Discussion Jumpstarter
Study leader reference - not a definitive answer
Question 7
The speaker argues that praying for your children’s patience, kindness, diligence, and Bible reading while you lack those traits creates “incongruity”; how does this challenge common approaches to parenting spirituality, and where might your prayers for others be exposing what you’re unwilling to pursue yourself?
Another way to ask: If you pray for your kids to be patient and kind but you don’t show those traits, why is that a problem? Where might your prayers for others be showing what you don’t want to work on in yourself?
Discussion Jumpstarter
Direct Answer
The speaker challenges parents (and all intercessors) to see that prayers for others’ character expose our own character: if we ask God to form virtues in children while refusing those virtues ourselves, there is “incongruity.” He suggests intercession should push us toward personal repentance and becoming the example we’re praying for.
- He uses Job as a model of family intercession: Job “would rise early… and offer burnt offerings… regularly” for his children.
- He lists typical prayers: children being “patient… kind… sweet temper… share… diligent… read their Bible.”
- Then he turns the question: “But is that the type of person you are? Are you patient?… kind?… do you read your Bible?… are you diligent?”
- He says if we lack these qualities while praying for them, “those don’t go together… there’s some incongruity.”
- He concludes we should pray God will help us have those traits too, and that praying for children “will help us to grow” in character.