Passage:

“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.(Exodus 20:12 ESV)

Paraphrase:

Show honor to your parents and you will have a much longer life in th land that the Lord God is giving you.

Premise:

God blesses those who respect and show honor to their parents with a longer and more prosperous life. Children who listen to and obey their parents (without breaking the law and aside from being abused), will receive blessings from God that other children will not. Honor, obedience and respect of the authority in our lives is something God highly valued because they represent Him in our lives to some degree. Even parents that are not Christ- followers have been given a role in our lives and we can show respect and honor without condoning the ways that are of the world. When we display the honor that our parents are due, God promises to bless our length of our lives.

Principle:

Honor your parents.

Show respect and honor to those God had placed in your life.

Promise:

God will bless those who honor their parents with a longer life.

Practice:

Obey my parents according to the will of God.

Be respectful to my parents and those in authority over me.

Ponder:

What does honor look like especially if my parents do not follow Christ?

How do I honor my parents now?

What is my view of God as my parent?

Prayer:

Dear Lord, help me to honor you by honoring my parents. Let me grow in my wisdom from them and help me obey what they teach that is good and right. Ultimately you are my parent and so I ask for your Spirit to help me always honor you.