“Our Father in heaven, Your name is holy…” and yet, He invites us in a loved children. Our Creator is our Father, longing to provide for us from His riches. Let’s come to Him. Let’s let Him be our Daddy. #prayersformychildren

As we gather around Jesus, soaking in His teaching, I can so clearly see evidence of God’s character in my kids and their friends. I pray they will continue to live joyfully serving others, never drawing attention to themselves but instead glorifying God in all they do. #prayersformychildren #IseeJesusinthem

Here’s another statement of Jesus that reminds me of how much we have to rely on God’s Spirit within. It is so hard to forgive, to love those who hurt us. Kids, seek God every single day so that when these emotional earthquakes come, His character has already become your character, and you truly can love and pray for those who hurt you. #prayersformychildren #bewhatyouwerecreatedtobe

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

Having committed to follow Christ, the next biggest decision you make is whom you will marry. And the choices you make now matter- your entertainment, media, and relationship decisions affect your future marriage in ways it’s just not possible for you to understand at the moment. So stay close to Jesus, and He will guide you, protect you, and strengthen you in making wise choices. #prayersformychildren

Hate, anger, contempt; these are slow poisons corroding our relationships and, ultimately, our own hearts. I pray that we will recognize, repent, and allow God’s Spirit to radically remove any trace of these murderers from our lives. #prayersformychildren #killangerbeforeitkillsyou

Kids, when you hang out with Jesus you become this power that brings out the best in every situation, that radiates His light into your world. It simply is what happens to you as you spend time with Him. My prayer is that you listen, learn, be transformed by Jesus. #prayersformychildren #bewhatyouwerecreatedtobe

When Jesus saw the crowds, He wanted to pour into them. When those who loved Jesus saw Him prepare to teach, they drew near to Him. My children and my friends, let’s gather around Jesus this year, learning and being transformed by Him. (Mat 5:1-2) #prayersformychildren

In 2015 I started an adventure in prayer for my kids. When I say my kids, I include my four, their future spouses, their friends, and my friends’ kids. It turns out a lot of the prayers invite God into my own mess as well–not surprising, is it?
I plan to continue into 2016, and would love to hear the prayers of others. What areas do you notice we need to take to our Father in heaven?