Faith Across Generations (2 Kings 11:1)

0:00Pray the word with David Platt is a resource from Radical.net. 2nd Kings, chapter 11, verse 1. Now in Athalia, the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead. She arose and destroyed all the royal family. What a picture of evil and sin in a family here. What's startling to me is I'm reading this in 2nd Kings 11. Then I was reading earlier 2nd Timothy, chapter 1, when Paul's writing to Timothy and he says, I'm reminded of yours in Seer faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother, Lois and your mother, Eunice. Now I'm sure dwells in you as well. I'm just seeing a contrast here. So 2nd Timothy 1, you see this picture of a mother and a grandmother who poured goodness and the gospel and the fruit of that in Timothy's life, which is totally different from 2nd Kings, chapter 11.

1:01And it just makes me think in all our lives, not just as mothers or grandmothers or fathers or grandfathers, but we all have an opportunity today to pass on to those around us. Goodness and mercy and grace and the gospel or to pass on to those around us, sin and evil and all sorts of expressions of sin and evil. So let's steward today for the good of others. And our families and our church families and in the world around us. God help us today to steward the breath you've given us for the good of the people around us. God, we pray specifically in our families in light of 2nd Kings 11, whether as parents with children or children with parents or siblings with one another or grand parents or aunts or uncles,

2:02just in every family relationship we have, God help us today and maybe even specific ways today to go out of our way to encourage to build up someone else in our family. God, we pray that by your Holy Spirit you might prompt us even now in ways we could encourage family members today. And church family members, knowing that we've been united in Christ with a bloodline that's deeper than any physical family, God help us to build up our church family today. We pray for your spirit's leadership in any ways you're calling us to encourage, edify another brother or sister in Christ today. Help us to be sensitive to the opportunities we have to do that right around us. And God, we pray that you'd help us to live to pass on goodness and mercy and the gospel to people around us today who don't know you. God help us to be salt and light that people might see our lives, our deeds,

3:04in a way that reflects your character and brings you glory. God, we pray for this around the world. We pray for the spread of the gospel, goodness, mercy of Jesus through us among generations around us and nations far from us. We pray we intercede right now for the loud loam people of Thailand for 29,000 of them, almost all of them Buddhist, most of them never having heard the goodness and mercy of Jesus. God, we intercede for them right now. We pray that the loud loam people of Thailand would be reached with the good news of your grace through the blessed church in Thailand. Plus, every person working with the gospel in Thailand for the spread of your grace to the loud loam people. Oh, God, thank you. For those who have been a demonstration of your grace and goodness and mercy in our lives. Thank you for mothers and grandmothers and fathers and grandfathers and spiritual mothers and

4:08fathers and grandparents and spiritual siblings, brothers and sisters in Christ. We pray for your blessing on all those who have built us up in you. We pray that you'd help us to build up others in you today. In Jesus' name, we pray, amen.