CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 927

“Honoring Parents”

Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. (Exodus 20:12)

This commandment of God is timeless.  We never outgrow it. We are exhorted in God’s Word to be obedient to our parents when we are children; Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. (Ephesians 6:1) and we are to give them honor when we grow up.

The Greek word for ‘honor’ means to place a high value on your parents. Honor is much more than lip service or the occasional touching base out of a sense of obligation. It stems from a sincere inward attitude of valuing your relationship with them.

We are a geographically dispersed society.  Family units are rarely located in a single community where personal interactions occur on a daily basis. Given our current technology, even widely dispersed family members can remain in touch and involved in each other’s lives – provided that they truly desire to do so.

Some people have been hurt by their parents in the past and they feel their parents are not worthy of honor. God’s commandment makes no distinction. In these situations honor begins with forgiveness and it is followed by prayer for them. It becomes easier to nurture and heal a relationship with someone that you no longer harbor bitterness toward.

The fact is that we just get so busy with the things that we do place a high value upon that we neglect and ignore fostering and maintaining a relationship with our parents. If they are out of sight, then they are out of our mind and are not included in our lives. This is not what God intended.

I spoke with my Dad on a weekly basis even though we lived a thousand miles apart. They were not long conversations. We talked about what was happening in our lives and we both felt connected and included in what was happening even though we did not live in the same community. My Dad has long since passed away and I miss our conversations. I speak with my Mom weekly and even though our conversations are trying and repetitious due to her dementia, I believe that it helps her to feel valued and honored in the manner that God intended.

It does not take much effort or time to honor our parents. A little goes a long way. We just need to care about obeying God’s commandment and we need to be sincere in valuing them.

May the Holy Spirit speak to your heart about your obedience to God’s commandment to Honor your Mother and Father. May He give you the sincerity of heart and the grace to build and strengthen your relationship with them.