This past weekend, my husband and I got away for the weekend and took in an OKC Thunder game! It was so much fun and probably the best game we have ever seen! As exciting as it was, there was one thing that left me feeling troubled. Call me sheltered or just naïve, but I was completely shocked when the OKC Thunder cheerleaders took the court Friday night. I think my jaw dropped as they ran out shaking their pom-poms in nothing more than a sparkly blue bikini with their perky bottom cheeks hanging out. The first thought that came to my mind was, “Wow! Cheerleading isn’t anything like I remember!” What I saw this last weekend was NOT cheerleaders standing on the sidelines shouting out cheers to encourage their team or facing the fans trying to promote crowd participation. Instead, I saw a group of talented young ladies using their bodies as sexual tools to entertain and entice the crowds. There were no cheers…only dancing.
Now, I will be the first to admit that I love me some dancing! I have always been a sucker for all of the dance shows, but several years ago, the Holy Spirit began convicting me every time I watched my favorite dance show. It was a show I had watched for years, however, as the show went on over the years, the costumes got sexier and the moves got raunchier and I knew that what I was watching grieved the Holy Spirit because I could no longer watch it without coming under conviction. I knew in my heart that what I was watching was not promoting Godliness in my life and it sure wasn’t modeling Godliness for my children. I felt the Lord prompting me to guard my heart and the hearts of my children and to prayerfully consider if what I was watching was pleasing to the Lord. If there was an ounce of conviction or even an ounce of doubt, I chose to turn it off…even my favorite dance show that I had watched since the beginning. For me, the decision was easy because a moment of entertainment just wasn’t worth risking being out of right relationship with Jesus. He’s been too good to me and the thought of doing anything that grieved Him hurt my heart to the core. I want to live a life that pleases Him. Since then, I have been extremely guarded as to what I allow into my heart. I don’t want to knowingly open up the door to my heart to anything that would grieve the Lord and I sure don’t want to open the door to my heart for any strongholds to take root. With all that said, this weekend was a reminder that no matter how careful we are, we can’t always control what our eyes see.
We sat right behind three young teenage boys and I couldn’t’ help but notice the sheepish grins they gave each other as the Thunder cheerleaders moved their bodies in sexually explicit ways and did the booty shake so well I’m sure even Beyoncé and J.Lo would be proud. As a mama of a young boy, I wanted so badly to cover their eyes and tell them it wasn’t worth it. That moment probably seemed so innocent in their eyes, but little do those young men know the stronghold that can take root from that one moment. Lust is a very real thing and let me tell you something…our young men need our prayers in a big-time way!
I couldn’t help but think of David in the Bible. He is described as “a man after God’s own heart, one who would do everything the Lord wants him to do.” He loved the Lord with all of his heart and desired to please Him in all he did. Yet, even he, fell into the enemy’s trap the day his eyes fell onto a beautiful young woman bathing and lust filled his heart at the sight of her and a stronghold took root. The mere sight of her nakedness stirred his sexual desire to the point that he had an adulterous affair, conceived a child out of wedlock, and then eventually had the woman’s husband murdered to cover up his sin! Ya’ll this happened to the only man in the Bible described as “a man after God’s own heart!” If it can happen to David, how much more can it happen to my son!? Men don’t have to seek it out...women are freely flaunting it and don’t get me started on what our sons can come across in one accidental computer click. I’m sure there were plenty of men and young boys who arrived to that game Friday night with the sole purpose of watching the game and yet, many probably left there struggling with lustful thoughts. And I’m certain there are good men and young boys every single day who leave their homes with the best of intentions but stumble across beautiful women who have bared far more than the common man should see and lust fills his heart and a stronghold takes root. I see what girls wear these days…the booty shorts where the shorts are so short, you can see the pockets hanging out the front and the cheeks hanging out the back, the midriffs, cleavage baring, tight clothing, and thong bikinis. It’s an open invitation for men to lust after them and its wrong ladies. I believe we will be held accountable for our actions that cause others to stumble. How in the world do I protect my son’s heart from falling into lust when he’s surrounded with temptations everywhere he goes?
This was the question I was left asking the Lord all weekend? I worry for all men, but I especially worry for our young men. I found myself praying for my son and this generation of young men being raised up to be the next Godly leaders and men after God’s own heart. I cried as I prayed and asked God to guard their hearts. I felt worry come over me as I looked at the problem through my natural eyes. Pornography is everywhere, half-dressed women at sporting events, and beautiful girls everywhere you go so if David fell into lust after seeing a naked woman once, it seems impossible for the average guy to not fall into sin too! And it never stops with lust! Sin will always take you farther than you ever wanted to go and keep you longer than you ever wanted to stay and take more than you ever wanted to give! David wasn’t the only one to suffer from his sin. It affected his entire family and ultimately the entire nation. As I thought of my son falling into those temptations and the consequences of sin that could follow, it scared me. There is nothing…I mean NOTHING…that is more important to me as a mother than to see my children grow up and live a life completely surrendered to the Lord, obeying his commands and following Him. Nothing. The thought of any one of them straying from God makes my stomach turn in a matter of seconds. Truly, the thought can make me ill. Hell is real and I don’t wish it upon my worst enemy, let alone my beloved children. But as I was praying and asking the Lord to protect my son from the traps and temptations of the enemy, the Lord was so gracious to open my eyes so that I could see things from His perspective. Oh friends, the tears that flowed! They flow all over again as I share His Words with you. The Lord reminded me that He made each of us in His image and that He didn't make a mistake when he designed men to be sexually stimulated by sight. He reminded me that because this was part of His perfect design, He also has equipped men to control their sexual desires, but that doesn't mean it's going to be easy.
The Lord reminded me that “His Word is alive and active” (Heb. 4:12) and that "He is watching to see that His Word is fulfilled” (Jer. 1:12). 1 John 5:14-15 says, “This is the confidence we have approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.” Did you get that?! When we pray the Word of God, we are praying His will. And when we pray His will, He hears us. And when we know He hears us, we can be confident that we have what we ask of Him! So, we don’t have to fear for our children’s futures! We don’t have to worry that they will fall into the traps of the enemy! We can be confident that God will see to it that His Word is fulfilled! Praise God! The night we came home from our trip, I went to bed so troubled in my spirit so I took out my prayer journal and just began writing to God and writing down my prayers for my son. As the Lord reminded me of the truths above, He began laying on my heart specific scriptures to pray over my son. I was writing as fast as I could in my journal to get them all down and then I later went and looked up several more scriptures to pray over my son. After some sweet time with the Lord, I went to sleep in perfect peace. I know the Lord has great plans for my son and I know he WILL grow up to be a man after God’s own heart, one who surrenders his heart to the Lord, follows Him completely, and obeys all of His commands. I am confident in this because this is my prayer for him today and every day.
Lord, help Kipton to live according to Your Word, the Bible. It is Your Word that will keep him on the path of purity. May Kipton seek you with all of his heart. May he never stray from your commands. And may Kipton hide Your Word in his heart that he might not sin against you. (Psalm 119:9-11)
Lord, may Kipton turn to you to change how he thinks. Help him to not be drawn to the behaviors of this world, but instead, may he turn to You to be transformed, and may he actively seek Your will. (Romans 12:2)
Lord, may Kipton clothe Himself in your righteousness and put on Your armor daily to stand firm. There’s a war raging for his soul. Help Kipton to realize that You’ve provided everything he needs to fight effectively. (Eph. 6:11-12)
Lord, may Kipton know Your Word and be quick to do what it says. May he not be deceived by thinking that knowing it is enough. Help him to be quick to act! (James 1:22)
Lord, help Kipton to make a covenant with his eyes not to look with lust at a young woman just as Job did. (Job 31:1)
Lord, Your Word says that no temptation has overtaken You and that God is faithful to help my son overcome every temptation as well. Thank you, Lord, that you will not allow Kipton to be tempted beyond what he is able, but that he will take the way of escape that you are faithful to provide for him every single time. (1 Corinthians 10:13)
Amen!
Fill in the name of your son or all of the men in your life and pray this prayer over them in confidence. There’s an army rising up and our young men will be on the front lines! The enemy thinks he can overtake them. He has them surrounded from every direction bombarding them with distractions and dangling temptations to get them off course. But God. He is faithful. The enemy didn’t take into account the powerful prayers of Godly mothers and grandmothers. Ladies, your prayers are powerful and they are literally changing the course of your children’s lives. Be diligent to pray God’s Word over your children and pray continuously in the Spirit. And when the enemy’s lies cause fear to creep in, silence him with the truth of what God’s Word says and then watch the Lord be faithful to perform His Word! Our sons (and future sons-in-law) need to be covered in prayer and we need to teach our daughters to protect the hearts of men by teaching them to be God-fearing women, dressing and acting in a manner that pleases the Lord.
Next time you begin to worry about your son’s path to purity, remember this line from one of my favorite worship songs…” It may look like I’m surrounded, but I’m surround by You! This is how I fight my battles!” And then get on your knees and cover your sons in prayer!
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