Praying for Our Young Men, Day 1

Praying for Our Young Men.

I’m embarking on another month’s challenge, if that’s what I should call it. I decided to spend this month focused on specific character attributes I am praying for relating to our three teen boys. Young men, actually.

I started out with the first title of Praying for Teen Boys, and realized that it really needs to be Praying for Our Young Men, because we are farther along the teenage spectrum. Our boys young men are now shockingly ages fifteen, soon-to-be seventeen, and eighteen, close to nineteen.

I will take a trait per day for the month, and a few days beyond, since February is so short. I’ll post the traits here and at the end I will have them arranged in a printable so we can all have something visual.

These are actual traits I’ll be praying for in my young men, and can serve as ideas to jog your memory when you pray for yours.

Join me in praying for our young men!

A is for Authentic

Authentic.

I really like some of these definitions.

Of indisputable origin

Based on facts

Faithfully resembles the original.

To be authentic is to be the opposite of the counterfeit.

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When I was an early teen, our Sabbath School teacher designed a game/challenge for us every week when we arrived. We had to log onto the computer 💻 (think 80’s, no frills, black and white, very early technology. No pictures even. Imagine…). He had programmed our memory verses in, and we had to read them carefully, and decide Authentic vs Counterfeit.

Sometimes (often) only one word would be off, and he’d catch us, but not for long. Soon, my brother and I (highly competitive) learned to use our eagle eyes and sharp memories, and he rarely tripped us up.

But I learned that the counterfeit is so close to the authentic that is is very difficult to discern the difference.

Subtle errors, small compromises.

That’s what makes us into counterfeit Christians instead of the real deal.

And I think that often I’m the counterfeit.

But as God renews my mind, new desires come. I want to not only do look authentic, but live that way. And I know that for my young men, they will never be truly happy playing the game.

So I’m praying for my young men to experience God genuinely, appreciate His care for them, and that they will learn to be authentic before God.

I’m trying to let go of the idea that they should look good, act the part, and try to be something they’re not. Yet, I don’t rest.

First comes being real with God, even if it’s anger, bitterness, tears, and disappointment. He can handle it.

I do hope that they move on and choose to walk with God as their leader, but as with their friends, nobody follows someone they don’t know. We make friends with people who seem to care for us. And that takes time spent together to discover.

Boys, I pray that you will learn to be authentic with Jesus, your Friend and the One who saved you. Talk to Him and get to know Him. As you do, you will start to look more and more like Him.

Pretty soon, when others see you, they will see in you something authentic. Genuine. Real.

And you won’t be like the fig tree that looked green but bore no figs. You will be the gorgeous plant—from one small seed will produce hundreds more, ready to bless others and beautify the world.

Go to Jesus.

Be authentic.

I love you

Mom

For more reading on authentic manhood, I really appreciated some of the experiences shared at Authentic Manhood.