prayer – Page 3 – Dobra Family Ministry

Household Prayer: keep the way of the lord

“I will make your descendants as plentiful as the dust of the earth, so that if anyone can count the dust of the earth, then your descendants could also be counted… For I have chosen him, so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring upon Abraham what He has spoken about him.”” Genesis 13:16 NASB2020 https://bible.com/bible/2692/gen.13.16.NASB2020 Genesis 18:19 NASB2020 https://bible.com/bible/2692/gen.18.19.NASB2020

Happy new year, Brothers! A new year, a new Bible in a year reading plan. Meditating on Gen. 13:16 and 18:19. This is the specific covenant promise to Abraham, but there are principles for us as fathers of households under the new covenant and the great commission (Matt. 28:18-20). I pray we command our children to keep the way of the Lord (Gen. 18:19, Eph. 6:4)! I pray we are faithful to our fatherly duties to be fruitful (Gen. 1:26-28; 2:15), to teach and instruct, and to perpetuate the Gospel into the future through our families until the Lord returns!

By faith (Heb. 11:1-3,4,5…), get to work subduing and ruling, working and keeping, being fruitful and multiplying (Gen. 1:26-28; 2:15), and making disciples of all nations (Matt. 28:18-20) for “we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Eph. 2:10)

Rule yourself well, rule your household well, and bring God’s truth and grace into every sphere of life that you enter into until every nation proclaims “Jesus is Lord!” – Amen

I’m reading the @YouVersion plan ‘One Year Original Order Reading Plan’. Check it out here: https://www.bible.com/en/reading-plans/23295

“I will make your descendants as plentiful as the dust of the earth, so that if anyone can count the dust of the earth, then your descendants could also be counted.” Genesis 13:16 NASB2020 https://bible.com/bible/2692/gen.13.16.NASB2020

“For I have chosen him, so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring upon Abraham what He has spoken about him.”” Genesis 18:19 NASB2020 https://bible.com/bible/2692/gen.18.19.NASB2020

“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” Ephesians 6:4 NASB2020 https://bible.com/bible/2692/eph.6.4.NASB2020

THE GOOD NEWS

There is a God that created the heavens and the earth. We humans are created in His image.

We are sinners, we have rebelled against Him, our Creator. Our rebellion has brought “all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice… envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness” to the world. Romans 1:29-31 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/rom.1.29-31.ESV

Therefore we justly deserve our due punishment of death and damnation, “as it is written: ‘None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.’” Romans 3:10-12 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/rom.3.10-12.ESV

But good news! God is merciful and loving. Jesus is God the only begotten Son and He took our punishment upon Himself in our place. Jesus rose from the dead, defeating death and securing the hope of our salvation.

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.” 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/1co.15.3-8.ESV

““Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”” Acts 2:36-38 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/act.2.36-38.ESV

We need only repent and believe it. Repent: turn away from our sins, proclaim Jesus is lord and savior, and we will be forgiven our sins and have life ever after! “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”” Romans 10:9-11 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/rom.10.9-11.ESV

There is hope. Believe in Jesus! ““For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/jhn.3.16.ESV

It doesn’t matter who you’ve been or what you’ve done, God stands with arms wide open, ready to forgive you. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/1jn.1.9.ESV

Household Prayer: Trust in God not the Customs of the Nations

“Now this came about because the sons of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God… and they had feared other gods. They also followed the customs of the nations whom the Lord had driven out from the sons of Israel, and in the customs of the kings of Israel which they had introduced… They feared the Lord, yet they were serving their own gods in accordance with the custom of the nations from among whom they had been taken into exile.” 2 Kings 17:7-8, 33 NASB2020 https://bible.com/bible/2692/2ki.17.7-33.NASB2020

Brothers, meditating on 2 Kings 17:7,8,33. There is a real danger of looking for practical solutions (or placing our trust in false gods) and walking in the customs or statutes of the culture around us. We should be trusting in God alone for our daily bread. In our culture of “sprawling government bureaucracies” trying to be gods by providing for all our needs, I/we can be tempted to partake and “walk in the customs of the nations.” Beware when government want’s what is God’s (Matt. 22:21). I pray we trust in the one true God of our salvation and walk in His ways!

Tyrannical overreach can be described as “the governmental [or other] sphere either reaching beyond its [God defined] limitations of influence to rule in an arena in which it has no authority or otherwise restricting another sphere from fulfilling its own self-government and self-correction.” “A Revolutionary Reading of Romans 13: A Biblical Case for Lawful Subjection to the Civil Magistrate and Dutiful Resistance to Tyrants” Timothy L. Decker, Founders Press 2023. https://press.founders.org/shop/a-revolutionary-reading-of-romans-13/

Household

“from a Christian perspective, the household is not just a private sphere—it is the primary economic unit through which God intends His people to exercise dominion over creation… In Genesis 1:28, God commands Adam and Eve to “be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it.” This dominion mandate is given not to isolated individuals but to a covenant family—a household… Unlike modern economic paradigms that prioritize the state or the individual, the Bible places the household at the center of productivity and stewardship. In Proverbs 31, for example, the virtuous woman manages her household’s resources with wisdom and initiative, engaging in trade, real estate, and agriculture—ensuring her family thrives.” https://www.dominionwealthstrategists.com/post/household-economics-how-families-take-dominion

Education

A custom of the nations to beware of, School Choice and vouchers. “It all sounded so great… But then, in an instant, all genuine choice was abolished with one “education reform” law… Suddenly, private schools taking public money were ordered to teach the radical government curriculum… Just think of the “free” government money as the cheese in the mousetrap.” https://illinoisfamily.org/uncategorized/vouchers-school-choice-trap/

“HSLDA opposes any kind of government funding for homeschooling—these funds are most commonly referred to as ESAs, but they may also be packaged as vouchers or school choice funds… ESAs and other tax-funded accounts will provide government officials with a reason to further regulate and oversee homeschooling… The argument for enacting new restrictions could go (and has gone) something like this: Now that homeschooling families are receiving government money, the government needs to ensure they are spending that money responsibly… We’re already seeing this happen in a very public way… We’re already seeing movement across states with new ESA measures to further regulate homeschooling.” https://hslda.org/post/how-esa-funding-could-undermine-homeschool-freedom

Reminder, your children belong to God. Money, in Matthew 22 a denarius (Matt. 22:21), has the states “likeness.” Therefore, we pay our taxes to the state. Our money is political (not to be confused with labor!). But our children and we ourselves have God’s “likeness” (Gen. 1:26), therefore we belong to God. We are pre-political. https://ministry.family.blog/2021/08/01/tyranny-politics-and-the-pre-political/

“And this occurred because the people of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods and walked in the customs of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel, and in the customs that the kings of Israel had practiced… So they feared the Lord but also served their own gods, after the manner of the nations from among whom they had been carried away.” 2 Kings 17:7-8, 33 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/2ki.17.7-33.ESV

Household Prayer: Teach Your Wife

“But if they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home, for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in church.” 1 Corinthians 14:35 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/1co.14.35.LSB

Brothers, meditating on 1 Cor. 14:35. “But if they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home…” I pray we wield the sword well for our wives (Eph. 6:17). I pray we cultivate an appetite to delight in God’s word (Psalm 1:2). I pray we don’t fall for the error of abdicating our responsibility to whom it doesn’t belong. I pray we accurately handle the word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15).

“But if they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home, for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in church.” 1 Corinthians 14:35 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/1co.14.35.LSB

“also receive the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,” Ephesians 6:17 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/eph.6.17.LSB

“A woman must learn in quietness, in all submission. But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. For it was Adam who was first formed, and then Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into trespass. But she will be saved through the bearing of children, if they continue in faith and love and sanctification with self-restraint.” 1 Timothy 2:11-15 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/1ti.2.12-15.LSB

“But his delight is in the law of Yahweh, And in His law he meditates day and night.” Psalm 1:2 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/psa.1.2.LSB How to be a man or woman of God from Psalm 1 https://ministry.family.blog/faith/being-a-man-or-woman-of-god-psalm-1/

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/2ti.2.15.LSB

Household Prayer: God’s Patience – repent and get to work

“Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?” Romans 2:4 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/rom.2.4.LSB

Brothers, meditating on Romans 2:4. God has been kind and patient with the people of America. I pray we, His church, repent and dedicate ourselves to “reach our communities with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” I pray we, through our homeschooling and family discipleship, “raise up Godly generations after us, and with these generations take the Kingdom of God to all the earth.” (Jamestown Chaplain, Pastor Robert Hunt, 1607) I pray God would move us to not just “report” or complain about the pagan culture around us, but to “reform” it by making disciples, teaching them all you have commanded, and being willing “to do God’s will on earth as it is in heaven” building and living out the God honoring culture we desire. (Kirk Cameron, IFI)

“We do hereby Dedicate this Land, and ourselves, to reach the People within these shores with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to raise up Godly generations after us, and with these generations take the Kingdom of God to all the earth. May this Covenant of Dedication remain to all generations, as long as this earth remains, and may this Land, along with England, be Evangelist to the World.” Pastor Robert Hunt, the chaplain of Jamestown, knelt upon the cross and offered a prayer of dedication after landing at Virginia May 14, 1607. The Founders’ Bible, 2012, Shiloh Road Publishers https://thefoundersbible.com/

“Cameron said he makes a distinction between reporters and reformers. Reporters are “the huge numbers of us who spend a lot of our time ‘reporting’ to each other about developments we see in our present period of cultural setback,” he writes in “Born to Be Brave.” Reformers are those who move beyond talking, who step up and courageously act either to change or to present alternatives to that culture… Cameron said he believes that every human possesses the virtue of courage. If we can find that courage and act on it, even when that means going against a corrupt system, then we can inspire others, he said… “When false systems like communism and socialism fail to produce the utopia that they promise, eventually the cat’s out of the bag, the gig is up,” he told The Epoch Times. “The mouse trap has sprung, but if the mouse isn’t underneath the hammer bar, he has a chance to run and tell all the other mice, and they have a chance to turn the thing around.”” Kirk Cameron: A Call for Spiritual Renewal Starts at Home https://link.theepochtimes.com/mkt_app/article/kirk-cameron-a-call-for-spiritual-renewal-starts-at-home-5740553?utm_campaign=app-cc&utm_source=ref_share&utm_medium=app&c=share_gift&pid=iOS_app_share

“What we need is a revival. This requires humility, prayer, and a willingness to do God’s will on earth as it is in heaven. Let us pray that He will revive each of our hearts with Himself, transforming our state and nation as we seek to “do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God.” (Micah 6:8) https://illinoisfamily.org/faith/divided/

“… we can’t be lulled into complacency. The American experiment isn’t on autopilot; it is not “safe and secure.” Our work is far from over. Right now, we have an opportunity, a window, to fortify the moral foundation of this experiment — to restore, promote, and protect what Washington called the two great pillars of our political prosperity: religion and morality. If America is to thrive, if we are to pass this precious experiment down to future generations, we must remember this: political and economic greatness cannot survive without moral goodness. As the scriptures declare: Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” https://washingtonstand.com/commentary/perkins-once-again-the-sacred-fire-of-liberty-is-preserved-

“And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.” Galatians 6:9-10 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/gal.6.9-10.LSB

Household Prayer: Fall Fellowship Prayer

Prayer:

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for the families here tonight and all those that have come together in a unity of the faith and mission to disciple and teach our children diligently to know You our God and make You known.

May we build each other up and encourage one another in our fellowship.

God I pray for continued civil favor in Illinois. Many tyrannical voices are speaking of their desire to overreach their God ordained civil role and encroach on the governance of the family and parents. May Your people be informed and active in sharing Your truth. May justice and the rule of constitutional law prevail. Heavenly Father be our advocate and fight for Your people.

May Your will, God, be our desire. Bless everyone here and especially the children.

In Jesus Christs Name I pray – amen

Scripture and supporting notes:

Unity “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to dwell together in unity! It is like the good oil upon the head, Coming down upon the beard, Aaron’s beard, Coming down upon the edge of his robes.” Psalm 133:1-2 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/psa.133.1-2.LSB

Mission “You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.” Deuteronomy 6:7 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/deu.6.7.LSB

Mission “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” Ephesians 6:4 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/eph.6.4.ESV

Mission “And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” Mark 16:15 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/mrk.16.15.LSB

Encourage “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for building up what is needed, so that it will give grace to those who hear.” Ephesians 4:29 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/eph.4.29.LSB

Encourage “But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” Hebrews 3:13 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/heb.3.13.LSB

Civil role “For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of that authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword in vain, for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.” Romans 13:3-4 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/rom.13.4.LSB

Civil overreach “God’s law makes it clear that parents are to rule and raise their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Any man who does not take care of his family is worse than a pagan (1 Tim. 5:8)… Governments that incentivize single parenting and then take on the role of absentee father, providing income and shelter, are wicked. The moment civil government inserts itself in such ways, it has moved beyond the overlap of influence and entered into overreach.” A Revolutionary Reading of Romans 13: A Biblical Case for Lawful Subjection to the Civil Magistrate and Dutiful Resistance to Tyrants https://press.founders.org/shop/a-revolutionary-reading-of-romans-13/

Civil duty “As the pillar and buttress of truth (1 Tim. 3:15), the local church is to have a prophetic voice in various spheres of society, promoting biblical truth… how else can magistrates be held accountable to that message except from the prophetic voice of the church? In this way, Christians, especially ministers ordained to gospel ministry, ought to engage in this governmental sphere prophetically… John the Baptist serves as a prophetic example… Mark 6:17-18.” A Revolutionary Reading of Romans 13: A Biblical Case for Lawful Subjection to the Civil Magistrate and Dutiful Resistance to Tyrants https://press.founders.org/shop/a-revolutionary-reading-of-romans-13/

Why Does HSLDA Get Involved in Fourth Amendment Cases? https://hslda.org/post/why-does-hslda-get-involved-in-fourth-amendment-cases

Civil justice, our King! “¶Arise, O Yahweh; O God, lift up Your hand. Do not forget the afflicted. ¶Yahweh is King forever and ever; Nations have perished from His land. O Yahweh, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their heart, You will cause Your ear to give heed To give justice to the orphan and the oppressed, So that man who is of the earth will no longer cause terror.” Psalm 10:12, 16-18 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/psa.10.12-18.LSB

God’s will, our desire “‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:10 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/mat.6.10.LSB

Household Prayer: God’s Providence in Ordinary Families

“You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.” Deuteronomy 6:4-9 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/deu.6.4-9.LSB

Brothers, I once again find myself meditating on the providence of God through history, but today really amazed by His working through “ordinary” faithful families. From Adam and Eve, Noah and his sons, Abraham, Ruth the great grandmother of David leading to Mary and Joseph, to our Savior Jesus the Christ! Amazing grace! I pray we labor to know God, to pass the faith on to our children, and to make Him known in all spheres of our lives. Happy reformation day! (Deut. 6:4-9, Ps. 127:3-5, Malachi 2:15, Eph. 6:4)

“In matters of doctrine you will find orthodox [true faith] congregations frequently change to heterodoxy [false faith] in the course of thirty or forty years & that is because too often there has been no catechizing of the children in the essential doctrines of the Gospel.” —C.H. Spurgeon

““Hear, O Israel! Yahweh is our God, Yahweh is one! You shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as phylacteries between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:4-9 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/deu.6.4-9.LSB

“¶Behold, children are an inheritance of Yahweh, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth. How blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them; They will not be ashamed When they speak with enemies in the gate.” Psalm 127:3-5 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/psa.127.3-5.LSB

“Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth.” Malachi 2:15 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/mal.2.15.ESV

“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” Ephesians 6:4 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/eph.6.4.ESV

Household Prayer: Acts 7 – God’s Political Providence

““But as the time of the promise was drawing near which God had assured to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt, until another king arose over Egypt who did not know about Joseph. It was he who deceitfully took advantage of our family and mistreated our fathers to set their infants outside so that they would not survive…” Acts 7:17-20, 34 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/act.7.17-34.LSB

God’s Political Providence

Brothers, meditating on Stephen’s proclaiming of God’s providence in Acts 7. Praying specifically that we trust in God in times of political change and hardship. Even when “another king”arises and takes “advantage of our family” we know God is working for his glory and our good. I pray we act, vote, and proclaim “As the pillar and buttress of truth (1 Tim. 3:15),” but always trusting in God that His will be done even if it doesn’t seem to be going our way. John Quincy Adams said, “Duty is ours, results are God’s.”

“As the pillar and buttress of truth (1 Tim. 3:15), the local church is to have a prophetic voice in various spheres of society, promoting biblical truth… how else can magistrates be held accountable to that message except from the prophetic voice of the church? In this way, Christians, especially ministers ordained to gospel ministry, ought to engage in this governmental sphere prophetically… John the Baptist serves as a prophetic example… Mark 6:17-18.” From “A Revolutionary Reading of Romans 13: A Biblical Case for Lawful Subjection to the Civil Magistrate and Dutiful Resistance to Tyrants” Timothy L. Decker, Founders Press 2023. https://press.founders.org/shop/a-revolutionary-reading-of-romans-13/

Pastoral Negligence – Pulpit Malpractice

“It is difficult to fathom that our local leaders and representatives would practice their authority in legislation and administration righteously when the church remains silent as to how they are to serve their constituents righteously… Acceding to the common evangelical mantra to keep politics out of the pulpit is not an option if one is to preach the whole counsel of God… for the preacher to say nothing would be nothing less than pulpit malpractice.” From “A Revolutionary Reading of Romans 13: A Biblical Case for Lawful Subjection to the Civil Magistrate and Dutiful Resistance to Tyrants” Timothy L. Decker, Founders Press 2023. https://press.founders.org/shop/a-revolutionary-reading-of-romans-13/

“If [a gospel minister] shall speak straight out & boldly, fearless of man, & only fearful lest he should grieve his God, he will stir the kennels of hell, & make all the hounds of Satan howl at his heels.” Charles Spurgeon

Judgement for Government Negligence

“A government not willing to protect its citizens from vandalism, rioting, looting, theft, [illegal migrant invasion], and all sorts of criminal activities, including physical violence, is in severe danger. This danger stems from the fact that they will incur the wrath of God for abdicating their primary role tasked by God himself.” https://ministry.family.blog/2024/07/13/civic-duty-principles-2024-07/

““But as the time of the promise was drawing near which God had assured to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt, until another king arose over Egypt who did not know about Joseph. It was he who deceitfully took advantage of our family and mistreated our fathers to set their infants outside so that they would not survive. It was at this time that Moses was born, and he was lovely in the sight of God, and he was nurtured three months in his father’s home… I have surely seen the oppression of My people in Egypt and have heard their groans, and I have come down to deliver them; come now, and I will send you to Egypt.’” Acts 7:17-20, 34 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/act.7.17-34.LSB

“And a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are more and mightier than we. Come, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply and it be in the event of war, that they also join themselves to those who hate us and fight against us and go up from the land.”” Exodus 1:8-10 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/exo.1.8-10.LSB

Household Prayer: Household Sphere the ministry of healthcare, welfare, education

“But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” 1 Timothy 5:3-4, 8 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/1ti.5.3-8.LSB

Household Sphere

Brothers, meditating on Ruth and 1 Tim. 5:3-16, according to God, the ministry of healthcare, welfare, and education, is the responsibility of the family! We can see God’s heart of mercy in the kinsman redeemer and care for widows by their families first and foremost (Ruth 2:1,20; 3:1,2,12; 4:9-13; Deut. 25:5-10; 1 Tim. 5:3-16).

I am woefully unprepared! Forgive me Lord. I pray we lead our families as THE primary ministry of healthcare, welfare, and education. Furthermore, a theology can be developed that “Governments that incentivize single parenting and then takes on the role of absentee father, providing income and shelter, are wicked.”

Sphere Sovereignty

Sphere Sovereignty “is the concept that God has created various spheres or institutions by which those spheres rule themselves… The most essential spheres, also referred to as divine institutions, are three: (1) the family, (2) the church, and (3) the state or civil magistrate… What ties all three of these spheres is the image of God impressed upon each individual human… as each human is created according to God’s image, this very point is what endows them with ‘certain unalienable rights’ which are ‘self-evident,’ according to the United States Declaration of Independence. That is, we do not need to prove this to be the case (the concept of individual rights) because we intuitively know it through creation and our own consciences (see Rom. 1:19-20; 2:14-15)… the church is not to encroach upon the family or state sphere beyond what God permits in Scripture, and the family and state are under similar restrictions… God’s law makes it clear that parents are to rule and raise their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Any man who does not take care of his family is worse than a pagan (1 Tim. 5:8)… Governments that incentivize single parenting and then take on the role of absentee father, providing income and shelter, are wicked. The moment civil government inserts itself in such ways, it has moved beyond the overlap of influence and entered into overreach.” A Revolutionary Reading of Romans 13: A Biblical Case for Lawful Subjection to the Civil Magistrate and Dutiful Resistance to Tyrants https://press.founders.org/shop/a-revolutionary-reading-of-romans-13/

Scripture to Meditate on

“Then she arose with her daughters-in-law and returned from the fields of Moab, for she had heard in the fields of Moab that Yahweh had visited His people to give them food… But Ruth said, “Do not press me to forsake you in turning back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may Yahweh do to me, and more, if anything but death separates you and me.”” Ruth 1:6, 16-17 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/rut.1.6-17.LSB

“Now Naomi had a kinsman of her husband, a mighty man of excellence, of the family of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz… Boaz replied to her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband has been fully told to me, and how you forsook your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and came to a people that you did not previously know. May Yahweh fully repay your work, and may your wages be full from Yahweh, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge.”… Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed of Yahweh who has not forsaken his lovingkindness to the living and to the dead.” Then Naomi said to her, “The man is our relative; he is one of our kinsman redeemers.”” Ruth 2:1, 11-12, 20 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/rut.2.1-20.LSB

Kinsman Redeemer – God’s heart of mercy

““If brothers live together and one of them dies and has no son, then the wife of the one who died shall not be married outside the family to a strange man. Her husband’s brother shall go in to her and take her to himself as wife and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her. And it will be that the firstborn whom she bears shall assume the name of his dead brother, so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel. But if the man does not desire to take his brother’s wife, then his brother’s wife shall go up to the gate to the elders and say, ‘My husband’s brother refuses to raise up a name for his brother in Israel; he is not willing to perform the duty of a husband’s brother to me.’ Then the elders of his city shall summon him and speak to him. And if he stands and says, ‘I do not desire to take her,’ then his brother’s wife shall come to him in the sight of the elders and pull his sandal off his foot and spit in his face; and she shall answer and say, ‘Thus it is done to the man who does not build up his brother’s house.’ And in Israel his name shall be called, ‘The house of him whose sandal is removed.’” Deuteronomy 25:5-10 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/deu.25.5-10.LSB

“Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, shall I not seek a state of rest for you, that it may be well with you? And now, is not Boaz our kinsman, with whose young women you were? Behold, he is winnowing barley at the threshing floor tonight… But now it is true I am a kinsman redeemer; however, there is a kinsman redeemer closer than I.” Ruth 3:1-2, 12 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/rut.3.1-12.LSB

“So the kinsman redeemer said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I ruin my own inheritance. You redeem my right of redemption for yourself, for I cannot redeem it.” … Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses today that I have acquired all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon from the hand of Naomi. And also, I have acquired Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, to be my wife in order to raise up the name of the one who had died, on behalf of his inheritance, so that the name of the one who had died will not be cut off from his brothers or from the gate of his birth place; you are witnesses today.” And all the people who were in the gate, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses. May Yahweh grant the woman who is coming into your home to be like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built the house of Israel, and so you shall achieve excellence in Ephrathah and shall proclaim your name in Bethlehem. Moreover, may your house be like the house of Perez whom Tamar bore to Judah, through the seed which Yahweh will grant you by this young woman.” So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and he went in to her. And Yahweh granted her conception, and she gave birth to a son… The neighbor women gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi!” So they named him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.” Ruth 4:6, 9-13, 17 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/rut.4.6-17.LSB

“Honor widows who are widows indeed, but if any widow has children or grandchildren, they must first learn to practice piety in regard to their own family and to make some return to their parents; for this is acceptable in the sight of God… But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” 1 Timothy 5:3-4, 8 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/1ti.5.3-8.LSB

HouseHold Prayer: On Mission

““Now no one after lighting a lamp covers it with a container or puts it under a bed, but he puts it on a lampstand, so that those who come in may see the light.” Luke 8:16 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/luk.8.16.LSB

Brothers, meditating on Luke chapters 8-11. I pray we walk daily in our mission. I pray we light our lamp every morning for all to see (Luke 8:16), that in our households we “recount what great things God has done for” us, “proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for” us (Luke 8:39). I pray we are ready for the mission to sow the word of God (Luke 9:2,10; 10:1-3; 11:33). Worship, disciple, proclaim, and build. “Whatever you do,” in your household, in church, at work, in your civil duties, “do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men” (Colossians 3:23-24; Gen. 2:15).

““Now no one after lighting a lamp covers it with a container or puts it under a bed, but he puts it on a lampstand, so that those who come in may see the light.” Luke 8:16 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/luk.8.16.LSB

““Return to your house and recount what great things God has done for you.” So he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.” Luke 8:39 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/luk.8.39.LSB

“And He sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick… And when the apostles returned, they recounted to Him all that they had done. Taking them with Him, He slipped away by Himself to a city called Bethsaida.” Luke 9:2, 10 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/luk.9.2-10.LSB

“Now after this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them in pairs ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come. And He was saying to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. Go! Behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.” Luke 10:1-3 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/luk.10.1-3.LSB

““No one, after lighting a lamp, puts it away in a cellar nor under a basket, but on the lampstand, so that those who enter may see the light.” Luke 11:33 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/luk.11.33.LSB

“Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. Serve the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3:23-24 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/col.3.23-24.LSB

“Then Yahweh God took the man and set him in the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it.” Genesis 2:15 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/gen.2.15.LSB

Household Prayer: Wield the Sword for our Wives

“Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be embittered against them. Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart.” Colossians 3:18-21 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/col.3.19-21.LSB

Brothers, I was meditating on Colossians 3:18-21 with some brothers this morning. That led me to Eph. 5:26, Matt. 4:4-10, and Eph. 6:17. I pray we wash our wives with the Word, reading it with them, bringing all conversations, concerns, plans, problems and more to the Word to seek God’s will in all things. I pray that by Jesus’ example we wield the Sword of the Spirit well as “it is written.”

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she would be holy and blameless…” Ephesians 5:25-33 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/eph.5.25-33.LSB

“But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’ ” … Jesus said to him, “Again, it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ” … Then Jesus *said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’ ””Matthew 4:4, 7, 10 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/mat.4.4-10.LSB

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the might of His strength. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil… also receive the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,” Ephesians 6:10-11, 17 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/eph.6.10-17.LSB

“No Christian is a spiritual civilian. We are all soldiers on the front lines. Therefore we must live in a state of battle readiness, always alert for our enemy… Christ is our armor, and He is sufficient to overcome a legion of fallen angels.” Family worship Bible guide https://www.heritagebooks.org/categories/rhb-publications/family-worship-bible-guide.html