LEAD. August 2020 | Page 30

so together we can run hand in hand to the Lord. We can trust there is nothing that surprises our heavenly Father, and there is no temptation He cannot redeem us from or empower us to walk through. “God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid’ ” (Hebrews 13:5-6). 5. The ability to use self-control will define the people we become. It’s high time we have a frank conversation about the destruction we have seen unleashed in the lives of the people we have admired because they have lacked the ability to say no to themselves. This is especially true in the area of purity. Not only is sexual sin rampant, but so is sexual abuse. We must teach both our boys and our girls that they are not victims of their feelings or urges. They can say no to their bodies. They simply must. 6. The need to belong, to be known, to be accepted, to feel affection is valid. Our kids are not making up these feelings. It is not unusual for them to wish they had someone who would unconditionally love them and faithfully walk beside them. This need can be addressed to a great degree in their family but will be most fully felt in their relationship with the Lord. No person can ever meet this need perfectly, and neither sex nor marriage will ever fill the longing of their hearts. This need inside them is met in Christ, and the tug for more is a call to press in and love Him more. Oh Father, I praise You for being holy and right. Thank You that You are not a God of perversion and that You do not withhold any good thing from those who love You, as Psalm 84:11 says. Help me point to You as not only the standard for purity but also as the One who enables us to walk in purity. Please protect my kids from the attacks and schemes of the enemy and help my children make choices consistent with Your Word and the righteous and pure life You desire for Your children. In Jesus’s name I pray, amen. Lee Nienhuis is a passionate Bible teacher whose love for the Lord and the Word is contagious. Lee is the host of the Moms in Prayer Podcast and serves as a Communications Specialist for Moms in Prayer International. With a heart for Inductive Bible Study and missions, she speaks domestically and abroad communicating a dynamic vision for the next generation and biblical literacy. Lee’s book, Brave Moms, Brave Kids: A Battle Plan for Raising Heroes, is a clarion call for parents who are looking to raise whole-hearted Christ followers in this generation, and her new book, Counter- Cultural Parenting released June 2020. 30