How To Bless Your Children Eternally

A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies… 28 Her children arise and call her blessed.

Proverbs 31:10, 28 (NIV)

From the town of Dan in the north to the town of Beersheba in the south, everyone in the country knew that Samuel was truly the LORD's prophet.

1 Samuel 3:20 (CEV)

Samuel was a leader in Israel all his life.

1 Samuel 7:15 (CEV)

IF I WANT MY LIFE TO BLESS MY CHILDREN ETERNALLY, I WILL…

1. I WILL PRAY EARNESTLY FOR THEM.

The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

James 5:16b (NLT)

• God wants me to pray earnestly when things are bad.

Once after a sacrificial meal at Shiloh, Hannah got up and went to pray. Eli the priest was sitting at his customary place beside the entrance of the Tabernacle. Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord. And she made this vow: “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the Lord, his hair will never be cut

1 Samuel 1:9-11 (NLT)

• God wants me to pray earnestly when things are good.

Hannah prayed: "The LORD has filled my heart with joy; how happy I am because of what he has done! I laugh at my enemies; how joyful I am because God has helped me!

1 Samuel 2:1 (GNT)

As each night watch begins, get up and cry out in prayer. Pour your heart out face to face with the Master. Lift high your hands. Beg for the lives of your children…

Lamentations 2:19 (MSG)

Then Jesus used this story to teach his followers that they should always pray and never lose hope.

Luke 18:1 (NCV)

2. I WILL LIVE OBEDIENTLY BEFORE THEM

If you will give me a son, I will give him back to you all his life… I prayed for this child, and the LORD answered my prayer and gave him to me. Now I give him back to the LORD. He will belong to the LORD all his life.”

1 Samuel 1:11b, 27-28a (NCV)

“So confess your sins to one another. Pray for one another so that you might be healed. The prayer of a godly person is powerful. Things happen because of it.”

James 5:16 (NIrV)

Be careful about the way you live and about what you teach. Keep on doing this, and you will save not only yourself, but the people who hear you.

1 Timothy 4:16 (CEV)

3. I WILL WORSHIP GOD ABOVE THEM.

I asked the LORD to give me this boy, and He has granted my request. Now I am giving him to the LORD, and he will belong to the LORD his whole life. And they worshiped the LORD there.

1 Samuel 1:27, 28 (NLT)

• Convincing worship is visible in what I say.

We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, about his power and his mighty wonders.

Psalms 78:4 (NLT)

• Convincing worship is visible in what I sacrifice.

Then Elkanah (and Hannah) returned home to Ramah without Samuel. And the boy served the LORD by assisting Eli the priest.

1 Samuel 2:11 (NLT)

It was faith that made Abraham offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice when God put Abraham to the test. Abraham was the one to whom God had made the promise, yet he was ready to offer his only son as a sacrifice.

Hebrews 11:17 (NLT)