Today’s Open Heavens devotional, 15 March 2026, is THE INTENTIONAL PARENT I
The daily devotion guide is written by Pastor E. A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).
OPEN HEAVENS 15 MARCH 2026 DEVOTIONAL
TOPIC: THE INTENTIONAL PARENT I
MEMORISE
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6
READ: Deuteronomy 6:6-9
6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.
9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.
RCCG OPEN HEAVENS 15 MARCH 2026 MESSAGE TODAY
God expects parents to intentionally train their children so that the children can give them rest.
Intentionally training children yields many benefits, but it is disastrous when parents don’t train their children in the right way.
Proverbs 17:21 says that the father of a fool has no joy. In other words, if parents don’t want to spend the rest of their lives in sorrow, they should train their children in the way of the Lord. Proverbs 10:1 says that a wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son is his mother’s heaviness. This means that when children are wise, they fear the Lord and follow His way, making their parents joyful.
However, when they are foolish and don’t follow the way of the Lord, they make their parents sorrowful. It is non-negotiable for parents to intentionally train their children in the way they should go. This is so important that God commanded parents in today’s Bible reading to teach their children God’s way at every opportunity.
Training children in the way of the Lord starts with ensuring that they are filled with God’s word.
Parents who are wise spend time memorising Scriptures and teach their children to do the same because keeping God’s word in their hearts will help them stay away from sin (Psalm 119:11). Sadly, memorising the Scriptures has almost become alien among many Christians.
As a young Christian, I memorised the Bible often. Memorising the Scriptures has been extremely helpful for me. For example, when I travel to nations that do not permit visitors to come into their land with a Bible, it is the Scriptures I have memorised that I rely on.
Unfortunately, many Christians these days don’t even read the Bible, let alone memorise it.
It is extremely important for parents and all other Christians to keep the word of God in their hearts; it is a command, as we see in today’s Bible reading. It is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34).
Some believers may not realise how bankrupt they are of God’s word until there is an emergency, because it is when pressure is applied to a container that its content becomes revealed
Beloved, it is what your heart is filled with that will spill into the lives of those around you, including your children, if you are a parent. If you are not filled with God’s word, you cannot train your children in God’s way.
PRAYER POINT
Today is mothering Sunday. Pray that God will strengthen and preserve all mothers.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Judges 6-8
Open Heavens HYMN 33: GUIDE ME, O THOU GREAT JEHOVAH!
OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL 15 MARCH 2026 COMMENTARY
MEMORISE: Proverbs 22:6
“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
This verse is both a command and a covenant promise. The Hebrew word for “train” (chanak) implies dedication, initiation, and the creating of a thirst. It is not merely instruction but the formation of holy habits and appetites. The promise is not that the child will never stray, but that the foundational imprint of godly training creates a spiritual gravity that will ultimately pull them back to their true course.
BIBLE READING: Deuteronomy 6:6-9
This passage is God’s non-negotiable mandate for parental discipleship:
v. 6: The prerequisite: “These words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart.” You cannot impart what you do not possess. Parental transmission of faith requires personal possession of the Word.
v. 7: The methodology: “Thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” Discipleship is not a scheduled event but an integrated lifestyle. Every moment is a teachable moment.
v. 8-9: The saturation: The Word must be bound as visible signs and written on doorposts. It must permeate the physical environment, not just the spiritual curriculum.
The Sacred Assignment: Raising Arrows for God
Pastor E.A. Adeboye addresses one of the most critical responsibilities of Christian parenthood: the intentional, Word-saturated training of children. He diagnoses a crisis in the contemporary church—the atrophy of Scripture memorization—and traces its devastating consequences: children who depart from the faith and parents who spend their latter years in sorrow. The solution is not complex but it is demanding: parents must first be filled with the Word before they can pour it into the next generation.
1. The High Stakes of Parental Training
The Consequence of Neglect: Sorrow Without End:
- Proverbs 10:1: “A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.” The emotional and spiritual health of parents is directly linked to the spiritual condition of their children.
- Proverbs 17:21: “He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow: and the father of a fool hath no joy.” This is not a warning about naturally difficult children but about the tragic outcome of undisciplined, untrained, and undiscipled offspring.
- The Implication: Parents who neglect the spiritual formation of their children are not merely making a poor educational choice; they are sowing seeds of lifelong grief for themselves.
The Reward of Diligence: Rest and Gladness:
- When children are trained in the way of the Lord, they become sources of joy, honor, and ultimately, rest for their parents. A godly child is not a financial or emotional drain but a partner in the faith and a carrier of the family’s spiritual legacy.
2. The Non-Negotiable Content: The Word of God
The Primacy of Scripture in the Heart:
- Psalm 119:11: “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” The primary purpose of Scripture memorization is not academic achievement but spiritual preservation. The Word internalized becomes the sword that defeats temptation.
The Crisis of Biblical Illiteracy:
- Pastor Adeboye issues a sobering observation: “Memorising the Scriptures has almost become alien among many Christians.” This is not a peripheral concern but a central catastrophe. A church that does not read the Bible cannot know God. Parents who do not know the Word cannot train children in the Way.
- The Diagnostic Test: “It is when pressure is applied to a container that its content becomes revealed.” Emergencies, crises, and unexpected challenges expose the true contents of our hearts. Many believers discover in their moment of greatest need that they have been operating on spiritual emptiness.
The Testimony of Daddy Adeboye:
- “As a young Christian, I memorised the Bible often. Memorising the Scriptures has been extremely helpful for me.” He offers a specific, practical example: ministering in nations where physical Bibles are prohibited. The Word he hid in his heart decades ago remains accessible, portable, and powerful.
3. The Methodology: Intentional, Integrated, Continuous
Deuteronomy 6:7 as Divine Pedagogy:
- “Teach them diligently” —The Hebrew shanan means to sharpen, to whet, to pierce. This is not casual instruction but focused, repeated, incisive training that penetrates the heart.
- “When thou sittest… walkest… liest down… risest up” —Spiritual formation is not confined to Sunday school or family devotions. It is woven into the fabric of daily life: meals, journeys, bedtime, morning routines. Every moment is an opportunity to point children to God.
The Principle of Abundance:
- Matthew 12:34: “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” What fills you will flow from you. A parent who is saturated with Scripture will naturally speak Scripture. A parent who is filled with anxiety, materialism, or worldly entertainment will transmit that.
- The Implication: You cannot fake spiritual depth before your children. They discern the true contents of your heart long before they understand your theological lectures.
4. The Consequence of Neglect: A Generation Without the Word
The Inevitable Spillover:
- What your heart is filled with will “spill into the lives of those around you, including your children.” If you are not filled with God’s Word, you cannot train your children in God’s way. The math is inescapable.
- The Tragedy: Parents who prioritize career advancement, social status, or material accumulation over their own spiritual formation are unconsciously programming their children to do the same. The child who never sees a parent reading Scripture will rarely become an adult who treasures Scripture.
The Warning of Eli (1 Samuel 2:27-36; 3:11-14):
- Though not cited explicitly in this devotional, the shadow of Eli hangs over this teaching. He was a priest who knew the Word but failed to restrain his sons. His parental passivity brought judgment upon his house and cost Israel the ark of God. Parental neglect is never private sin; it has generational and corporate consequences.
How to Train Your Child in the Way They Should Go
Become What You Want Your Children to Become:
- Begin with yourself. You cannot impart what you do not possess. Commit to a personal regimen of Scripture reading, meditation, and memorization. Let your children see you with the open Book. Let them hear you quoting the Word.
Integrate the Word into Daily Rhythms:
- Follow the Deuteronomy 6 model. Use mealtimes for Scripture discussion. Use travel time for Bible stories. Use bedtime for psalm recitation. Make the Word the soundtrack of your home.
Memorize Scripture as a Family:
- Select one verse per week. Write it on a card. Post it on the refrigerator. Recite it together at breakfast. Review it at dinner. Make memorization a joyful family competition, not a tedious chore.
Model Repentance and Dependence:
- Children need to see not only your strength but your humility. When you fail, confess it openly. Let them hear you pray for wisdom. Your authenticity will impress them more than your perfection.
Pray Scripture Over Your Children:
- Learn to pray the promises of God over your children by name. “Lord, may [child’s name] hide Your Word in his heart that he might not sin against You.” “May [child’s name] be like a tree planted by rivers of water, bringing forth fruit in due season.”
Warning: The Illusion of Outsourced Discipleship
The Church Cannot Replace the Home:
- Sunday school, youth group, and Christian schools are valuable supplements but insufficient substitutes. God assigned the primary responsibility of discipleship to parents, not pastors. If spiritual formation is delegated entirely to professionals, it will not take root.
The Danger of Hypocritical Instruction:
- Children are exquisitely sensitive to hypocrisy. If you command them to read Scripture but never read it yourself, you teach them that the Bible is for children, not adults. Your actions are your most powerful sermon.
Conclusion: The Legacy of the Word-Saturated Home
Pray this:
“Heavenly Father, I acknowledge that You have entrusted these children to me as a sacred stewardship. I confess my neglect of Your Word in my own life and ask for Your forgiveness. Create in me a hunger for Scripture that I have never known before. Fill my heart with Your Word until it overflows into every conversation, every decision, and every moment of my parenting. Give me the discipline to memorize Your promises and the wisdom to teach them diligently to my children. Let our home be saturated with Scripture—on our walls, on our lips, and in our hearts. Raise up my children as mighty warriors for Your kingdom. May they never depart from the way of holiness. And when I am old, may I find my rest and my joy in the godly legacy You have built through me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
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