Father, this is an area of my life in which I need healing and restoration. The mistakes that I made before and after my children were born have stripped me of self-respect. How can I teach my children respect if I am not modeling it in front of them? Today I make a decision to forgive everyone who has wronged me. They could never repay what I believe they have stolen from me. (Determine what you feel has been taken from you, let it go, and trust God.) In the name of Jesus, I repent of and renounce all resentment and bitterness, and I stop it from controlling my children or me.
Father, I receive Your forgiveness, and I forgive myself for the sins and mistakes of the past. This day I reclaim my self-respect because I am Your child, and my sins are forgiven. I come with clean hands and a pure heart asking You to let me see my children as a heritage from You.
Oh, my Father, I am the elder, the voice of authority, in my home. Give me the vision of caring for the children You have entrusted to me. Create in me a willing heart to watch over them, not for what they can do for me, but because I am eager to serve You. I would not lord it over the children You have assigned to my care, but I vow to lead them by my good example. And when You, the head Shepherd, come, my reward will be a never-ending share in Your glory and honor.
It is my desire that my children will honor and respect those who are over them in the Lord, admonishing and loving them. They will hold authority figures in the highest regard in love because of their work, and we will live in peace with each other.
In my heart I set apart Christ as Lord. May I always be prepared to give an answer to my children when they ask me to give them reasons, and I pray that I will do so with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience. I purpose to listen to my children, praise them, and treat them with respect.
As a human father/mother, I will discipline them, and know that they will respect me for it. This will prepare them to submit to You, their heavenly Father, and live. Later on, it will produce a harvest of righteousness and peace for my children who have been trained by it.
As they walk in self-respect with a right attitude toward their father/mother, they will honor both their father and their mother, as You, the Lord our God, have commanded, so that they may live long and that it may go well with them.
Father, thank You for being a mother/father to my children who respect a command, and they will be rewarded.
In Jesus’ name, amen.

Scripture References:
Psalm 127:3 niv    Hebrews 12:9-11 niv
1 Peter 5:1-4 nlt     Deuteronomy 5:16 niv
1 Thessalonians 5:12,13 niv    Proverbs 13:13 niv
1 Peter 3:15,16 niv

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