Receiving a Sound Mind - Praying for our Children

Week 20

The same verse I used last week 2 Timothy 1:7 applies just as much to this week.  We have not been given a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind. 

Stormie says in her book that a large part of having a sound mind is controlling what goes in it and she is absolutely right.  1 Corinthians 2:16(b) But we have the mind of Christ.

We have always tried to be so very careful with our boys and what we allow them to watch, to listen to, read and so on.  We are careful of where they go and who they hang around also. 

It has been several years ago now my youngest son started having some issues.  He was all of the sudden having bad dreams.  He became scared of the dark.  He started having bad thoughts about people and about things happening.  He was seriously being tormented in his little mind.  My husband and I prayed with him and did our best to reassure him that everything was fine.  We told him he wasn't a bad boy for having bad thoughts because the devil will put all kinds of bad thoughts in our minds but we have to do what the Word says and take every thought into captivity.  2 Corinthians 10:5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.  Meaning we judge every thought that hits our mind and ask ourselves some questions - Is this thought life giving?  Is this thought good?  Is this thought loving, kind, peaceful and all the things that God is?  If not then we know that the thought did not come from our Father God.  When dark, bad thoughts come to our minds that is not a sin.  If we do not rightly judge those thoughts and we act on them then we sin. 

My husband and I retraced our sons steps back over the previous couple of weeks thinking about where he went, who he was around and what he did.  After asking our son many questions we found out that the family of a little boy he had stayed the night with watched some things on television and did some things that we did not approve of at all.  1 Thessalonians 5:22 Abstain from evil [shrink from it and keep aloof from it] in whatever form or whatever kind it may be.  The door had been opened to Satan in the short amount of time that he was with them to put these un godly thoughts into my young sons mind and he didn't know how to handle them.   Ephesians 4:27 says Leave no [such] room or foothold for the devil [give no opportunity to him].

The point of me telling you this is to let you know the importance of praying for our children and guarding their hearts against the enemy.  Do not allow Satan to have any access to your children.  Be careful of where they go, who they are with, what they watch, listen to and read.  It may seem silly to some but I know from experience that when we give the enemy an inch he will take it and lets not forget that he comes to kill, steal and destroy.  John 10:10 The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it ^[a]overflows).