[__ Prayer __] relationship with parents

[God's Child]

We've been talking about the importance of listening to our parents in youth group. My relationship with them has really been struggling for the last year and a half. It is the thing that has been distancing me from God the most. Please pray that I will get around this obstacle. I need to get through this storm. My relationship with God will be so much better if I do my part in respecting and listening to my parents. Even if they don't do their part, God still requires me to do mine.

Teens, it is important to God that we listen, respect, and obey our parents. In Proverbs God tells us how it will add to our wisdom and understanding. If things aren't right, change them now. By doing this, your relationship with God will really prosper.

 

[Vic C.]

...My relationship with God will be so much better if I do my part in respecting and listening to my parents. Even if they don't do their part, God still requires me to do mine....

You do well by understanding this. Our relationship with the Lord is always much better when we do His will, not ours; regardless of what those around us are doing.

The simple fact that you are still with us tells me you are doing your best to strenghten your Relationship with Him. Keep it up and keep praying, knowing that we are praying for you and with you too.

Vic

 

[Blazin Bones]

I'll be praying for you, parents can be tough.

 

[Judy]

I'll be praying for you, parents can be tough.

But it is for our good. :

• Proverbs 3:11. My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor detest His correction;
  12. for whom the Lord loves He corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights[/*:m:4c4a6]

 

[God's Child]

When my parents keep me from going to church as much as I would like, is that wise counsel? When they tell me that I go to church too much and call me an obsessed freak, am I supposed to respect that opinion? When they tell me that evolution did occur and that we evolved from monkeys, am I supposed to respect that opinion? How do I go about respecting their teachings when they are so very wrong about things that God has clearly written in the Bible? Listening to these things doesn't make me a wiser person with more understanding. On subjects that aren't related to God, most of the time they can only help me out in life, but if they don't agree with God, then how much good is it really doing?

 

[Judy]

God's Child, if you don't mind me asking how old are you?

 

[destiny]

The natural response would be to treat them the same way they've treated you, but that is not how Jesus responded and that is not how you should respond either. The most impact you will have on them is to do things biblically and Gods way.
Luke 6:28 Paul said, “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Never pay back evil for evil to anyone.â€Â1 Paul said, “when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure; when we are slandered, we try to conciliateâ€Â;2 Paul said, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,’ says the Lord. ‘BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.â€Â

Go to church when you can but if your can't, go in your room, close the door and have intimate communion with God.

 

[God's Child]

Thanks for replying everyone. I turned 15 on October 13, 2004.

Romans 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Those are good words to follow. I think I will put that in my signature.

I need to love the people that hate me. I'm not saying that my parents hate me, because they don't. They just seem to be the only people that I can really get mad at. When I became a Christian, God gave me a gift in being able to love people. Someone at school could punch me in the face and I will still love them, but I can't seem to feel the same way towards my parents. Somehow it's just different.

 

[God's Child]

Today my dad said I'm getting brainwashed. Do I respect that opinion? Does God respect that opinion?

 

[destiny]

So long as God is doing the washing, dont worry about it. Smile at him and say "dad i love you."

 

[God's Child]

yeah, right. It's not that easy. They've been making me so mad. I just want to leave and never come back home, but I can't. It would be nice to leave the day after I graduate from highschool, but where would I go? I have no idea what God has planned for my life.

They say I go to church too much and that they're not going to let me go much anymore.

I'm part of a Bible study/Ministry group that the youth pastor at my church started in September. He wanted 8 teens in grades 9-12 to be part of it, but he only got 4. One girl doesn't come anymore because her dad is just like my dad and won't let her be part of the group. Another guy is still in the group, but he won't be coming for a few months. So now it's just me, another kid from youth group that lives on his own, and the youth pastor. We have learned a one-verse gospel presentation and we wrote out our testimonies to use to lead into the presentation. We read "The Case For Christ Student Edition" and we are learning a lot of other stuff and how to answer people's questions. It's really great and a lot of fun too. We meet once a week. Sometimes it's at the church and sometimes we go to places like subway for the meetings. Yesterday we met at the pastor's house and he fed us. We planned on going to Mission Scranton in PA to help out there and lead into our testimony or presentation through a survey. That didn't work out because of other engagements we had on that day, so we changed it to going to a local university on dec. 4. I wrote it on the calendar and told my parents that we were going to the university instead, and I guess they were okay with it, because they didn't say anything. But yesterday when I got home from the meeting my mom said that I can't go because she doesn't want me selling my religion to strangers like Jehovah's witnesses. She said that there are enough missionaries outside the US. I was soooooo mad after that conversation. You can't really call it a conversation, because I pretty much didn't say anything. I'm soooooo sick of this. They call themselves Chrsitians, well sort of. THEY AREN'T. We have been planning on this trip for over a month and we have been learning the one-verse gospel presentation and how to talk to people and stuff. I was looking forward to it, even though I am a little nervous. I can't just not go anyways. It would just be the youth pastor and 1 teen. I can't believe I have to go through this crap now. When will this end!!!! When will God take this storm away from me!!! Why can't I have parents that care? Why can't I have Godly parents? Why can't I be raised in a Christian home? Why can't I have parents that aren't of the world? Why can't I have a happy family? Why?! Why?! At least now the youth pastor will know the truth about them. I obviously can't not show up at the university that day, or he would be looking for me and wonder what happened. I have to tell him this Sunday that I can't come(if I can't be pursuasive enough to change this by then). He'll ask me why I can't come. Unless I lie,(which I won't, because it's wrong, and I want him to see how fake they are.) I will tell him that my parents won't let me go because they think that I'm getting brainwashed and they don't want me "selling my religion to strangers." Maybe he would try to talk to them. Maybe they would listen. yeah right, they're so closed minded they would never listen to him. They must think he's pretty stupid to believe what he believes anyways. They think I am. But I'm afraid if I tell the Pastor that my parents won't let me go, that my parents would never let me go to church again. They're like that, very egotistic, and always trying to impress people.

The world revolves around money, sex, and science. Money and science are what my parents seem to live by, rather than by faith. I'm sick of it. I hate it.

 

[God's Child]

Why is it that the strongest and most defeating persecution comes from my parents?

Please continue to pray for this situation. It's been getting a lot worse. I don't feel like writing about what happened today, but maybe another time.

 

[Blazin Bones]

Why is it that the strongest and most defeating persecution comes from my parents?

Please continue to pray for this situation. It's been getting a lot worse. I don't feel like writing about what happened today, but maybe another time.

Believe it or not, the reason they are your toughest critiques is because they love you the most.

I'm pretty sure that when we get married, our future husbands and wifes will be the same way. That's what causes arguements a lot of times. Truth hurts sometimes, but I think it's better when it comes from those that Love us, that way we actually consider what they tell us.

My parents get on my case every chance they get, or at least in my eyes. But, their talks have played a huge role in how I got to where I am today whether I see it or not.

Everytime I receive a compliment on my behavior, it's because my parents cared enough to make sure I behaved that way.

I'll be first in line to say that my parents we're a little rough on me but I turned out better for it. 8-)

GC, Your future looks promising because your asking these questions. I'll keep praying for you. :-D

 

[God's Child]

Brutus, I don't think you understand. When I said persecution I meant persecution as a Christian. They think I'm getting brainwashed. My mom doesn't want me talk to people about God. I don't even think they are Christians. There isn't any evidence of it. My dad goes to church about 3 times a year. He sits home and watches television. My mom only came today so she could lie to the youth pastor about why she won't let me go to our outreach on sat. She won't even let me be part of the group anymore because she doesn't want me to be a missionary. According to her there are more important things in life. I was so shocked when I saw her show up there for church. She hasn't come in over a month and she only came before because I was playing the piano for the teen service. It's a good thing that I told the youth pastor that they wouldn't let me go before she got to him. I told him the truth and he asked me if I wanted him to say something. I was almost in tears when I talked to him so he knew i wasn't making things up. I would hope he would believe me over her anyways. He knows me pretty well and he doesn't know her at all. I hope he can see past her fakeness. I wish someone would. It's kind of embarrassing though. I have to call him tomorrow because of course I wasn't allowed to go back tonight. Now there's just one person in the group. I love going to our Extreme Growth meetings. I learn so much and I learn how to talk to people about God. Why do things have to be this way? They can't keep me from going. I hate it! My parents don't value God as important. My mom thinks that pleasing myself is more important. She says that I should just keep it to myself. I'm saved and that's good enough. What about what God wants? I asked her today if she is ashamed of the gospel of Christ? Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to all who believeth. I am not ashamed. I just want this storm to end.

 

[God's Child]

The new thing now is that I can't go to church anymore, and if my parents do let me go back, it will be to a methodist church. I have now confirmed that neither of them are Christians. My dad interprets the Bible to what he wants to believe and says it's incorrect in many aspects. he says that being a good person gets you to heaven. He says I am close minded because I believe everything that the Bible teaches. He says that I'm getting brainwashed.

I HATE THIS!!! For the first time since I got saved I'm depressed and am back to having suicidal thoughts. I don't want to be in this house anymore. I can't take this any longer. Don't worry, I won't kill myself. It just seems like it would be such a great thing at this point. I would be with God, my real father, and away from all of this. Please pray for me. Pray that God will give me wisdom to somehow overcome this or find a way out. Pray that my parents' hearts will be changed. That would be a miracle.

I'm going to call the youth pastor tonight. I'm really scared about that. No one knows about this stuff, except my friend that has a similar situation. Pray that I won't completely break down while I try to talk to him. That wouldn't be good. He doesn't know about any of this. The only thing that he knows is what I told him yesterday. Thanks for your prayers. --God's Child

 

[Blazin Bones]

Brutus, I don't think you understand. When I said persecution I meant persecution as a Christian. They think I'm getting brainwashed. My mom doesn't want me talk to people about God. I don't even think they are Christians. There isn't any evidence of it. My dad goes to church about 3 times a year. He sits home and watches television. My mom only came today so she could lie to the youth pastor about why she won't let me go to our outreach on sat. She won't even let me be part of the group anymore because she doesn't want me to be a missionary. According to her there are more important things in life. I was so shocked when I saw her show up there for church. She hasn't come in over a month and she only came before because I was playing the piano for the teen service. It's a good thing that I told the youth pastor that they wouldn't let me go before she got to him. I told him the truth and he asked me if I wanted him to say something. I was almost in tears when I talked to him so he knew i wasn't making things up. I would hope he would believe me over her anyways. He knows me pretty well and he doesn't know her at all. I hope he can see past her fakeness. I wish someone would. It's kind of embarrassing though. I have to call him tomorrow because of course I wasn't allowed to go back tonight. Now there's just one person in the group. I love going to our Extreme Growth meetings. I learn so much and I learn how to talk to people about God. Why do things have to be this way. They can't keep me from going. I hate it! My parents don't value God as important. My mom thinks that pleasing myself is more important. She says that I should just keep it to myself. I'm saved and that's good enough. What about what God wants? I asked her today if she is ashamed of the gospel of Christ? Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to all who believeth. I am not ashamed. I just want this storm to end.

My Apologies, I missed that angle. If your parents aren't saved, cling to the Cross evenmore so, and lean on Fellow believer for help. 8-)

 

[God's Child]

how can I lean on fellow believers if I'm not around any? They are keeping me from church.

 

[God's Child]

I just got off the phone with the youth pastor. The end to this storm might be in site. I couldn't even get through 1 sentence without crying, so the conversation didn't go as I had planned it. He definitely knows that I'm in pain. He said that he would find a time to come over to talk to them. He understands. He did believe me over my mom. I never should have doubted him. I am so grateful for him right now. He understands that something is definitely wrong because he knows me pretty well. I just
hope I don't get in too much more trouble for calling him. I had to. I need help. I need someone else to help me get through this. I feel so bad right now. I can't talk to anyone without crying. God has given me so much comfort. I can't express how much I love Him right now. I hope that
things don't get worse after my parents talk to the youth pastor. I hope that they will talk to him. Maybe this is the answer. Maybe that is why God sent him here. The old youth pastor helped lead me to the Lord and now The new youth pastor is supposed to help take this storm away from me. I hope that this is the solution. I need it to be. I need this to end. God has
been looking out for me. The youth pastor may not know exactly what I'm going through because I haven't been able to talk to him, but he does know that I need him to help me now. He knows something isn't right. I think the tears add a lot to it. It's really hard for me to share my problems with adults. It's really hard for me to let people into my secrets. I've never done this before. I feel like the storm might be starting to pass on. It might not, but I still have hope. Everything happens for a reason. I've tried to see the end of this storm for a long time, and I've searched for a solution, but i never found one. Please pray that the confrontation with my parents will have a positive effect on this situaution. Pray for God's guidance in this. I'm so scared right now. Something is actually happening that might take this all away. I'm happy about that. God has given me so much comfort in all of this. I wouldn't be able to survive without Him.

 

[Blazin Bones]

Wow. This is deep. Your in God's hands, just trust him. In the end He's all you need. I can't imagine the pain you must be in. My prayers are with you.

 

[God's Child]

Thanks Brutus for caring. It helps to know that people are praying. I just want to wake up tomorrow and have it all be gone forever, but that will never happen.