30 Days of Prayer: Completed Work

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Parenting
30 Days of Prayer: Completed Work

Day 9:  Completed Work

Lord, may these children know that You, who began a good work in them, will bring it to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.      Philippians 1:6

                                                                                                                      In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 

How many times have I prayed this prayer for my children?  Countless.  I have prayed this with great joy at times, and with desperation at other times.  He began the work when He created them.  He continued the work when I taught them about Jesus and His love.  The first time they sang, “Jesus loves me, this I know…” it was part of the good work He is performing in them.  And it is He who will bring it to completion.

On that last day, they will stand complete in Him, and I will marvel at His good work.  Even on bad days, days filled with doubt, I will choose to remember—and believe that He is true to His word and His good work.

30 Days of Prayer: For His Glory

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Parenting
30 Days of Prayer: For His Glory

Day 8:  For His Glory

Lord, may these children learn to do their work heartily, as working for the Lord and not for men.    Colossians 3:23

                                                                                                                                In Jesus’ Name, Amen. 

Hard work is becoming a lost art.  We want everything to be easy and convenient.  But neither ease nor convenience are the best teachers.  We must make our children learn to work hard and do their best, even if no one notices.  If they do not learn to work hard, they will be handicapped in the future.  The real lesson, however, is learning to do their work for Lord, offering their efforts to the Lord and trusting Him to crown them with success.

That can be a hard lesson for us, too.  Let your example of hard work motivate your children.  But more importantly, may they see that everything you do you do it for God’s glory, not your own.

30 Days of Prayer: He is Able

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Parenting
30 Days of Prayer: He is Able

Day 7:  He Is Able

Lord, I praise you, for I know that by Your mighty power at work within us, You are able to accomplish far more that we could ever hope, or dream, or imagine.  May you be glorified in each of the lives of these children.         Ephesians 3:20

                                                                                                                                                   In Jesus’ Name, Amen. 

Do you believe big things for the children in your life?  Do you believe that He is able… able to keep them from falling, able to transform them, use them, lead them, protect them?  He is indeed able—able to do far more than we could ever imagine.

This is one of those verses that I cling to.  It is hard to believe beyond what we see.  But, after all,  that is what faith is.  I often say to my kids when they are having a problem, “God is the Creator of the Universe.  This is not hard for Him.  Though this is a huge deal for us, it is easy for Him.”  Let’s choose to trust Him today, not just with our children, but with every aspect of our lives.  He is able.

 

30 Days of Prayer: God-Esteem

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Parenting
30 Days of Prayer: God-Esteem

Day 6:  God-Esteem

Lord, help these children to know that they are fearfully and wonderfully made.  Wonderful are your works!       

                                                                                                        Psalm 139:14

                                                                                                In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

We constantly hear that children need a good self-esteem.  But I want my children to have a good God-esteem.  I want them to see themselves as God sees them, a wonderful work of art—a masterpiece.  Self-esteem will fail them, God-esteem will not.

Maybe today you need to know that, too–that you are fearfully and WONDERFULLY made.  Fearfully does not mean in fear in this passage.  It means with respect.  God made you with great care and respect and He made you to be wonderful.  And you are.  And so are your children.

But we don’t always feel that way do we?

Just because we don’t feel something doesn’t mean it’s not true.

If the wind is blowing we don’t feel it if we are not outside.  But just because we are not outside, does not mean that it is not true that the wind is blowing.

Let’s get outside of ourselves and our negative thinking about ourselves.  Let’s believe God’s Word and let it transform how we see ourselves.  Feeling will follow after.  And our example of a good God-esteem will be an agent of change in how our children view themselves.

30 Days of Prayer: The Fruit of the Spirit

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Parenting
30 Days of Prayer: The Fruit of the Spirit

Day 5: The Fruit of the Spirit

(When you see “these children”, insert the names of the children for whom you are praying.)

 

Lord, may these children display the fruit of the Spirit in their lives, which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.    Galatians 5:22

                                                                                                                     In Jesus’ name, Amen  

What a list of characteristics!  I look at that list and see much I myself need more of.  And yet, it is the fruit of the Spirit, not my fruit.  He will equip us and our children in the many places we are weak.  In our weakness, He is strong.  However, we must surrender to His Spirit—step aside and let Him work. This is our prayer for ourselves as well as our children.

We frequently pray aloud certain scriptures for our children and this is one of the most common prayers.  Over the years, they have heard us pray this verse over them so much, they all can easily recite the list of the fruit of the Spirit.  In addition, this list gives them a set of “surrender goals”.  Goals are something that we work towards on our own.  But we want them to have this list as “surrender goals”—areas they work toward surrendering to the Holy Spirit, that they may step aside and let Him do His mighty work in their lives.