“And Israel stretched out his hand and laid it on the hand of Ephraim who was the younger. His left hand on the head of Manasseh crossing his hands for Manasseh was the first born. And he blessed Joseph, and said, The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Issac walked. The God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day. The angel who has redeemed me from all evil. Bless the boys. And in them let my name be carried on. In the name of my fathers Abraham and Issac, and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”
-Genesis 48:14-16
I love this picture. This is Jacob, called Israel here, praying over blessing his son and his grandsons. Somebody asked me the other day, “What do you pray for most in your life?” I don’t really know how to answer that question, but one of the things that immediately came to my mind is I just pray continually.
Genesis 48:14-16 Reminds Us to Pray for Future Generations
I long to see my children’s children, or my children’s children’s children knowing, and enjoying, and loving, and worshiping God. Whether I get to see that with my own eyes that would be amazing to see that with my own eyes, but I trust the Lord with that. I pray often for my grandkids, which my kids right now are 11, 10, 7, and 5, so there’s not really any prospect for grandkids at this moment, but I’m praying for them. I’m praying for their kids. I’m praying for my great grandkids. I long to see a lineage of faith continuing in my family and I know only God can bring that about. I want to be a vesseled instrument in His hands in my family for bringing that about.
Let’s pray for faithfulness to pass the gospel on to future generations.
I just want to pray that, not just over my family, but over our families that lead us in a time of prayer for our children, the next generation, for our children’s children, and their children.
Genesis 48:14-16 Leads Us to Pray for Faith to Be Passed Down
God we want to be faithful to pass the gospel on to the next generation. God, I want to be faithful to do that in my home, and outside my home. This is not just for us as parents, or grandparents praying right now, but singles. Just all of us got to help us to be faithful to pass the gospel on to the next generation. God, we pray that the next generation, the generation after them, the generation after them would know You. Would enjoy You. Would love You.
God, I pray for my kid’s kid’s kids, for other’s children’s children’s children. God, please, please, please help us to parent. Help us to lead your church, to be members of the church in such a way that kids right now in the church grow to know, and love, and enjoy You. Kids that are home grow to know, and love, and enjoy, and worship You, and their children, and their children. God, please may it be so. Please, please I plead for this. Oh God cause Your glory to resound from generation to generation through my life, our lives, and our families, and Your church through us. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
