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Intention

The Restoration of Family Must Start with Fatherhood

Scripture

“And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”– Malachi 4:6

Reflection

Crystal’s mother and father had broken up a few months ago and had moved from the family home, each going their own way. The family home was put up for sale. One night the neighbours were woken by a loud noise that sounded like an explosion.

They looked out their windows to see a massive fire that quickly engulfed the house. Arson squad detectives said it appeared that an accelerant had been used to start the fire in the house. It had been spread throughout the house. Crystal’s body was found in the laundry. The laundry door had been locked.

Police had said that it was unclear why Crystal had returned to the house. She had been living nearby with her mother and brother. Her father was no longer in the family home.

We all know the pain of a family breakup. Whether you have experienced it for yourself firsthand or you have had close friends who experienced the searing pain that comes with the loss of close family relationships. It is not hard to see why a young girl would go back to what was once her family home and grieve.

Put yourself in her shoes. What would she have been thinking sitting there in that empty house, thinking about happier times or thinking about the arguments, the breakdown of her family or maybe both?

Then the sadness of what’s happened overwhelmed her. It was then that she poured petrol in every room of her old home. She then threw a match and resigned herself to death over life.

Sadly, there are 870,000 children who will go to sleep tonight in Australia without their father in the home just like Crystal. Many go to sleep in tears; others hide the pain. For many the pain comes out in unexplained and damaging behaviours as the children grow to adulthood. Whatever the case the cost is way too high.

Professor Stephen Baskerville writing in The Independent Review said, “Virtually every major social pathology has been linked to fatherless children: violent crime, drug and alcohol abuse, truancy, unwed pregnancy, suicide, and psychological disorders—all correlating more strongly with fatherlessness than with any other single factor.”

Writing about the situation in America in 1996, sociologist David Popenoe said this: “The decline of fatherhood is one of the most basic, unexpected, and extraordinary social trends of our time.” Dr Bruce Robinson, University of Western Australia, and author of Fathering from the Fast Lane has estimated the cost of fatherlessness in Australia to be over 13 billion dollars per year.

 

We are praying and fasting for Family during October 2021. God’s plan is for families to be formed out of holy matrimony by a committed man and woman who say, “I do,” before God and man. Sexual integrity is foundational to the success and restoration of both fatherhood & motherhood in our nation.

Indigenous Christian leader Ps Peter Walker said to me last year during the Indigenous-led National Solemn Assembly, “Warwick, we have to raise up national prayer for family”. It has taken a while but, finally, we are doing so. Soli Deo Gloria.

According to the scripture in Malachi 4:6, the restoration of the family starts with the restoration of fatherhood. That is the only way to save the Crystals of this world. Restored fathers help restore motherhood. Restored Fathers and mothers help restore marriage. When men and women are healed their marriages are often healed and love can reign. When love reigns, our children are happy. This gives our children the best start in life.

Prayer

Father in heaven you are a good, good Father. We pray that you would raise up the Elijah’s in our nation.

Empower them to share the message of turning fathers’ hearts to their children, and children’s hearts back to their fathers.

So, children’s hearts will be healed, motherhood restored, and marriages healed in Jesus Name. So, heal and restore the families of Australia so our children can be a blessing to the nations.

Help us – the fathers of Australia – to stand up for our wives, our children, our families. Help us to be courageous!

31 Days Prayer Points

1. Pray for the restoration of FAMILY, FATHERHOOD and MOTHERHOOD in our nation. Malachi 4:6
2. Pray for healing for MARRIAGES, protection for CHILDREN and restoration of the sanctity of LIFE. Isaiah 58:12
3. Pray for Revival, Renewal and Reformation for Australia, that our nation might return to God. 2 Chronicles 7:14

We invite you to support this month-long Prayer & Fasting campaign to raise up prayer for Family and Nation. Every donation to the Canberra Declaration helps us spread the word and make a stand for Family, Faith, Freedom and Life.

Donate Here.

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