RESPONSIBILITIES OF CHRISTIAN PARENTS New

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2025

STEWARDSHIP OF GOD’S HERITAGE

Proverbs 22:15 & 23:13-14: Building Strong Children for the Lord

“It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.”

FIRE SCRIPTURE: Proverbs 22:15

MEMORY VERSE: Proverbs 23:13-14 – “Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.”

Introduction: Parents as Stewards, Children as Heritage

The Psalmist laid out a profound truth that defines the entire theology of Christian parenting: children are a heritage of the Lord. This means that God owns every child; parents are not owners but stewards.

A steward is someone entrusted with the management of another’s property. The quality of a steward is judged by how faithfully they execute the owner’s instructions and how diligently they manage the asset. Therefore, as stewards, Christian parents are expected to carry out specific, non-negotiable responsibilities on God’s heritage put in their care. Our primary mandate is not simply to raise successful citizens, but to raise righteous disciples who will stand for Christ in their generation.

The enemy’s tactic is always to attack the next generation. But we declare the Prophetic Word For Today: The enemy will not pluck your children from the hand of the Lord, in the name of Jesus. Securing this promise requires diligence and obedience to the divine blueprint for parenting.

1. The Foundational Responsibilities: Provision and Protection

The first tier of parental responsibility covers the immediate, tangible needs that guarantee a safe environment for development.

A. Provision of Physical Needs

It is the responsibility of parents to provide and take care of the physical needs of their children. This is a foundational covenant obligation. From food and shelter to clothing and healthcare, providing basic necessities reflects God’s own nature as a Provider. Neglecting this duty not only harms the child physically but also creates an emotional and spiritual vacuum that the world or the enemy may rush in to fill.

B. Protection, Love, and Instruction

Parents are called to love and protect their children. This love must be expressed actively, creating a secure environment where the child feels valued and safe. Love is the soil in which all other training takes root.

In addition to physical security, parents are responsible for their children’s education—not just academic knowledge, but a holistic worldview. This leads us to the most vital aspect of training: the spiritual mandate.

The core principle is given in Proverbs 22:6: “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” The word “train” (Hebrew: chânak) implies dedication, initiation, and starting the child off in a way that establishes their future direction. It is a long-term investment, not a short-term correction.

2. The Spiritual Mandate: Discipline and Direction

The spiritual and moral training of a child is the paramount responsibility because it has eternal consequences. Every child is born with an inclination toward self-will and moral rebellion.

A. The Challenge of Foolishness

The Word of God is direct about the child’s inherent nature: “Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.” (Proverbs 22:15).

Foolishness here refers not to a lack of intelligence, but to moral immaturity and a spiritual predisposition to error and waywardness. Every child has the tendency to be wayward, to choose the path of least resistance, and to follow the immediate gratification of the flesh. It is the responsibility of the parents to recognize this spiritual reality and to rise up to the challenges of parenting with both fervent prayers and firm correction.

B. The Rod of Correction and its Eternal Purpose

Our Memory Verse reinforces the role of discipline: “Withhold not correction from the child… Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.” (Proverbs 23:13-14).

This scripture highlights that correction is not about punishment or venting frustration; it is an act of deliverance. The parent’s responsibility is to stop the forces of waywardness and self-destruction. The “rod” symbolizes authoritative, consistent, and loving discipline—whether physical or non-physical—applied to correct behavior and instill respect for authority (God’s first, then the parents’). The goal is not to break the child’s spirit, but to deliver his soul by teaching him obedience and the fear of the Lord, thereby turning him away from paths that lead to destruction.

C. Unified Authority

For correction to be effective, it must be administered by a united front. The parents (father and mother) must agree and speak with one voice when it comes to matters of training their children. A divided authority creates loopholes for the child to exploit, undermining the entire structure of discipline. Unity ensures consistency, and consistency is key to effective training.

3. The Lifestyle Mandate: Being the Perfect Epistle

The most potent form of training is not what parents say, but what they are. Parents are to show a good example to their children in all things.

A. The Mirror of Christ’s Follower

Beloved, your responsibilities to your children are numerous, and you are not expected to fail in any area. The most critical responsibility is to make yourself the perfect epistle they read daily.

Your life is the first Bible your child will ever read. They will judge the authenticity of your faith by observing your actions, reactions, worship, financial integrity, and how you treat your spouse and others.

Lead them to the Lord: Make the introduction to Christ personal, urgent, and real.

Be a good mirror of a Christ follower to them: Let them see Christ’s life reflected in yours.

This training of example was demonstrated by the spiritual legacy passed down to Timothy. Lois and Eunice, the grandmother and mother of Timothy respectively, gave proper training to their son. They instilled in him the laws of God and the fear of God through their own genuine faith and daily living (2 Timothy 1:5). Similarly, God had confidence in Abraham because He knew Abraham would command his household to follow the ways of the Lord (Genesis 18:19).

B. Holistic Development

Your mandate as a Christian parent is to nurture the child’s life holistically. Let Christ be the epicenter of their lives, ensuring that all aspects of their existence align with Him:

Spiritual Lives: Must be excellent (daily devotion, prayer, Bible study).

Physical and Health Lives: Must be cared for (a healthy body is the temple of the Holy Spirit).

Academic/Career Lives: Must be pursued with diligence and excellence (to serve God through their vocation).

Social Lives: Must be marked by good character, godly friendships, and integrity.

When you succeed in establishing Christ at the center, you equip your children with an internal compass. No matter where they go—even as slave boys in a hostile culture like Daniel and his three brothers in Babylon—they will stand for Christ.

Conclusion: Securing the Heritage

Christian parenting is spiritual warfare disguised as a household chore. It requires constant reliance on God’s strength and a militant approach to prayer. We must engage the forces that seek to derail our children’s destinies.

If you have failed in any area of your responsibility, this is the time to repent, draw strength from the Lord, and re-commit to being the faithful steward God called you to be.

PRAYER POINTS

MORNING

1. O, Lord my Father, break every unbroken area of my life that sets a bad example for my children, in the name of Jesus.
2. My children, hear the word of the Lord, you will not be children of Belial (worthless), your destiny shall fulfill its divine mandate, in the name of Jesus.
3. Arrow of untimely death, sickness, or destruction, you will not locate me and my children, in the name of Jesus.

EVENING

4. Agape love, manifest mightily in my family, driving out every spirit of malice and discord, in the name of Jesus.

5. I silence every cry of idols and generational curses of my father’s house against me and my children’s destinies, in the name of Jesus.

6. Destiny assassins and spiritual kidnappers, my children are not your candidates; you are disarmed, fall down and die, in the name of Jesus.

7. Power of God to resist the devil, his temptations, and the vices of this world, fall upon me and my household now, in the name of Jesus.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Jeremiah 42:1-44:23; 2 Timothy 2:1-21; Psalm 92:1-93:5; Proverbs 26:3-5