Now the sons of Eli were corrupt; they did not know the Lord

(1 Samuel 2:12, NKJV).

Sad statements and passages abound in the Scriptures, but none sadder than the one above. Eli was a priest, and yet the Bible tells us that his sons were corrupt and “they did not know the Lord.” We all experience heartbreaking events and situations in our lives, but as a parent I can’t think of anything worse than my children not knowing the Lord. In fact, that is the prayer of my heart daily—that not only my children but also my grandchildren and great grandchildren will also know and serve and love the Lord.

I must admit there are times I get sidetracked from the passion of praying for that result in my family’s lives. When things are going well—they’re happily married, have good jobs, enjoy excellent health—I almost forget how temporal that is. I remember a lady once told me she’d rather have her son on death row in prison serving Jesus than enjoying an easy life as a CEO of a large company and living in a mansion without knowing the Savior. Her words shocked me at first, until I considered the truth of her statement. Of course, none of us wants to see someone we love spending time in prison, but when we remember that our time on this earth is but a blink of an eye in relation to eternity, it changes our perspective, doesn’t it?

Today I am making a recommitment to pray with passion, not only for my own family but for everyone who crosses my path and does not know Jesus as Savior. I want to be able to say of each of them that they truly “know the Lord,” for then I can also say, in the words of 3 John 1:4, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” May this be so as we pray with passion for those who need to bow their knee to the Name above all names, the Name of Jesus!