Proverbs 31: The momma's burden perspective- A prayer for how they'll see women.

I thought it fitting that this weeks prayer from Interceding for our children was concerning our kids' future spouses.

I had skipped writing in my post series about Proverbs 31 from a mom's perspective because I've been in prayer about the remainder of Proverbs 31. I left off at verse 9.

Having boys I can really see the burden in the first 9 verses of the chapter and the prophetic heart of prayer I have for my sons- to be "kings for God" (Lemuels). But then I got to verse 10.

I thought of Paul's advice in 1 Corinthians 7, that it would be better not to marry, but if you do it's not sin. I thought of the choices I made in my own marriage. I thought of how the world tells men and boys they're either homosexuals or sex-crazed "players." I thought of the many men I know in the church who are so bound up in the things of this world that they hardly can be recognized as Christ-like in their relationships with their wives or women in general. I thought of the way it seems the churches I've been aquainted with seem to turn a deaf ear to the value of differing roles for women and men, wives and husbands in the church as 1 and 2 Timothy (and other scriptures) reveal. The lines seem just as blurry there as they are in the world.

My heart was burdened to pray. As the Interceding for our Children blog encourages us weekly, it is so important that we pray for our kids. And that we pray fervent prayers that are in accord with God's word.

So my prayer for my sons, as I look at the remaining passages of Proverbs 31 concerning a woman or wife who's found her worth above rubies in the ransom price Christ has paid for her, is that my boys would see women with Proverbs 31:10-31 eyes.

I pray that God would reveal to them this heavenly perspective of women. I pray they would let their hearts safely trust women to bring them the honor they crave as men and not demand it in carnal, lustful, lording-it-over-them ways. I pray they would first see that only God can fully be the helper, that is, the rescuing power of strength and help, He did design a man's wife to be in the begining. And that they'd be merciful and gracious towards the women in their lives, willing to bear the pain of dying to lift them up in Jesus' name.

I pray they would be leading men in service as the Lord models. I pray they'd be singleminded in obeying the will of the Father and leading their future wives or women in their lives in obedience to God's word by example and word; being willing to bear the pain of the women in their lives rejecting them or not understanding just as Christ did. I pray they would not believe the lie that "laying down their lives for their wives" means letting their wives dictate whether they obey the Lord or not as Adam did. But rather that they would love their wives so much that they'd bear the pain of their wives' error and sin, covering it with their cries in prayer for them, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do."

I pray they would be men who don't doubt or harbor anger about God's calling on their lives to be men who lead women in the example of obedience and self-less service. I pray they'd be men who lift up their holy hands in prayer, interceding for the women and children in their lives. (1 Timothy 2:8)

I pray they'd be men who honor the role of homemaker and mother as queenly roles in Christ. That they'd rise up daily, praising their wives or the women in their lives for whatever acts of service they do which are easily unrecognized when serving as a homemaker and mother. I pray they'd honor their wives and women in this role so much that those women wouldn't be seduced by their flesh's desire for honor in the world.

I pray they'd be encouragers as Christ is, building up their wives as Christ develops them into His mature daughters of valor.

If you have daughters you may pray that their future husbands would have this heart for them and that they themselves would desire what God calls honorable. That they'd want to be servants for Christ in their marriages, mothering roles and in their own homes and to those outside their homes.

This 31st proverb reveals a heavenly perspective of men and women that is so different from the fallen Adam and Eve in all of us. And like Christ, the way the "kings for God" and "wives of valor" are revealed is not in lording it over others or being pompous or demanding rights but rather in serving and being willing to suffer to lift up another.

Jesus said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those whoar great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." (Matt.20:25-28)

Lord, please speak this into our sons' (and future sons) hearts. And keep that which I've committed to You.

*image from Art.com