Cultivating A Thankful Heart In Your Children

It has been a while again since I have written on the topics that were before me, but I have been working on a prayer ministry for the election. Now that that is over, we need to certainly continue to pray for those elected, but I will be going back to my other concerns related to teaching our children.

I have been doing a series on “Train up a child in the way he should go…” and was discussing some of the qualities we want to be sure to train into our children before they leave our homes. With Thanksgiving upon us, I want to take some time to discuss how to teach children to be thankful.

Now, teaching them to say “Please” and “Thank you” is a noble effort and a good start, but what I am really speaking of is training their hearts to be genuinely thankful. The Bible teaches us that being thankful should accompany our requests when we pray (Philippians 4:6). So how do we train the hearts of our children so that this attitude of thankfulness comes from within?

First of all, assume they will get no teaching on this topic from the culture! Then if they do get a little encouragement along this line, that will be a bonus. Just don’t assume your job is easier because it is taught somewhere else. Our culture, and hence most children, is a very ungrateful place in which to grow up! We have a very self-centered society and that makes our job more difficult and not less difficult. The culture is teaching children that they are owed certain things and if they don’t get them, they should exercise their “rights” in order to rectify the situation.

Secondly, let them see you displaying a thankful heart! Let them hear you thanking the Lord and praising God for the gifts we receive from Him each and every day. Let them hear us praise God for the provisions we enjoy even if it isn’t as we would have planned. Thank Him for the food that was given and eat it even if it isn’t your favorite. Be thankful for the hand-me-downs or sale items even if you might have chosen something else if you had the choice. Thank Him for the illness or the snowy weather that interfered with your outing. Children need to see this characteristic modeled and the most effective people to do that for them are their parents.

One more real practical way to teach your children to be thankful is to not allow them to complain about the things God has provided. Of main concern on this topic is in the area of food. Children should come to the table with a thankful heart for whatever their mother has prepared for them. If they complain and it is not tolerated, this will go a long way in getting that teaching into their hearts and you will have won a major victory in what is a lifetime battle. If you desire to see a very practical approach to this issue, check out the October 1, 2007, entry in my blog where there is a detailed description of how to approach this problem in children.

Teach your children to share with others who are less blessed. Let them be a blessing and learn the joy of giving to someone who has less than they do. Sometimes, (due to government programs and maybe where we live) it is hard to find a family who has less than we do in material items, but there are various organizations and ministries who can help along that line. For instance, there is Samaritans Purse and others who will take your money and buy Bibles or other items to distribute in countries where owning a Bible is a very special privilege. Let your children actually work to earn some money so they can feel the joy of actually giving something for which they have worked! As we come through this wonderful time of Thanksgiving and Christmas, I will be sharing some of the traditions we have started for our grandchildren with the hope of supporting their parents in their efforts to train the hearts of their children in this area.

One of the best ways to evaluate where your children are in this process of learning to be thankful is to watch and see how generous they want to be with their own things. As parents, it is imperative for you to allow them to be generous even if it seems somewhat careless to you. You need to help them give with a joyful heart and help them work through the level of giving that is appropriate for them. But above all, don’t discourage them or belittle their desire. This is a true sign that they are not thinking totally about themselves and have attained a certain level of contentment with their own level of “things”.

There are a lot of other nuances that surface in a discussion of this nature, but suffice it to say that no one is ever perfect at this. It is a growing process and goes on for a lifetime. Let your children know that you are still growing in this area and it is something you can work at together. Let them see that you have this quality of being thankful as one of your goals for your life, and then let them see you working on it even after they leave your home.

Next week, I will take a break from the normal entries and I will pass on some of our favorite Thanksgiving and Christmas recipes.

Some Final Thoughts for November 6

Well, we have prayed and God has spoken! It is great to know that God has planned this outcome for this time and that none of it takes Him by surprise. That gives me great courage and determination to submit to His authority and His plan. I will continue to pray and seek His will for me. I will continue on my mission of impacting our grandchildren for His Kingdom and supporting our children as they seek to raise their children for His glory. I will continue to do whatever I can to fulfill the Great Commission and do the ministries that God has given to women through His Word. None of that has changed and most of all, God has not changed. We have the wonderful hope of Christ’s appearing (Titus 2:13) and nothing can dampen the peace and joy we have because of that!

Thanks to all of you who have prayed and to those who have been so encouraging to me through this time of election. Thanks for sharing articles and forwards concerning others who have been praying around the world. We know that this outcome is part of God’s ultimate plan as so many were praying. Let’s keep praying and see what God is going to do! It is exciting to think of how God will use this and what part we might play in His ultimate plan!

I was reminded just yesterday of an old song which isn’t right out of the
Scripture, but it certainly contains Scriptural principles and I want to share it with you.
It is called: “My Savior” and it is by Dora Greenwell.

My Savior Dora Greenwell (verses 1 & 5)

I am not skilled to understand
What God has willed, what God has planned;
I only know at His right hand
Is One Who is my Savior.

Yea, living, dying, let me bring
My strength, my solace from this spring;
That He Who lives to be My King
Once died to be my Savior.

There is where our hope lies: Jesus Christ is King!

With love and appreciation! Ruth

Prayer Requests - October 30

Well, Ladies, here we are in the final stretch before the election – the main reason for which we came together for prayer at this time! We have prayed and we have prayed and now it is time to go out next Tuesday and exercise one of our fundamental rights as Americans! Go out and vote and celebrate America! Now is the time to stand our ground! Don’t let the things around you cause you to be disheartened. Let’s bow ourselves before God and acknowledge His power and His control in this battle that we face and then let’s thank Him for seeing us through another day. Remember, His promises are sure and He will not allow anything to happen apart from His perfect plan. I have received, as I am sure many of you have, MANY emails and forwards and other communications concerning Christian people who are praying all over this land! God has heard us and He will respond to us with His best plan. Let’s continue to pray and turn the results over to Him! We and our families and our country are all in His hands and there is nothing that will take Him by surprise! REMEMBER: “Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world!”

1. Pray for the final stage of the campaign phase of this election.

2. Pray that Christians will get out to vote in numbers that we haven’t seen before!

3. Pray that God’s people will vote for the man who will stand most strongly for our Christian values and Scriptural principles.

4. Pray that righteousness will be exalted and that evil will be judged.

5. Pray that we will be thankful and rest in the outcome knowing that God has looked at all the options and decided just which outcome will bring Him most glory.

Prayer Requests for October 23

Elijah prayed and it did not rain! Elijah also prayed and fire burned up the sacrifice even though it had been doused with buckets of water! Hannah prayed and she received power to conceive! Time after time God answered the prayers of His servants! We serve the same powerful and faithful God Who delights not only in hearing from His children, but He delights in giving them the things that they request! And God is STILL able to do “over and above ALL that we could ask or think”! We have almost two weeks before what many are calling the most crucial election in our nation’s history. We need to ask God for His mercy and His faithful power to manifest itself in these troubled times. We need to put forth even greater effort in these final days before the election. Maybe some of you will plan gatherings in your home for the purpose of praying for this election. I am organizing an “around the clock” prayer vigil for November 3 at our church. Maybe some of you could do something similar. Whatever you can do, God will honor the prayers and the efforts of His people! Let’s pray to the God who said that “if we have the faith the size of a grain of mustard seed we could remove mountains”. We have a mountain before us, but we serve a God Who is good at moving them! Let’s pray and then trust that His will has been accomplished!

1. Pray that God’s people will get involved in prayer and then vote on Biblical issues!

2. Pray that God will show mercy on our country and put in power someone who will stand firm on Biblical issues as much as is possible.

3. Pray for the protection of those who are out campaigning and most especially those running for the top spots.

4. Pray that our citizens will hear what is being said and think about the ramifications for the future of our country.

5. Pray that Truth and righteousness will prevail through this election and beyond!

Prayer Requests for October 16

“…Nor is there any rock like our God.” That is something to hang onto!!! This has been a time when we really need to turn to God and trust what He is doing! I can’t remember a time when it looked so much like the battle is out of control. Therefore, there has never been a time when we need to turn to the Lord and trust His wisdom and His judgments like we do now. Trusting Him gives us the ability to rejoice and be at peace. And we must exhibit those characteristics so as to give hope to others with whom we come in contact. As Christian people, we know the end of the story and in that we can be “more than conquerors”! We are so blessed to be able to come to God with our cares and concerns and KNOW that He hears and answers prayer and that He gives grace through any situation. “Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world!”

1. The final debate will be over by the time you get this, so just pray for the outcome and how the media will “spin” the results.

2. Pray for Christians all across our nation who aren’t engaged. Pray that they will understand their responsibility to vote according to Biblical standards.

3. Pray that righteousness will prevail.

4. Pray that evil deeds will be exposed and that those who do them will be judged.

5. Pray for God’s mercy on our land for the sake of the many who still hold strongly to the Truth and for the sake of our children and grandchildren!

Prayer Requests for October 9

If ever we needed to pray, it is now! Don’t let God say, “I sought for a man to stand in the gap and found none.” Time is getting short, but our God is able! We have less than four weeks, but God doesn’t need four weeks to accomplish His plan! Keep praying and then trust God for His best.

1. Praise for the debates that have taken place since last Thursday.

2. Pray for the last debate, next Wednesday, Oct. 15. Pray that the questions will lend themselves to the exposure of these candidates for who they are. Pray that their world views will become evident as they answer the questions.

3. Pray that justice and righteousness will prevail!

4. Pray that God will work in the hearts of the media and the people in leadership in our country and that some hearts will be turned toward Him!

5. Pray for those whose reputations are being destroyed before our citizens. Pray that God will strengthen them as they walk daily through this election season.

Prayer Requests for October 2

It has been a very eventful week and as human beings, it comes kind of naturally for some of us to let it kind of “get to us”. We need to let it “get to us” enough to cause us to fall to our knees, but we certainly don’t need to carry it as a frustration or burden since we know the God Who spoke the universe into being and continues to hold it together by His power! He is more than able to contain all the events and concerns that are going on in our economy as well as the political issues! He is more than able to call to account those who are acting in self-serving ways to “resolve” the issues at hand! And He is more than able to bring to office those of His choosing! Let’s remember that His expectation of us is that we are “found faithful”. He didn’t give us places of high prominence so we cannot effect much action in any major way. But He gave us the privilege of coming to Him in prayer and speaking with Him about our concerns and His expectation of us is that we be “faithful” in keeping these things before Him! When we do our part, then we can have peace in knowing that He WILL bring about His plan for us and for our family and for our country!

1. Pray for the issues at hand and for great wisdom for those who are making the decisions on our behalf!

2. Pray for those who are seeking for the best for our country and willing to stand for their convictions in spite of pressure to do otherwise.

3. Pray for the Vice Presidential candidates who are preparing for the debate tomorrow evening. Pray for those who are standing in the wings waiting to attack our Christian values and anyone who would dare to stand up for them.

4. Pray that God will be honored and glorified by the manner in which Gov. Palin presents herself and the way she responds to the questions that come her way.

Prayer Requests - September 25

Are you starting to get weary of all the rhetoric? Are the negative ads and accusations starting to get you down? Hang in there! We are just under 6 weeks to go and we need to really redouble our efforts in prayer! God has instructed us on how to handle situations like this and if we do it His way, we will not get weary. We are to pray and do what we can to help elect those who we feel are more likely to hold up our standards of morality and values, but then we need to “rest”. We are not to get frustrated or in any way allow the circumstances to bring us to their level. If you read the end of the Psalm 37:9, we are promised the earth as our inheritance. And though we don’t know the timing of it all, we must trust the promises of God and all the more as we see things heading in a direction away for Godly principles!

1. Pray for the things going on at the UN this week! Pray that our leaders will stand up to those who would hope for the demise of our country.

2. Pray for our leaders who are making decisions concerning our economic situation. Pray for the effect of these events on our election!

3. Pray for the first debate being held this week. Pray that both candidates will be seen for who they are and what they stand for.

4. Above all, pray that righteousness and Truth will prevail in all things! And pray for a revival in our land!

Prayer Requests for Sept 18

“Be anxious for nothing…!” That is a hard task for me right now as I see and hear so many difficult things including some that are just plain not true! And yet, God didn’t tell us not to be anxious when things seem, in our opinion, to be going well. He said not to be anxious in any circumstance. And besides that, He told us to respond “with thanksgiving”. Now that is almost over the top except for one thing – God told us to do it and that means He will give grace and strength to accomplish it! So how am I doing today? How are you doing today? Let’s focus on some of the things we have for which to be thankful and then come to God in prayer and let our requests be made known to Him. He IS in control! REMEMBER: “Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world”!

1. Praise for safety for most Americans through this past weekend as we were inundated with very strange and dangerous weather. You may not know it, but we had a strong tornado come right out of the blue and go within less than 20 miles of our home on Saturday afternoon. And the whole state of Ohio is in a state of emergency because of hurricane force winds that blew for 4-5 hours and took out much of the power in Dayton and Cincinnati. These were all side-effects of Ike.

2. Praise the Lord for the Christian witness that has been brought to the forefront as a result of the candidacy of Sarah Palin! God uses His means to get the job done!

3. Pray for those who are distorting the truth and making lies for political advancement! Pray that truth will prevail.

4. Pray for men and women who are on the radio and T.V. speaking for us as we each personally don’t have a very large platform from which to be heard. Pray for their safety as they confront the issues!

Prayer Requests for September 11

How can we ever type that date and not remember the events of that day in 2001?! It is a constant reminder of who our enemies were and still are. But let’s remember that, “We ARE more than conquerors” as we face that battle as well as the coming election! No matter how our Christian faith is attacked or belittled, we know that Truth and it gives us great confidence. And don’t forget that last half of the verse: “…through Him…”. Our victory comes through Jesus Christ as we seek Him and His agenda! I believe that the very foundations of our faith are under attack right now on the political scene and in the media. Let’s stand firm and in the strength of the Lord, let’s claim victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! Praise Him!

1. Praise the Lord that we have not been attacked again on our soil since 9/11/01. Praise for our President who has taken the initiative to face the enemies straight on and let them know that they better not try it again!

2. Pray for the intensity of the battle that is going on in our own country over this election!

3. Pray for those that name the name of Jesus! Pray that they will be honoring to the Lord in their responses to the attacks that are being made on their very being and on some of the core values of our Christian faith.

4. Pray that Truth will prevail and that the mouths of those who would speak evil will be shut. Remember the lions den!

Prayer Requests for Sept 4

I am wondering how many of you feel somewhat as I do after this past week?! It truly has been an emotional week in many ways! As Christian women, I believe our “grids” have been tested vigorously. I have experienced many of the emotions expressed in this verse. And yet our hope is in the fact that though we have been troubled, perplexed, maybe even persecuted in our emotions, yet we do not have to be in despair, nor are we distressed or cast down and certainly not destroyed! And above all, remember that the power is of God and we are not facing these issues alone! We serve the God of the Universe and HE IS IN CONTROL! Let’s claim victory and trust Him to settle the accounts and determine the outcome.

1. Praise the Lord that the hurricane was not as bad as it could have been and there was no direct loss of life! Praise the Lord that the levies held! Pray that God will get the credit for that!

2. Pray for the safety of those who live on the East Coast waiting for the other storms to arrive. May God receive the glory for this magnificent show of His power!

3. Praise for the testimonies and the seeds that were planted at the convention in St. Paul! God can use His Word wherever it is spoken.

4. Pray for the honor of God’s name through all of the controversy surrounding Mrs. Palin and her family.

5. Pray for each of us as we respond to all that is up for grabs right now that strikes at the very core of who we are as Christian women.

6. Once again, I remind all of us to pray that Truth will prevail

Prayer Requests for August 28

It is a very exciting time to watch things going on in Denver and then in St. Paul next week and KNOW that it is all under God’s guidance! No decisions or plans can be made apart from God’s oversight and direction! God is the one who crowns kings and yes, He is the one who “inaugurates” Presidents! And He has chosen for some reason to use us and our prayers in accomplishing this very important work. There is much for which we can pray, so remember that there are many who are joining in prayer today for the coming election!

1. Pray for the things that continue to unfold in Denver. Pray for some to have their eyes opened to the Truth as they realize what their party stands for!

2. Pray for the Vice President who is yet to be revealed.

3. Pray for more opportunities to hear the candidates answer questions in a civil and non-confrontational manner so people can know where the candidates stand on the issues.

4. Pray for the safety of the candidates through this time of intense activities going on in the conventions.

5. Pray that Truth will prevail in all decisions that are made.

Prayer Requests for Thursday August 21

Ladies, it is very important that we “faint not”! We are coming to the very crucial weeks of this pre-election time and we need to really give of ourselves over the next couple of weeks as we wait to see how the conventions will turn out. There is much at stake at these two major party conventions and we need to seek God as we see things unfolding before us. I know I have been watching the Olympics and they have been very exciting and I am tired from building up a sleep deficit by staying up too late! But when Saturday night comes, the Olympics will be over and we must be ready to press on to the business that lies before us. We must commit to faithful prayer until we see how God is going to move. I am so happy for this opportunity to do God’s work for our country and for our grandkids. Let’s encourage each other to keep on keeping on and get this work done!

1. Pray for the convention next week! Pray that truth will prevail and that it will be revealed before decisions are made that will greatly affect each of us!

2. Pray for the choices for Vice President that are even now being made!

3. Pray for those men who will be chosen for the V.P. spot as they will have a great influence on the President.

4. Pray that Christians all over this land will unite in serious prayer for this election. Much is at stake for all of us, but most especially for Christianity and the freedoms we have always enjoyed.

Prayer Requests for August 14

I feel like we are in the calm before the storm with the Olympics taking the spotlight for a couple of weeks. However, we can’t allow ourselves to be lulled to sleep in the area of praying for the elections. For right after the Olympics comes the first major convention and then the very next week is the other major convention. That means that there will be LOTS going on and many decisions will be made. We need to PRAY and PRAY for all of the implications of this very important election! This is our opportunity to “rest in the Lord” as we get ready to wage the huge battle that is before us. Remember, the official campaign season starts after Labor Day, so we haven’t seen anything yet!

1. Praise for the safety of our President as he traveled in China and Asia last week!

2. Pray for the conflict between Russia and Georgia and for the impact this could have on our country and on our election!

3. Continue to pray for the choice of running mates as those decisions are still in the making.

4. Pray that God will protect the cities that are preparing for the conventions.

5. Pray that righteousness will prevail as party platforms are put together and that our Christian values will be taken into consideration! Pray for our Christian leaders who are using their voices to influence party platforms.

Prayer Requests for August 7

Verse 12 reminds us of the real battle we are fighting! But the two preceding verses remind us of where we find our strength and the weapons for victory! We sometimes forget that our battle is not physical, but spiritual. If we keep up with things that are going on, it doesn’t take long to realize that God’s Word is true when it defines our battles as spiritual. Therefore, the way to victory is prayer and not arguing or persuading or some of the other methods we might be tempted to try. Keep on your knees my friends! We are 90 days from the election and we can’t get tired or weary of keeping this before the Lord!

1. Pray for President Bush as he travels in Asia ahead of his scheduled attendance at the opening ceremony for the Olympics.

2. Pray for the safety of our athletes in this place that is not really sympathetic to our American way of life.

3. Pray for the efforts that will be made by some Christians and Christian organizations to reach the athletes and surrounding areas for Christ!

4. Pray for the ongoing debates between the Presidential candidates concerning the issues that face us. Pray they will concentrate on those that really matter and that truth will prevail!

5. Pray that we Christians will have faith that God can actually do His saving work in the lives of those who seek office!

Prayer Requests for July 31

What an encouraging verse! How comforting it is to know that the victory is God’s! He rules over the whole earth and nothing takes Him by surprise! No matter who wins the election in November, he will be subject to our God who reigns over all! Take heart, my friends, and keep praying! Never give up. That is a tool of the wicked one! We ARE on the winning side! Thank you, Lord!

1. Praise for God’s people who are working hard to see that the Truth gets out to all who desire to hear it.

2. The choosing of the VP candidates appears to be close. Keep praying!

3. Pray for God’s mercy on our land as we continue to go in a direction that is contrary to God’s Word.

4. Pray that God will do whatever needs to be done in order to bring the hearts of our leaders under His authority!

Prayer Requests for July 24, 2008

Sometimes it can feel like we are pretty powerless against the things that are going on around us in the circumstances of the coming election! And we ARE powerless in our own strength! It is easy for fear and discouragement to creep in. But God wants to remind us that He is the One Who has power and He Will accomplish whatever He intends through all that is happening. We need to keep our eyes on Him and He will fight the battle for us! Let’s remember who our Commander is and let’s trust and follow Him.

1. Rumor has it that the VPs may be chosen soon. Pray for wisdom for those making those decisions.

2. Pray that we Christians will remember that God is on our side and He WILL prevail.

3. Pray that those running for President will make decisions based on Godly morals and not on what the polls say.

4. Pray that Christians will vote according to Biblical standards and not on their financial or any other monetary concerns.

Prayer Requests for July 10

As we march through this election season, it is hard to see much righteousness in our political system. This verse in Proverbs reminds us of where we have come! BUT, God “is able to do exceeding abundantly above ALL that we could ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20) and He has called His people to prayer! What a privilege it is to serve our God and let’s be obedient to Him by spending time in prayer for our land! What a wonderful God we serve!

1. Pray for forgiveness for our culture as we have gravely sinned against God.

2. Pray for God’s mercy upon our land!

3. Pray that righteousness WILL prevail in our courts and our government institutions.

4. Pray for the Vice Presidential choices that are being made! Pray that God fearing men will be chosen!

Happy Birthday America

James 1:17 is just a reminder for us of the source of everything we have, both personally and as a nation! We hear a lot of whining and complaining in our country and we have lost our ability to be thankful as a nation! We are the most blessed nation that the world has ever known and yet we have such an ungrateful spirit! I wanted to focus this week on all of the blessings we have as a nation and as people and remember that God has blessed America well before any of us were here! God blessed us with a Christian heritage that allowed us to build a culture that is still reaping the rewards of that Christian foundation. Let’s be thankful for our blessings and don’t let anyone catch us complaining about the issues that we face as a nation that pale in comparison to the lack of food, the disease and catastrophic natural disasters that have occurred in other parts of the world! And let’s not forget the last part of the verse that reminds us of the faithfulness of God! He is the only constant in our lives and with Him there “is no variableness nor shadow of turning”.

1. Praise the Lord for America and for the freedom we enjoy every day of our lives!
2. Praise the Lord for the freedom we have to pray anywhere at any time!
3. Praise the Lord for the natural beauty of our country He has created for us to enjoy. None of us has to travel far to find some natural manifestation of Creation.
4. Praise the Lord for the ability to get to the grocery stores where we see more food in one glance than many in other countries see in their lifetime!
5. Praise and pray for the men and women in our country who are spending their time and lives spreading the Gospel over Christian radio and television!

I could go on for a long time, but I think you get the picture! We truly have much for which to be grateful and we need to give praise to God at every opportunity and show a thankful heart for all the blessings of living in America!

Prayer Requests for June 19

After hearing of the decisions that have been made in California this past week and all the ramifications that may involve, it is a great comfort to me that God is “my strong refuge”! As the old song puts it, “Where could I go but to the Lord?!” Ladies, this coming election is for the heart and soul of America as we know it and the only hope we have is our trust in God! And Praise the Lord, He knew about that California decision before it was made and He was NOT surprised. Let’s keep the prayer a priority and let’s see what God will do. We know He can do whatever He wants, so let’s ask Him boldly for great things!

1. Pray for God’s mercy on our land as our courts continue to legislate morality.

2. Praise for God’s mercy and longsuffering as we have deserved His judgment many times even before this.

3. Pray for wisdom for our leaders as they make decisions concerning the economy of our country.

4. Finally, let’s praise and be thankful that God is in control and He will have His way in every decision and plan that our leaders will make!