Open Heaven 23 August 2026: Pray For Your Children
MEMORISE: As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.Psalm 127:4
READ: 1 Kings 1:15-31
15 And Bathsheba went in unto the king into the chamber: and the king was very old; and Abishag the Shunammite ministered unto the king.
16 And Bathsheba bowed, and did obeisance unto the king. And the king said, What wouldest thou?
17 And she said unto him, My lord, thou swarest by the Lord thy God unto thine handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne.
18 And now, behold, Adonijah reigneth; and now, my lord the king, thou knowest it not:
19 And he hath slain oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the sons of the king, and Abiathar the priest, and Joab the captain of the host: but Solomon thy servant hath he not called.
20 And thou, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel are upon thee, that thou shouldest tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.
21 Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders.
22 And, lo, while she yet talked with the king, Nathan the prophet also came in.
23 And they told the king, saying, Behold Nathan the prophet. And when he was come in before the king, he bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground.
24 And Nathan said, My lord, O king, hast thou said, Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne?
25 For he is gone down this day, and hath slain oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the king’s sons, and the captains of the host, and Abiathar the priest; and, behold, they eat and drink before him, and say, God save king Adonijah.
26 But me, even me thy servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and thy servant Solomon, hath he not called.
27 Is this thing done by my lord the king, and thou hast not shewed it unto thy servant, who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?
28 Then king David answered and said, Call me Bathsheba. And she came into the king’s presence, and stood before the king.
29 And the king sware, and said, As the Lord liveth, that hath redeemed my soul out of all distress,
30 Even as I sware unto thee by the Lord God of Israel, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead; even so will I certainly do this day.
31 Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the earth, and did reverence to the king, and said, Let my lord king David live for ever.
Read Other Open Heaven Devotional Here
In 1 Kings 1:1-42, one of King David’s sons decided to crown himself king by staging a coup to overthrow his father.
Solomon’s mother was informed of the development, so she went to David and reminded him that he had promised that her son would succeed him as king.
That same day, Solomon was crowned king, meaning that Israel had three kings on that fateful day: David, Solomon, and the son who decided to make himself king.
Solomon might not even have been aware of the events that led to his coronation; however, because his mother rose and entreated the king on his behalf, he was crowned king.
There are certain things that children might miss if their parents don’t rise to pray for them.
A child may not know his or her left from right and may not even be qualified for an exalted position; however, his or her parents’ prayers can elevate that child into that position.
The authority that parents have over their children, both naturally and spiritually, is great, and they must learn to use it effectively.
Any parent who does not pray for his or her child is like a mother hen who watches as a hawk carries her chick away, leaving the chick to fight for itself.
The chick lacks sufficient strength to fight a hawk; however, if its mother joins in the fight, it would have a better chance of being saved.
If you are a parent, do not keep quiet over your children’s destiny so that the devil will not tamper with it. Cry out to God to show your children mercy early in their lives.
In Psalm 90:14, Moses prayed that God should satisfy him and the children of Israel early with His mercy so that they would rejoice and be glad all the days of their lives.
He knew that the secret to lasting joy and gladness was to start enjoying God’s mercy early in life.
Beloved, if you are a parent, do not neglect your spiritual responsibility over your children.
Like Moses, ask God to show your children His mercy early in their lives. Let your prayers position them for opportunities early in life.
Your children will begin to enjoy supernatural favour that some people only get to experience as adults if you pray for them now.
I pray that God will shower His mercies over you and your household, in Jesus’ name.
OPEN HEAVEN 23 AUGUST 2026 KEY POINT
Parents should not neglect their spiritual responsibility over their children.
OPEN HEAVEN 23 AUGUST 2026 HYMN 33:
GUIDE ME, O THOU GREAT JEHOVAH!
OPEN HEAVEN 23 AUGUST 2026 BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Lamentations 3-5
