If you’re anything like me, you dream of your son becoming a mighty man of God—a man of integrity, a man of principle, a man who loves Jesus. You dare to hope that when the day of temptation comes, he will stand strong and fight for truth.
That’s the greatest desire of your heart. But I’m guessing you have no idea how to make it happen.
Me neither. Not exactly.
But I do know this: The best parenting in the world cannot make this dream come true. The only way our boys will become men of integrity is for their hearts to be changed …” (Excerpted from Praying for Boys: Asking God for the Things They Need Most).
Men of Integrity
The best equation I’ve found for growing men of integrity is this: Modeling + Heart Change = Integrity, and it’s not an exact science, doesn’t have a guaranteed outcome because we can only control one part of the equation—modeling.
As parents, it’s our responsibility to model a life of integrity for our kids so they know what it looks like. They need to see us make the hard but right decisions. It’s doing right when everyone else is doing wrong. Making choices that might not be easy but are good. Even making decisions that might hurt us, just because they’re right. Those of us who follow Jesus have been given the power to choose. We can do it because God empowers us to live godly lives.
The part that isn’t within our ability to control is heart change. According to Ezekiel 36:26, that’s God’s job, and unfortunately, our boys may not be interested in living a life of integrity that honors God and others until this work of God is done in their hearts. True integrity is a bending of the will to something greater than ourselves. It’s responding to a greater authority than ourselves, choosing to honor God even when no one is looking. It’s giving up the right to have rights … a kind of submission that only comes as our boys give their hearts to Jesus and call Him Lord. And …
If their knees are ever to bend to Jesus as Savior, their hearts must bend first. This is the place a mama’s prayers.
4 Verses to Pray to Help Your Son be a Man of Integrity
1. Lord, may (your son’s name) walk blamelessly, do what is right, and speak truth in his heart.
“O LORD, who may abide in Your tent? Who may dwell on Your holy hill? He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness, and speaks truth in his heart” (Psalm 15:1-2).
2. Lord, may (your son’s name) trust in the Lord without wavering.
“Vindicate me, O LORD, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the LORD without wavering” (Psalm 26:1).
3. Lord, may (your son’s name) turn away from evil and do good.
“Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it” (Psalm 34:13-14).
4. Lord, turn (your son’s name) heart of stone to a heart of flesh.
“Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26).
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
This week, add these verses to your prayer time each day. In your time alone with the Lord, ask him to show you ways you can improve your own walk of integrity so you model it more effectively to your sons.
SOMETHING TO PRAY
See my post on praying for your sons in the other three categories above: Men of Purpose, Servant Leaders, and Men of God.
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So encouraging. Oh how I need the Lord to help me with vision!