Too many people worry about family members, complain about family members, or bicker and argue with family members. Here’s my question: How often do you pray for the members of your family?
There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters. His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east. And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.
Job 1:1-5, KJV
As a kid who grew up on the King James Version, I used to snicker when I’d hear or read that word which means “donkey.” Chances are if you’re not used to the classic KJV (which is my favorite English translation), that word stood out to you as well.
But let’s look past that and examine something far more profound and meaningful.
Those who have read the book of Job know that he lost all his wealth and possessions — as well as, most painfully, his children — in a harrowing ordeal that could be described as a “dare” between God and Satan. Job questions God and laments his birth. But he doesn’t curse or renounce God. And in the end, God restores him and multiplies His blessings on Job.
But I want to focus on just the first few verses of Job. I want to focus on Job’s heart for his family and the example he provides for us today.
Not too busy to pray
First, Job lived in the ancient Near East — most likely between the time of Abraham and Moses. And the society in which he lived was an agrarian one. This is significant because, when the book of Job tells us about all the animals he owned, it’s signaling that Job was a prominent man with immense wealth.
Job didn’t let his wealth go to his head and turn his heart away from God. He was blessed and he ultimately knew the source of those blessings.
More blessings often result in more busyness. Think about it. When you get more recognition or a higher position, you end up with more influence. And that leads to more responsibility. When you get more money, that often leads to more opportunities, more requests, more demands, and more obligations. And on it goes.
This is among the lessons in the parable of the servants and the talents. Here’s Jesus talking about the lord of the estate honoring one of the faithful servants:
His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
Matthew 25:21, KJV
But as busy as Job was – and he was — he didn’t let his busy schedule stop him from praying and worshiping God.
A Parent’s Priority
The book of Job emphasizes perhaps Job’s biggest focus in his prayers. We’re told that, after his sons and daughters had their “days” of “feasting” (we would say “partying”), Job “sent and sanctified them.” This likely means he sent for them and prayed over them in person.
Then, it adds that Job “rose up early in the morning” and that he “offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all.” Depending on the commentary you read, these offerings may have been something Job did on his own after he had already “sanctified” his (presumably grown) children. Or it may have been part of the sanctification he performed with his kids.
Either way, Job made it a point to intercede before God on behalf of his children. Why? Job answers that himself: “It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.”
Parents today – including Christian parents – are often more concerned about their kids’ academic or professional success than their spiritual health.
What about you?
What’s most important to you about your child? Their health and safety? Whether they are invited to the “cool kids” parties? Whether they get on the sports team or get that scholarship or get accepted to the most prestigious school?
What are your priorities for your kids?
For Job, his top priority was their relationship with God.
Praying instead of Worrying
Job could have simply worried about his children. Plenty of us do that, don’t we?
But he didn’t worry and leave it at that. He acted. He did something!
Job sent for his kids. And he sanctified them. Without going into details on the ancient customs of his day, at the least, this means that he worshiped God with his children.
How much of a priority is it for you to talk about God with your children or pray with your children or get your kids into church?
If it’s not a big deal for you when they are growing up, it’s going to be much more difficult to convince them they should make God, prayer, and church a priority when they are older.
Job also seems specific in his prayers.
I may be reaching a bit here, but let’s consider the question: Why did Job single out his “sons”?
My reading of this passage indicates that Job “sent [for] and sanctified” all his kids (daughters included) and that he made offerings for “them all” (daughters included). But…
Job seems to be most concerned that his sons (as opposed to his daughters) sinned and “cursed God in their hearts.” In other words, he seems to have more confidence in his daughters’ faith than in his sons’ faith. That’s how I read this.
We can probably relate in that I’m sure we’re more concerned about certain family members, when it comes to their relationship with God, than we are with others.
Be specific in your prayers. Don’t just say: “Be with my family.” Name your family members and be specific in where each family member is (at least as you see it) with the Lord.
Do you intercede for your family?
Now, obviously, the story we’re looking at has Job praying for his kids. And that is something all parents should take to heart.
What kind of a parent doesn’t pray for their children?
But I think we can walk this principle out to include praying for our spouse and praying for all our family members. In fact…
Later in the book of Job, we see his wife essentially turn against both God and her husband. She is so fed up with the ordeal (remember, she lost her kids too!) that she tells him to “curse God and die.”
One wonders how his wife would have handled the situation had Job been praying as faithfully for her as he had been for his children.
Pray for all your family.
What good is prayer?
I know what some of you are thinking. So, let me address the proverbial “elephant in the room.”
Shortly after these opening verses in Job, things go South. And they go South quickly. Job loses everything, except his wife (who is none too happy with him) and his life. Oh, he doesn’t (technically) lose his friends either — but that turns out to not be much of a blessing.
Job loses pretty much everything. And that includes the children he so diligently prayed for.
So, we are tempted to ask, what good is prayer?
Why should I take Job as an example when Job’s prayers didn’t save his kids from tragedy?
The answer to this question isn’t easy, and I offer it with trepidation and humility.
I believe a parent losing a child is perhaps the most excruciating, emotional hardship a human being can endure. Parents aren’t supposed to outlive their children. No loving parent wants to outlive his or her children. And so… we can safely conclude that both Job and his wife were experiencing unspeakable anguish.
How could a loving God allow such tragedy — especially when we’re talking about someone as virtuous as Job?
This horrendous and tragic ordeal befell Job because of a “dare” between God and Satan. When God lifted up Job as an example of a man who was faithful and righteous, Satan said it was only because of God’s blessings and protection. God then lifted that protection and Satan attacked.
The lesson for us is that the Enemy can only attack us and take things away from us with God’s permission, and sometimes, God gives that permission.
And the only way to make sense of that is to understand that reality doesn’t begin with us or revolve around us. Reality instead is all about God. And God is truly the Supreme Being who is holy, right, and true. Our value, purpose, and identity come not from ourselves, but from God Himself.
We have to realize that the things and people with which and whom we interact in this life via our senses (taste, touch, smell, hear, and feel) is only a portion of reality itself. And so when God takes a life or allows Satan (or other people or nature or circumstances) to take a life, that life isn’t really taken out of reality. It’s taken out of the reality that we can apprehend with our senses.
Death isn’t the end. It’s a transition. When your body dies, your soul doesn’t end. Your soul moves from the reality you experience with your senses to a reality – a greater reality – that, as of now, is inaccessible to you and to me.
When my parents died, I lost access to them. But I didn’t lose them. They are still alive. They just aren’t here with me in this fallen world. They are with the Lord. And one day, I will see them again.
When it comes to things, anything we obtain or have in this world is temporal. Why? Because this world, which is only a portion of (really a product of) a greater reality, will pass away.
This means that God’s scoreboard is different from ours. God is more focused on the eternal than the temporal, and He’s more concerned with the spiritual (which is enduring) than the physical (which is not – at least not in this present form).
Therefore, when Job’s kids died, they didn’t cease to exist. They changed location.
And when Job lost all his possessions, he lost things that were temporary to begin with — and things for which God could easily replace with the snap of His fingers. (And, well, that’s essentially what happens).
If we don’t “get” all that, then we won’t understand the story of Job.
And we’ll be forever confused – perhaps even lost.
This is why Job could say: “Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” (Job 1:21)
When we adopt that perspective, then we will hold everything — and, yes, everyone — in our life with an open hand before God. We will recognize that God is worthy of our trust and our worship.
And we will know that nothing is more important than a person’s relationship with God.
With all that in mind, it’s foolish to think prayer doesn’t work or that prayer somehow doesn’t matter.
Prayer is ultimately about communicating with God. And when we intercede for others, we’re putting them right in front of God — and demonstrating to God that our hearts are knit with the hearts of those for whom we pray.
God values and honors intercessory prayer.
And so… we need to do it.
So… are you praying for your family?
And are you doing so regularly?
I hope the answer to both those questions is “yes.” If not, the time to change that is now.
