Choosing to Honor Our Imperfect Parents
Your Nightly Prayer for May 26, 2025
By Lynette Kittle
TONIGHT'S SCRIPTURE
“Listen to your father, who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.”—Proverbs 23:22
SOMETHING TO PONDER
With Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, many individuals are on the fence, deciding whether to recognize their parents or snub them, depending on their feelings and experiences with them. Those listening to worldly advice are pushed to walk away and rid themselves of toxic people, parents included, whereas God’s word urges sons and daughters to honor their parents.
If listening to God and following His word, we find ways to recognize our parents, choosing to honor them because of His word that more than just encourages us to, but commands us to, “Honor your father and mother"—which is the first commandment with a promise so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth” (Ephesians 6:2-3).
Although many want to brush over this commandment and give reasons why it isn’t valid in their situations, thinking God understands and approves of their decision, His word stands firm and doesn’t change because of their situations.
God doesn’t give us the option of dishonoring them because we’ve decided they don’t deserve it and haven’t earned it. As Proverbs 20:20 warns, “If someone curses their father or mother, their lamp will be snuffed out in pitch darkness.”
Dishonoring parents comes at a high cost, as Proverbs 30:11-13 explains. “There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers; those who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not cleansed of their filth; those whose eyes are ever so haughty, whose glances are so disdainful; the eye that mocks a father, that scorns an aged mother, will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley, will be eaten by the vultures.”
It’s an age-old issue, too, not something new, just maybe magnified in our current day by individuals’ unlimited access to social media platforms. From the beginning of time, Micah 7:6 describes the scenario. “For a son dishonors his father, a daughter rises up against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—a man’s enemies are the members of his own household.”
But God’s way is for children to honor their parents because it’s pleasing to Him. “May your father and mother rejoice; may she who gave you birth be joyful!”--Proverbs 23:25
YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER
Dear Father,
Thank you for our parents. Give us the fortitude to look past their imperfections and to honor them because You ask us to. Help us to forgive them for the ways they have failed us, hurt us, and let us down. Free us to let go of our failures, weaknesses, and deficiencies because You forgive us. Strengthen us to do what pleases You over our own feelings and reasoning.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE UPON
1. How are you doing at honoring your parents? Are your attitudes and actions towards them honoring to God?
2. Consider how your attitudes and actions towards your parents are teaching your children to honor you, their grandparents, and older individuals overall.
3. If your parents have passed away, look for ways to honor their memories, such as speaking well of them to your children and to future generations, displaying their photos in your home, and sharing their stories.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/jacoblund
Lynette Kittle is married with four daughters. She enjoys writing about faith, marriage, parenting, relationships, and life. Her writing has been published by Focus on the Family, Decision, Today’s Christian Woman, kirkcameron.com, Ungrind.org, StartMarriageRight.com, and more. She has a M.A. in Communication from Regent University and serves as associate producer for Soul Check TV.
Now that you've prayed, are you in need of someone to pray for YOU? Click the button below!
Originally published Monday, 26 May 2025.
SHARE
