Pray the Word with David Platt is a resource from radical.net.

Proverbs 1324 is probably not my kids' favorite verse, but it is such a significant verse.

Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.

So just like Proverbs 12 encouraged us all to love discipline,

we see this picture of a parent who loves his children,

who loves her children disciplining his or her children.

So we're reminded in this proverb that we need to love our kids in a way that leads them to acknowledge folly, that leads them to hate folly, to want, to walk in goodness and righteousness.

And just like we all need discipline as sons and daughters of God, our sons and daughters in

this life need discipline. And obviously, as parents, any one of us who is a parent knows,

we need wisdom to discipline our children well.

It's interesting. I was reading this verse on the same day that I was reading Ephesians chapter 6, verse 4, which says,

fathers, don't stir up anger in your children, but bring them up in the training and instruction of Lord.

So I'm just praying,

God help me then. Help me to discipline my kids in a way that doesn't stir up anger in them,

but in a way that brings them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. So just as we all need

to grow in our love for discipline, we need to pray this for our kids. And if you're not a parent

to think about children around you in the church, especially in the body of Christ who you have

an influence on, pray that God would help them to love discipline, to desire discipline in a way that recognizes, this is good for me.

And then as parents, for us to pray for that in our kids, that our kids would know we love them

by the way we discipline them. God, we pray for that. We know we all need discipline in every one of our

lives. We praise you for how you discipline us as a loving father. And so we pray as parents,

many of us, Lord, that you would help us to love our children enough to discipline them.

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