12/17/2025
"This Is My Daily Prayer ..."
“When you roam, they will lead you; When you sleep, they will keep you; And when you awake, they will speak with you” (Proverbs 6:22). He’s talking about the things your momma taught you—they will stick with you; you can't outrun them. True confession, I tried to outrun them. To my shame, I was the foolish one of Solomon’s proverbs. A credit to my parents, they taught me right from wrong, I heard, but I rebelled, and as a result, I wasted a good portion of my life. I often wonder where I would be today if those years had not been wasted.
Solomon says that what our parents teach us are a "lamp and a light." Our phones are quite handy. They are often attached to us like glue. Because they are so handy, we always have a source of light. Can’t find the key hole? Whip out your phone. Can’t see what you dropped under the couch? Swipe, click. So it is with the command of your father, the law of your mother. They are a part of your character that you can use throughout life to find your way. “Reproofs of instructions are the way of life.” How many times have you remembered, “If my momma saw me do that …,” and then recall some correction or chastisement we received at her hand? That’s what Solomon is saying here. Don’t forget your raising. (I tell my kids, "Don forget your raisins.")
I was fortunate. Literally, by the grace of God I was spared my own foolishness. My saving grace (or at least a part of it) was that I had parents that taught me right. Rebellious I was, but the teaching was there … put into my head, even if I refused it in my heart. When I was awakened to the destructive path I was on, I had their words in my head to aid me in my walk back to God. That’s my prayer. First, listen to the godly instructions of your parents. If that time has gone and you’re stumbling in the darkness, remember from whence you came. Their words will “lead you, keep you, speak to you” (Proverbs 6:22).