer. Purpose. And now here's a big one. Persistence.

Persistence. Look in verse 12. And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli marked, that is, he noticed her mouth. And now Hannah, she spake in her heart.

Only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore, Eli thought that she had been drunken. And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? Put away thy wine from thee. And Hannah answered and said, No, my Lord. I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord.

Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial, for of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto. And Eli answered and said, Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast desired of him. That is, the prophet of God said to Hannah, Hannah, because you have persisted in prayer, God has heard your prayer. Now, she was a woman of prayer, but not just prayer easily uttered and soon forgotten. She prayed and prayed and continued to pray before this child was born and after this child was born.

As a matter of fact, if you read the next chapter when you get home, it will bless you. I wish I had time just to preach a message on chapter 2, which is the prayer of Hannah as she is rejoicing in the might and the strength and the power of her great God. And I thought as I read that prayer in my study, if I had a problem and I wanted somebody to pray for me and Hannah were around, I would want this woman to pray for me. She knew how to get hold of God and not let God go. I've seen Joyce pray our children through so many heartaches, so many tears, so many difficulties, so many problems. I've watched her as she has persisted in prayer and refused, absolutely refused, to let Satan have his way in the hearts and lives of our children. Here's a principle.

Listen to it. Never waver in your prayer, no matter how dark the circumstances. Never waver.

There is the principle of persistence. Just keep on keeping on. They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. Psalm 27 verse 14, Wait on the Lord.

Be of good courage. Parents, there will be times when you will think that you have failed. There were times when I thought, there were times when I thought we're just not going to make it.

We are not going to make it. Raising children, especially back in the 60s, was like riding a bucking bronco and all of the world and the flesh and the devil was pulling at them, but we continued, continued to love and continued to pray. Oh, friend, there's the power of persistence, and if you're a mom or dad here and you've got a wayward teenager, you're a serious child, keep praying. Keep praying. Keep on praying. Now, she prayed and did not quit praying until God gave her a child. You say, well, pastor, if I don't have a baby and I want a baby and I pray like Hannah prayed and I just won't quit praying, will God give me a baby? Not necessarily.

Not necessarily. That may not be God's plan for you, but it was God's plan for Hannah and we know it was God's plan for Hannah because Hannah asked a specific thing and God gave her a specific thing and the prayer that was in Hannah's heart, God put in her heart, and I've said before the prayer that gets to heaven is the prayer that starts in heaven, but if you persist in prayer, God will show you his will and prayer will enable God's will to be done in your heart and in your life, but if God gives you children, then you must persist in prayer for those children and you never, never cease praying for your children. Well, maybe today you have a prayer request that you'd like to share with us, maybe about one of your children. It's a great honor to come alongside you and pray with you. If you can, go to our website homepage at lwf.org slash radio and scroll down to our prayer wall. There you'll find the option to either submit a prayer request or pray for others. This resource is one of our favorite ways to keep the ministry and the community praying continually for one another's needs. Let us hear from you today. Again, go to lwf.org slash radio and scroll down to our prayer wall. And coming up tomorrow, we'll hear the conclusion of how to raise godly children. If you'd like to start receiving daily devotions and links to our daily message programs, sign up for our daily heartbeat emails at lwf.org. We hope you'll join us next time for more profound truth simply stated right here on Love Worth Finding. MUSIC