Kids & Parenting

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As a new school year starts I am reminded of the importance of praying for our children and every area of their lives. Sometimes you may wonder what different things I should be praying for in my children’s lives. Stormie Omartian has written a book entitled the Power of a Praying Parent. In her book, she has 30 chapters and each chapter focuses on a different area to pray for your child. You can use her prayers daily to pray for different areas. Some areas you may not have thought of is: praying for a future spouse, career decision, choices of friends, etc. Sometimes we are exhausted and we just pray God, please protect and take care of my children. God knows and see our hearts.

Another way of praying for your children, I would encourage you to think about is having a prayer journal for each child. I have a spiral bound notebook for each of my children with prayer requests and answers. Sometimes these are my children’s prayer requests, but most of the time it is a need I see in their life that I pray for. When I look back over those prayer requests I see God’s answers to my prayers and his working in their lives. I also enjoy looking at some of the prayer requests that seem kind of funny now (nothing is too trivial for God or us to pray about), for example, please don’t let the teacher sit my son by any girls in the classroom. Girls are still very icky at his age. That prayer has been answered. That request was very important to my son, very important to me, and important to God as well. Sometimes I see a pattern over years in my journal and that tells me God is working on an individual character trait in my children in His perfect timing.

I will admit I am not always faithful to pray for my children every day. I do know that my Heavenly Father is watching over them every moment. I have found when I do pray for my children, I am more patient with them and I see them more as God sees them. Also, of course, I praying that I grow as a parent as well.

So, however you decide to pray for your children I encourage you to be faithful in praying for your children. Ask God for guidance in how you should lead them as a parent as well. Also, rest assured if you aren’t or don’t pray for your children today that God is still on the job.

Kimberly M. Chastain, MS, LMFT is the Christian Working Mom Coach and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She is the author of 2 ebooks, Pearls of Encouragement for Christian Working Moms and Help! My Preteen/Teenager is Driving me Nuts. You can find both of those books at www.christianworkingmom.com.  Also, check out her blog and Online Bible Study as well.  You can have coaching tips delivered to your email box daily, find out more at http://www.kimberlychastain.com/cwmtips.htm.

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