Written from our National Superintendent DOUG CLAY on October 27, 2022
The battle for the heart, mind, soul, and future of our children is real. Many of us could have never imagined how quickly and aggressively the transgender revolution would target our children. My heart is broken.
I was absolutely stunned and deeply alarmed to watch an interview given by a TikTok artist — a biological male, who is identifying himself as a “girl.” The interview was with the president of the United States.
The event was known as the NowThis Presidential Forum. The forum was upsetting on many levels, but what disturbed me most was the congratulatory manner in which the president affirmed the interviewer’s gender transition along with his suggestion that the reason why people are not supportive of transgender ideology is because more exposure to the ideology is needed.
It’s important to be reminded that God loves all people and we are all created in His image. In fact, the Bible tells us in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.” This should help frame any compassionate response to individuals struggling with gender dysphoria.
However, to advocate and celebrate a twisted plan of human sexuality that deviates from His divine design is not healthy. Researcher Jason Thacker of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission says, “Our culture is at an interesting crossroads today, representing an especially crucial moment for our kids and families. On one hand, our society champions complete moral autonomy under the guise of throwing off all moral boundaries and pursuing our own versions of realities at all costs. On the other hand, we all recognize that truth cannot actually be relative and that our moral choices have profound consequences for us and our society. We may seek to deny objective moral truths in the name of liberation and revolution, but these false notions of reality will not and cannot last.”
To say that the American public needs more exposure to trans ideology in our daily lives is disturbing. God help us! We are witnessing numerous school districts that have policies to not inform parents when children begin identifying as another gender, change their name to another gender, or switch their pronouns. Additionally, in some cases, doctors have been given the choice between performing gender transition surgeries on minors or losing their careers. This is horrifying!
That’s why I am urgently calling Assemblies of God ministers, churches, and congregants to pray for our children.
PRAY FOR THE HEARTS OF OUR CHILDREN
“I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called — his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him” (Ephesians 1:18-20).
We’re living in an age where social media has created feelings of inadequacy, loneliness, and hopelessness. Let’s pray that the hearts of our children will be guarded from the shifting winds of emotion and culture. As we build lasting foundations in their hearts through the Word, pray that God will protect their hearts in the hostile culture in which we live.
PRAY FOR THE MINDS OF OUR CHILDREN
“Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures (Luke 24:45).”
From entertainment to school curricula, there is a battle for the minds of our children. We have a responsibility to protect our children from harmful influences, but that can be difficult when we live in a time of inundation. Let’s pray for our children, grandchildren, or those within our influence, that God will protect their minds with His truth and that their worldview will be shaped by His Word.
PRAY FOR THE SOULS OF OUR CHILDREN
“And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37, ESV).
Our kids are hearing many voices, with each claiming to have authoritative solutions to their struggles. We know that salvation and hope are found only in Christ. Let’s pray for our children to put their faith in Jesus and keep looking to Him for answers to life’s difficult questions.
PRAY FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR CHILDREN
“So, we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better” (Colossians 1:9-10).
Let’s pray that the seeds planted in the hearts of our children will grow into fruit that will last. Pray that God will bring the right influences into their lives as we take the necessary steps to raise them according to His plan and His Word.
Our children are growing up in a culture that is inundating them with messages about sexuality that are untrue and damaging. Let’s continue to point our children to the Bible’s teaching about human sexuality. Let’s model for them how to love people, even those with whom we disagree. Let’s stay true to the message of the gospel and stand against every form of sexual inappropriateness, upholding biblical standards without compromise.
Let’s demonstrate to our kids the power of the gospel, and how it can transform people into His image. Let’s stand on God’s promise that says, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6, ESV).