Our children are all different. They each will have their own struggles in their spiritual lives. One may struggle with peer pressure and another with secret sins. Whatever their struggles we need wisdom to help them through it.
"Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6 NKJV
Each child will have his or her own way to go in life. We must have wisdom to guide them both in their strengths and weaknesses.
"But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed." James 1:14 NKJV
We each have our own desires and temptations and our children are no different. We need to equip them to deal with these in a manner that is pleasing to God.
Read with them the passage of Jesus being tempted in Matthew 4 and Luke 4. Just because we are tempted, does not mean we have to succumb. Jesus combatted his temptation with scripture. Can our children rightly divide the scripture to properly apply it?
In Acts 8, Simon the sorcerer was converted. He seemed to be fascinated by the apostles' ability to lay on hands and pass on the gifts. Only the apostles had the power to pass the gifts on, however. But Simon had selfish motives and wanting to get gain from the gifts. Here's what Peter told Simon:
But Peter said to him, "Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money!
21 "You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God.
22 "Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you.
23 "For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity." Acts 8:20-23 NKJV
We can see just how dangerous a tempting situation can be. How did Simon handle it? We don't know what happened later, but the book of Acts records his immediate response:
Then Simon answered and said, "Pray to the Lord for me, that none of the things which you have spoken may come upon me." Acts 8:24 NKJV
So besides recalling scripture, we can teach out children to seek out support by asking others to pray for them. Knowing that others care enough to take time to petition the Father on their behalf can be so encouraging to those who struggle.
Another example we have is from Paul. In 2 Corinthians, Paul says he had a "thorn in the flesh" that he prayed for it to be removed and it was not. There is much debate as to what this was exactly, but we do know it was some sort of temptation or struggle in his flesh. These sorts of trials can be dealt with through prayer. Even though it wasn't removed from Paul, he was granted strength to deal with it in a godly manner.
So, as we pray for wisdom, let us to remember to pray for help concerning the individual needs that our children have so that we can help strengthen their weak areas and keep their strong areas strong. ~dp