When the World Calls, and Our Children Answer.

I can’t help but wonder—was Lot also entangled in the same sins that plagued Sodom? Though Scripture doesn’t explicitly say, there’s something unsettling about how his neighbors confidently demanded his visitors for the night (Genesis 19:4-5). Their request carried neither hesitation nor shame, as though this was an expectation, not an exception. Could it be that Lot had become so immersed in Sodom’s ways that they saw no difference between him and themselves?  

And if that wasn’t disturbing enough, what kind of father offers his own daughters in place of strangers? (Genesis 19:8). The moral decay is staggering. I wish we had a video recording of this moment—to see their faces, hear the shock in his daughters' voices, and witness the silent despair in his wife’s eyes.  

But before we cast stones at Lot, we must pause and ask ourselves: How do we respond when sin comes knocking at our own doors?

This passage forces us to confront a painful reality: What do we do when our own children choose the world over God?  

What if one day you discover that your child is a homosexual? What if they’re deeply entangled in drugs, deception, or any sin you never imagined would enter your household? Do you lash out in anger? Do you pretend it isn’t happening? Do you drown in shame and self-condemnation?  

I write this with a heavy heart. A pastor’s son recently confided in me that he is homosexual. Another young high school lady shared last year that she has never been attracted to men—only women. In my conversations with them, they both insist they are merely a product of their environment and nature. The pastor’s son has been through three marriages, each one ending as soon as a child is born because he loses all interest in the woman.  

My heart breaks, not because I judge them, but because I know this is a spiritual matter. Sin is not just a behavior—it is bondage. The enemy finds an empty space in the heart and fills it with his own desires when God is not welcomed there (Ephesians 2:1-3).

This is where I call us to Abraham’s posture —the posture of intercession.  

When God revealed His plan to destroy Sodom, Abraham didn’t respond with gossip or despair. He played his cards right by praying (Genesis 18:23-33). He stood in the gap for a city that wasn’t even his. How much more should we, as parents, guardians, and believers, stand in the gap for our own children?  

Pray for your children when they progress. Pray for them when they digress. Pray for them even when they disgrace you.  

- Pray with understanding. If they are not in Christ, they belong to the world (1 John 5:19).  

- Pray with urgency. If they are not filled with the Holy Spirit, another spirit is influencing them (Luke 11:24-26).  

- Pray with faith. If they are only born once, their natural birth cannot shield them from the enemy’s schemes (John 3:6-7).  They must be born again.

- Pray with righteousness. If your own life is not surrendered to Christ, your prayers are nothing but noise—like a child beating a drum set without rhythm (James 5:16, 1 Corinthians 13:1).  

This is not a call to panic but a call to warfare in the spirit. The enemy is not after their habits—he is after their souls. And only persistent, Spirit-led, faith-filled prayer can snatch them from his grip.  

So, before we condemn Lot, let’s take a long look at our own homes. Are we standing at the gates of intercession, or are we merely shaking our heads as the world takes our children?  

May we take up the mantle of Abraham and pray—until the prodigals come home, until chains are broken, until Christ reigns in their hearts.  

When the world calls, may we be found on our knees.

A book I highly recommend.

Previously on this thoughtline... https://mapstage.blogspot.com/2025/02/the-power-of-praying-guardian.html