For those of us navigating life with our kids during this Pride Month, here’s a prayer that I trust we will pray with all humility as we seek to follow the way and will of God as contained in the Bible. . .
Almighty God. . . Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. . . you are the creator of all things. We thank you for your good gifts of sex, sexuality, and gender. Your word clearly tells us that in the Garden, everything that you made existed for your glory and our good. Sex, sexuality, and gender were experienced by our first parents as you intended them to be experienced. Things were the way they were supposed to be, and our first parents were on the path to true human flourishing.
However, we confess that in our minds and in our bodies we know that something has gone horribly wrong. When our first parents chose to listen to the wrecker of this world, they decided to doubt and disobey your word, your will, and your way. Everything came undone. We recognize that due to sin and brokenness in the world, all of us. . . ALL of us. . . struggle personally with sexual brokenness as we choose to listen to the deadly combination of the wrecker of this world, the current cultural narrative, and our own selfish desires. We are tempted to wander from your will and way for us in matters of sex, sexuality, and gender. We think that we know best. We engage in sexual immorality in thought, word, and deed. . . all of it sinful and offensive to you, harmful to ourselves, and damaging to others. We live with broken and misplaced desires. Forgive us, we pray. Keep us from living into our broken desires. Lead us into denying self in order to follow Christ, regardless of the cost. Help us to live out your oft-repeated and loving imperative to flee from all kinds of sexual immorality. May we recognize it and run!
As we and our children navigate the lessons, messages, and memes flooding our world during this current Pride Month, give us skills for discernment that are rooted deeply and firmly in biblical truth. Wherever and whenever we see a rainbow, remind us that it is a sign established by you, representing your covenant promises, along with your mercy and grace. May the rainbows we see this month spark a response of living every square inch and minute of our lives in grateful obedience to you for your covenant love, as its colors shine in the light of your mercy and grace.
Help us to see that every human being is an image-bearer who must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity. Keep us from engaging in hateful and harassing behavior toward any individual or group not living in accord with your will and way for sex, sexuality, and gender. Help us to see that we are all sexually broken in some way. Give us a desire to love others enough to tell them the truth – your truth – as Jesus told the truth, and to always do so with Christlike grace. And, where others come to speak your truth into our lives, give us listening ears and receptive hearts.
Help us and others to see that in your goodness and grace, you have created all human beings in your image, either male or female, which are distinct, complementary genders. Help us to see that rejecting our biological gender is a rejection of your image and plan.
Help us to see that you have ordained and established marriage as a covenantal, life-long, monogamous, one-flesh heterosexual union between one man and one woman. Help us to embrace and teach that according to your word, the good and beautiful gift of sexual intimacy is to be indulged and experienced only within the context of marriage between one man and one woman. Help us to live out a commitment to your purposes for sex: that sex has been given for the consummation of the marital relationship, fostering the deepest possible human intimacy, enabling mutual pleasure, and facilitating procreation. Help us to see that the mystery of marriage reflects Christ’s union with the church.
Father, we recognize that all humans live with broken and misplaced desires as they relate to sex and gender. Still, with your help, sanctify us and our children into experiencing the fullness of our humanity by living out biblical faithfulness in all areas of life, including sex and gender. When and where we struggle, help us to recognize that when you do not not rescue us from our suffering with our disordered desires, you redeem us through our battles. May we, your people, stand with the sinner and struggler, always offering encouragement, support, truth, and love.
We throw ourselves at the mercy of your grace as you offer redemption and restoration to all those who confess and turn from their sexual sin, seeking your mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. Sustain us, we pray, as we live the life of Christian discipleship in this still-sin-marred now-but-not-yet-fully-realized Kingdom of God, as we expectantly await that final full rescue and restoration from whatever unique forms of sexual brokenness we experience.
In Christ’s name we pray, Amen.
To learn more about biblical sexuality, and to access a host of free resources for youth groups and families, visit our online Sexual Integrity Initiative.