The Children for Christ by Andrew Murray

There is one thing more we must specially observe in regard to
Manoah’s prayer: it was after his wife had told him of the injunctions
the angel had given that he thus asked for guidance. He longed to hear
them himself, to have full certainty and perfect clearness. As parents,
we have in God’s Word plain and full directions as to the training of our
children; our own experience or that of others may have supplied us
with much of great value to aid us in our task; all this does not
diminish, it only increases the need of prayer. With each child, and each
of its separate needs, we always need renewed wisdom direct from
above; daily renewed prayer is the secret of training our children for
God.
2. And now the answer. Let us learn the lesson Manoah’s story teaches
here: God loves to answer a parent’s cry. The angel had nothing new to
communicate above what he had previously said to the woman; and yet
God sent him, because He would not leave His child, who seeks to know
His will fully, in the dark. The fact of the angel having come once was
what had encouraged Manoah to hope he might come a second time.
Just they who have already had communications with God, and have
had Divine teaching about their children, will be those who desire
more, and pray for it most earnestly.
The answer to Manoah’s prayer contained no new revelation; it simply
pointed back to the instruction previously given: `Of all that I said unto
the woman let her beware; all that I commanded her let her observe.’ In
answer to our prayer, it may be that no new truth will be revealed,
perhaps even no new thought impressed. But the answer to the prayer
may be something better. As the Holy Spirit leads us back to what the
Lord has already spoken, to study more carefully and adopt more
unreservedly the principles laid down in Holy Scripture for the training
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