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A young lady, who had grown up in the church with a vibrant testimony, suddenly rebelled. She rejected her parents’ pleas to turn back to the Lord. So they stopped urging her and started praying for her. One day she told them, “Stop praying for me; you’re making my life miserable.” But they kept praying. When she finished high school and was trying to choose a college, she surprisingly asked her parents for their advice. They guided her in selecting a Christian college. Today, she leads worship in her church. Years ago, ancient Israel disobeyed God and incurred God’s displeasure. They came to the prophet Samuel and asked him to pray for them. We read in 1 Samuel 12 that he replied, “I will certainly not sin against the LORD by ending my prayers for you. And I will continue to teach you what is good and right. But be sure to fear the LORD and faithfully serve him. Think of all the wonderful things he has done for you.” When our children or loved ones go astray, yes, we may urge them to turn back to the Lord, but our best strategy is for us to pray fervently for them. We can ask God to open their eyes to see the error of their ways. We may or may not see how God will answer our prayers; but we can have the attitude ancient Samuel had: God forbid that I should sin by ending my prayers for you.
