There is no substitute for prayer in the Christian life. When I reflect on my life, there were many wilderness times where (other than very basic daily prayers and half-hearted requests), I wasn’t all-in in pursuing the Lord. But, when we seek the Lord, we will find him, when we seek for him with all our hearts.
Two days ago, we talked about the power of God to break the curse cycles where one generation passes on sin and judgement to the next. The new covenant to come that would be fulfilled in Christ was prophesied about in Jeremiah 31. This Jeremiah prophecy reveals the Jewish understanding of the spiritual truth that children will walk in judgement for their parent’s sin. However, God promises a new covenant is coming that is different from the old covenant.
The old covenant was weak, not because God was weak to keep his end of the bargain, but because we are weak to keep the perfect law of God. When we cannot keep the perfect law of God, the curses of breaking the law fall on us.
However, if you are a part of the new covenant of Christ, Jesus takes on himself the curse of our sin. In the new covenant, each new believer has a choice to walk in the path of Christ, being led by the Spirit, or to turn away from God into sin. We can stand in Christ and, by his power, say no to the sins that our forefathers were tempted by. We can break away from the bitter curse of the judgement.
I love this passage of scripture, because it shows God’s heart for his people. His goal is not judgement and condemnation. His goal is restoration. This prophecy is written to Israel. (We gentiles are grafted into Israel through faith in Christ.) God shows that the new covenant is a “second chance” for redemption, after it has been proven that our hearts are endlessly going astray.
God doesn’t want to destroy us, he wants to restore us. We will be praying this prayer for our children and ourselves today. Each verse will be in regular font, with the prayer in italics.
Today’s reading is taken from Jeremiah 31:27-36
“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will plant the kingdoms of Israel and Judah with the offspring of people and of animals. Just as I watched over them to uproot and tear down, and to overthrow, destroy and bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant,” declares the Lord. “In those days people will no longer say,
‘The parents have eaten sour grapes,
and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’
Instead, everyone will die for their own sin; whoever eats sour grapes—their own teeth will be set on edge.
Lord, you said the day is coming when you will plant your people, instead of uproot. You promised for a day when the children would no longer be “set on edge” by the parent’s sin. Lord, I thank you for that. I pray that you will fulfill this in my family. I pray for you to establish my family in Christ. I ask, in the name of Jesus Christ, that you will bring restoration to those family members who have walked away and have been set on edge by sinning in the ways that our ancestors have sinned. I pray that you will bring a calling back and a planting in righteousness. My children and grandchildren are not under the curse of their ancestor’s sins. They are in Christ.
“The days are coming,” declares the Lord,
“when I will make a new covenant
with the people of Israel
and with the people of Judah.
It will not be like the covenant
I made with their ancestors
when I took them by the hand
to lead them out of Egypt,
because they broke my covenant,
though I was a husband to them, ”
declares the Lord.
Lord, you have been like a husband to us. I pray for this new covenant of Christ Jesus to be established in our family. I pray that you will establish each child and grandchild and that not one will be lost. Lead (name) out of the Egypt of his/her sin. Lead my family out of slavery to sin. Bring them out with mighty hand. Make your covenant with each of my children, Lord. I claim the victory of Christ in the new covenant by faith, in Jesus’ name!
“This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel
after that time,” declares the Lord.
“I will put my law in their minds
and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
I pray, Lord, that you will put your law in (name of child) mind. Write your law on (name’s) heart. Be (name’s) God. And may (name) be your child. (pray this for each person)
No longer will they teach their neighbor,
or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’
because they will all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest,”
declares the Lord.
I pray that you will bring to fulfillment the time when all of my children and grandchildren will know you intimately and hear your voice. I pray you remove all blocks to my children and grandchildren hearing from you, in Jesus’ name. Remove the spiritual and physical noise that distracts my family from knowing you. I pray for your power to wash over them. Jesus, you said your sheep will hear my voice. Let all of my children be your sheep to hear your voice. I pray there will be a time when I do not have to remind them of your truth, but that they will speak your truth themselves.
“For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more.”
Lord, I pray that you will forgive the wickedness of my family and remember their sin no more. Oh, Lord, have mercy and forgive (name) in Jesus’ mighty name!
This is what the Lord says,
he who appoints the sun
to shine by day,
who decrees the moon and stars
to shine by night,
who stirs up the sea
so that its waves roar—
the Lord Almighty is his name:
“Only if these decrees vanish from my sight,”
declares the Lord,
“will Israel ever cease
being a nation before me.”
declares the Lord.
Oh Lord, I declare that your promises are true, Every promise in Christ Jesus is YES and AMEN! I know that your ways are good. I claim this, that my children will never cease to be part of your people. They will be always before you, worshiping you and ministering to you, in Jesus’ mighty name. The sins of the forefathers will not alight onto my children and grandchildren, but they will be a mighty nation for you. I pray and thank you for breaking the power of the curse of the law and the sins of the forefathers on my children in the name of Jesus. I thank you that the old ways and patterns have been given to the Lord. In the authority of Christ I pray freedom, forgiveness and peace through the Holy Spirit over my family. Amen!
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