My kids are at a scary point in their lives. Each one, in a different way. Will my 17yo ds choose well? How do we develop godly self-esteem in our 15yo dd? Are we guarding my 12yo ds’s media well enough? Will my 10yo dd learn to be a good friend?
We’ve been doing this long enough to know that we just can’t know the future, and we can’t control every aspect of our kids’ lives. So I fear; I fear poor choices and immature decisions with long lasting consequences and unhealthy relationships. I fear YouTube and TV shows. I fear my own sinfulness, foolishness, shortsightedness.
How do I cope with all this very real, very justified fear?
I pray.
To many, that sounds like giving up. It sounds like I retreat in defeat, shrug my shoulders and spread my hands in a gesture of inadequacy.
Well, I AM inadequate.
Picture with me a wild battle raging on a large plain. Our kids- yours and mine, the kids we all love and pour our energy into- there they are, armed with clubs and swords, fighting savage beasts and larger than life creatures straight from our worst nightmares. And we parents are standing at the edge with nothing to offer. We have no missiles or cannons or guns or bombs. We have no strength or strategy- we have nothing.
We duck into a cave behind us, bending low so we have to crawl through a small opening in the rock. But just as our eyes are adjusting to the gloom of the opening, we round a sharp corner and find ourselves rising to our feet in a land filled with rainbow light! Everything glistens with beauty- but it’s not gurgling streams and flower burdened trees we see. No, we see mighty warriors and avenging angels. We see- and we’re not sure how we know it but- we see strength and victory and honor laid out before us in the form of all the tools of warfare our kids could ever need. We see an army, prepared for battle on behalf of our kids.
This is the land to which I go when I pray. For God has said “ask, and you will receive.” This blog is me, asking.
“For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”
Ephesians 1:15-23 NASB
prayersformychildren.org 
God, some how, brought me to this blog. I too, pray for my child, as you pray for your children. Your words challenge me to pray even deeper for my child…and I thank you. From the day Savannah was born, I have prayed she would be a “great warrior for Christ”. This is why what you wrote above hit my heart so profoundly…for our children are truly in a great battle on this Earth so that they might receive their reward in heaven one day. I tell Savannah that we not only fight for ourselves, but for those around us so that we may take others with us to paradise through our example and actions. I do not know your daughters well, but I am gradually getting to know your sons through my husband and daughter. They are fine young men who let their lights shine for Christ through their actions…for many can attend church and quote scripture, but few actually walk the walk. I see your boys walk the walk. Thank you for sharing your prayers with others. You never know whose lives you will touch and bring closer to God.
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Jenny- thank you for these words! I am praying about how to continue the blog- as you can see I’m really bad at keeping it up so I’m asking God to guide how to move forward to share the journey with others. I appreciate what you assay about the boys- I am so grateful that God works in their lives so that my inadequacies are covered over. Let’s keep praying together!
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