Being a father of four boys has not been easy. I remember their childhoods when they were a lot more receptive to serving the Lord and were more faithful to Him. My children grew up in church with a sensitive spirit. When it was time to attend church, they gladly attended. We were there early and the last to leave. Nothing matters more than seeing your family serving the Lord.

Everything began to change and after my sons reached their teen years. They seemed to turn cold to things of God. First, my oldest son changed his devotion to the Lord when he was around the age of 13 until he turned 19. My second son took the same path. Then, my third son took his turn on this path. Finally, my fourth son, who is now 17, shows little to no interest in the Lord. However, he has had some encounters with the Lord recently that I will discuss at another time.

These disappointing times as a father is not easy, but I have surrounded myself with great teachers of the word of God. Teachers like Pastor Bob Yandian, Geof Jackson, Rick Renner, and Keith Moore just to name a few. Even now I have hard moments as a dad trying to raise teenagers into men. Still in my heart, I had hope that things would change for the better. And for one of my sons, it has.

Through prayer, commitment, and Godly influences in my life, I have pulled through these tough times. Recently I have seen one of my prayers answered.

My third son recently turned 18. He said that he had something important and urgent to talk to me about. He told me a story of a night he had just went through. He said that he was finally ready for a change and that the life he is pretending to live had come to a crossroads. He was ready for a change and was finally ready to surrender his life to Jesus Christ.

Even though he had said the prayer of salvation before, this time he was older and more ready to experience Christ. We looked at some scriptures together: John 14:6 and Romans 10:9-10. Both verses discussed the road to confessing and to salvation. I asked if he was ready right now to fully accept Christ into his life. He said, “I am more ready now than I have ever been.” He sincerely confessed and believed the scripture.

Immediately, he knew something was different about himself. He said that it felt like all of his guilt and shame had been ripped away from him. He said he had peace of mind that he couldn’t explain. I could see in his eyes what had just happened. This was a change that only Jesus could give and bring to him.

In my heart, I knew that this change would come one day. I believed in the gospel and that anything we earnestly asked for in prayer, we would receive. My long wait for one of my children became a reality a couple of weeks ago.

My advice to anyone in this same situation is to follow the principles of the Bible. Thank the Lord for your son or daughter’s salvation. Remember that the Father has already provided salvation to all mankind especially the family members of those who are already saved; we just have to choose to accept it.

Acts 16:31 says believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household. Your prayer should say Father God thank you that your scripture says my household should be saved. Thank your for your gift of salvation. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Keep on thanking God for your loved ones salvation instead of asking for their salvation. God has already saved your household. You just have to believe that God will deliver on His promise.