A father's prayer for his son
(1 Chronicles 22:5-16)
These days, I am deliberately reading books about the family. Among those books, yesterday I read the book "Letters to Philip" by Charlie W. Shedd. This book is made up of letters written Charlie W. Shedd when his son Philip asked him, ‘Father, can you write a letter to me, how I can be a great husband?, few weeks before his marriage. As I read this book, I was challenged to work harder to write emails to my son and my two daughters. Especially nowadays my son comes to the Morning Prayer meeting with his mother, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays my wife has to go to work straight from the church. So as I take him home I have 20 minutes to talk to my son so I wanted to try. And sooner or later I want to complement my son for coming to Morning Prayer meeting steadily even though he is only in sixth grade. I want to praise him for wanting to come to Morning Prayer meeting at that young age because when I used to serve our church as a pastoral intern, I didn’t even go to Morning Prayer meeting that was held on the third floor even though I was sleeping on the second floor. Moreover, I would like to share with my son my prayer topic that I am praying for him. Now, when I think about my son, Dillon, I keep praying for him with almost the same prayer topic. That prayer topic is ‘God, may You make Dillon to be truthful and faithful." The reason I pray like this for my son is because his name “Dillon” means "truthful and faithful". However, as I meditate on the 1 Chronicles 22:5-16, there are three more prayer topics that I should pray for my son. And I want to share those prayer topics with you.
First, the father's prayer for the son is 'God, please be with my son.'
Look at 1 Chronicles 22:11 – “"Now, my son, the LORD be with you, and may you have success and build the house of the LORD your God, as he said you would.” Father David called his son Solomon and charged him to build a house for the Lord (v. 6). He told Solomon that even though he had heart to build the house (v.7) he couldn’t because he has shed much blood and have fought many wars (v. 8). So David told his son Solomon that God told him “He is the one who will build a house for my Name” (v. 10). And David told Solomon “Now, my son, the Lord be with you” (v. 11). The purpose is that Solomon could prosper when God is with him (v. 11). What is success in God's sight? It is to fulfill the will of God (see Genesis 39, 45). Then what was the will of God for Solomon? It was to build the temple of God. Father David, who knew this, prayed that God would be with his son Solomon (v.11).
Dear fathers, let us pray to God for our children: ‘God, please with our children.’ When our Father God is with our children, our children can enjoy the blessings of God's prosperity. When our Father God is with our children, our children can succeed in God's sight and fulfill God's will. Let us pray to God that not only us but our children as well can be used by the Lord to build His church so that His Kingdom can be built as well. If God is with our children, our children will prosper and will be successful in God's sight.
Second, the father's prayer for the son is 'God, please give my son discretion and understanding.'
Look at 1 Chronicles 22:12 – “May the LORD give you discretion and understanding when he puts you in command over Israel, so that you may keep the law of the LORD your God.” Father David prayed and blessed his son Solomon for God to give him discretion and understanding. What was the purpose? The purpose was David wanted Solomon to rule over the Israel well with God’s given discretion and understanding (v. 12). So when God appeared to Solomon and asked him “Ask for whatever you want me to give you” (2 Chron. 1:7), Solomon asked God “Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people” (v. 10). In other words, Solomon's purpose in seeking wisdom and knowledge from God was to lead the people of Israel, the people of God. In the end, the father David’s prayer topic toward his son Solomon became the Solomon’s prayer topic. Then what does it mean to lead the Israelites well? It is to keep the law of Lord (1 Chron. 22:12). That was why David prayed for his son Solomon and asked God to give Solomon wisdom and understanding so that he might keep the law of the Lord his God. This was one of the responsibilities of the king. And that responsibility is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of the law of the Lord and it should be with him, should read it all the days of his life, that he might learn to fear the Lord his God (Dt. 17:18-19). The reason is that his heart might not be lifted up above his countrymen and that he might not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or the left (v. 20). Also, the reason why David prayed for his son Solomon and asked God for discretion and understanding was so that when he keeps the law of the Lord, he would prosper (vv. 12-13). As a result, God gave King Solomon wisdom and understanding, and with that wisdom and understanding, Solomon led the Israelites well because he kept the law of the Lord his God. All the people of Israel have obeyed the God's law. Therefore, just as the promise God gave to David, God gave peace and rest to the kingdom of Israel through “a man of rest” King Solomon (v. 9).
We, the fathers, should pray to God for ourselves as follows: ‘God, please give us wisdom and understanding.’ When God answers our prayer and give us wisdom and understanding, we will be able to lead our families well by obeying the commandments of the Lord. And let us pray for our children like this: ‘God, please give wisdom and understanding to our children.’ When Father God gives wisdom and understanding to our children, they will obey the commandments of God. And when our children keep the commandments of God well, then they will be able to enjoy peace and rest that God gives them.
Third, the father's prayer for the son is, 'God, please make my son to be strong and courageous.'
Look at 1 Chronicles 22:13 – “Then you will have success if you are careful to observe the decrees and laws that the LORD gave Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged.” Father David knew that his son Solomon was "young and inexperienced" (v.5). But the house to be built for the Lord should be of great magnificence and fame and splendor in the sight of all the nations (v. 5). So David made extensive preparations before his death (v. 5). In great pains (v. 14), he prepared more cedar logs than could be counted (v. 4) and “a hundred thousand talents of gold, a million talents of silver, quantities of bronze and iron too great to be weighed, and wood and stone” (v. 14). He also prepared many workmen: “stonecutters, masons and carpenters, as well as men skilled in every kind of work” (v. 15). In a word, father David prepared many things for his son Solomon before he died (v. 5). Then David called Solomon and challenged him, saying, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged” (v. 13). He challenged Solomon "Now begin the work." And David prayed that the Lord would be with him (v.16).
Let’s pray for our children like this: ‘God, please make our children strong and courageous.’ I hope and pray that God may answer our prayer and make our children to be strong and courageous so that they may arise and work to build the Lord’s church and the kingdom of God that should be exceedingly magnificent, famous and glorious throughout all the nations.