Beauty

That they would catch a glimpse of the beauty God sees in them.

The created-into-them beauty, the beauty from being made in his own image, the beauty of the hope and potential in them.

***
Now that my little one is napping less, I have to re-adjust my schedule, and this is one of the things that I'm not going to pressure myself to do regularly.  I will still post here once in a while, but not three times weekly like I was.  Keep praying!

Fruit of the Spirit

I want my kids to live lives that display the Fruit of the Spirit.  To be children who learn to be loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, gentle, faithful, good, and self-cotntrolled.  To become adults, in the long run, who have been practicing these things for as long as they can remember.

Lord; this is your work.  I pray you'd grow these in my child. 

I know only the Spirit can develop those in them, but as a parent, I can be the gardener that provides the proper soil, light and water to ensure optimal growing circumstances. 

I pray for wisdom to provide that, and for your Spirit to work in me to grow those so I can be a great model of what it should look like.

Growing Up

Last night I heard a little girl tell me proudly how old she was now after her recent birthday.  I also asked if she was the same age as another girl, and the answer was an emphatic "No! She's still five!" even when her mom confirmed that, yes, they did both just finish Kindergarten.

Growing older is so important to young kids, and rightly so; I pray that we make sure they grow up slow enough, have time to really just be kids, and aren't exposed to things too old for them too soon.

Summer Protection

Lord, as our kids are on holidays from school and doing different summertime activities, I pray you'd protect them from the injuries and illnesses and sunburns that summer sometimes brings.  Keep them guarded and safe; give us parents eyes to see any dangers.

Allowing Failure

I don't like when my daughter has to face the consequences of her actions.  I want to protect her from having to miss out on fun stuff, and don't want her to mope around.  At the same time, when she knows the consequences and still chooses to do what will bring about those consequences, the best thing we can do as parents is stay strong and make her face them.  Along with learning to make right choices, even when it's tough, she'll learn that we are trustworthy and will stand by what we say.  It's important to for kids to know that their parents are reliable.

There's a prayer in there somewhere; it might be for me more than her...

Scripture

So many times in Scripture you read the words, "This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says..."  My prayer today is that our children will read Scripture, love Scripture, and memorize Scripture, so that when any situation comes up, they will be able to say with confidence, "Well, this is what God says about that..."

Marriages

Yesterday my in-laws celebrated 41 years of marriage.  Last week, my former in-laws (I'm working on telling my story here) celebrated 51 years.  Last month, my parents celebrated their 44th anniversary.

And so today, I pray for the future marriages of each of my children, nieces, nephews and sponsored children.  Lord, give them a healthy view of themselves and the patience to wait for the one who will love them they way you designed.  May they keep themselves pure both for themselves and for their future spouse.  May they see us, their parents, modelling a healthy marriage, showing love to each other and handling disagreements in healthy ways.  Protect them from the messages in today's culture that marriage is not important; help us send a stronger message that it is.

Bless them, Lord with wonderful thriving marriages and children of their own.

Camp

Today we head out to our favorite camp for Family Camp.  I pray that all my children have the opportunity to go to a camp geared for kids their age, where they can enjoy creation, wholesome fun, and hear the Gospel in a way they can understand it.  If they don't have the chance for a week at camp, then I pray they would at least have a chance to experience you this summer in ways that they don't throughout the year.

Finishing Well

Today is the last day of school, and while the tests have all been written and the report cards completed, they still have this one day to finish well.  My prayer today, Lord Jesus, is that each one of my children and those in their schools would leave good last impressions on their classmates and teachers.  May they choose to treat each other well, and bite back thoughtless comments.  May they all go home today with a smile on their faces because someone was kind rather than rude, because they were smiled at rather than pushed or ignored.  May they go into summer with hopeful thoughts about school next year, not just relieved that they get a break from it.

Craving & Passionate Clinging

As I've mentioned before, I pray through the Prayer Calendar for Mothers from Inspired to Action.  It has 30 items, and can be used for each of the days of the month, but as I don't have the same weekend and weekday routines, I just go one by one, disregarding the dates.  That's why this week, I was praying #12 on the list, 'A Passion for God.'  I've prayed through this list 3 full times and am on the fourth go-round, but this struck me deeper this time; the words stuck in my head and heart.

"Lord, please instill in my children a soul with a craving for You, a heart that clings passionately to You.  Ps. 63:8"

A soul that craves You.

A heart that clings passionately to You.

Craving.  Clinging passionately.

This is my prayer today, and everyday!  When praying that my children will be generous, courageous, kind and responsible, it all stems from wanting them to have this passion for God.  I pray that all those other good things are the results of true salvation, a love for the Lord, and the desire to live their faith.

Craving & clinging passionately to Jesus.

Amen.

Prayer

When something bad happens to my child, Lord, I pray that their first response is to talk to you about it.  When something good happens to my child, I pray their first response is to talk to you about it.  When they hear of others with needs, I pray their first response is to talk to you about it.  When they wake, when they eat, when they go to bed, I pray they would first turn to you and talk to you.

May prayer be important to them, may they learn to pray continually, and may they learn to love you through it.

Sensitivity to the Needs of Others

Lord, may my children develop a sensitivity to the needs of those around them, and the needs of people far away.  May they not grow up desensitized by news accounts of wars or famines, but may they understand through what they hear that people are suffering and may it cause them to have compassion, pray, and want to help.

Bring People Alongside

Lord, I pray that you would bring people alongside each of these children to teach them what you require, both so they have no excuse, and so they have opportunity to choose you and follow you.

May they learn who you are and what your dream is for them and what you require of us.

Transformed

Lord, today I pray for these children what is written in 2 Corinthians 3:18, that they "with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."

May they, day-to-day in all the small things, make choices to look to you and may they be transformed into children who are unmistakably your sons and daughters.

When people look at my son, they can tell he is ours.  When people look at me, I want them to be able to tell I am yours.

Rejoicing that they are mine!

Rejoice in your children today - Paul writes to the Philippians "I thank my God every time I remember you.  In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy..." Our children are always on our minds, but often (especially as they get older!) it's concerns for this issue or that attitude that we have in our thoughts.  Today, let's simply thank God for them and rejoice that they are ours, issues, attitudes and all!

Health

It hurts to see a child hurting.  I pray for health for my children, for bodies free from disease, infection, and illness.  May they not be prone to accidents and breaks.  Protect them from injury, and may they grow strong and healthy.

Speak Your Words

No one knows the way you move or work, or how you call and stir our souls, but your smallest whisper is greater than any powerful force we can raise.

Lord, speak your words into the life of my child.  Draw this one quietly, powerfully, and forever to you.  Make yourself irresistible to him.

Nature

The big one is off on a school camping trip today.  My prayer for her and her classmates is that through nature, they would see you.  May being out of the city, in a natural setting, cause them to feel at peace, to feel whole, to feel as though it were easier to get along and be kind.  May you speak to them through the fresh spring green, through the sights and smells and sensations.  Draw them to you through this experience.

Worship You Only

I pray that these children would know what other idols are, and choose not to worship them.  May they understand that you are the true only God and nothing else is worthy of pursuit - money, popularity, looks, shopping, other people...  May they worship you only and serve you only.

2 Kings 17

Thankfulness

Half a calendar away from Thanksgiving - I pray that being grateful would be a lifestyle for these children.  I pray that they would know how to be truly thankful, and not just know it the thing to say so they don't get reminded to say it.  I pray they know how fortunate they are to have enough.

Blooming

May this one bloom in spite of what she's seen or what he's experienced.  May each one of these know that just because something has been does not mean that it needs to continue.  Heal emotional scars and create beauty where there has been hurt and pain.  May they bloom in spite of - and perhaps because of? - the negatives they have experienced.

Character

I pray today for strength of character. 

My greatest prayer for each of these children is salvation - that they would truly know you and love you. 

My second is that they would live lives through which you truly shine. 

May their character be strong, true, faithful, pure, loving and kind.  May they be aware that the choices they make define who they are and form their character.  May they make their choices based on an inner strength that comes from you, and may their character be strengthened each year as they do.

What You Value

I have been reading a friend's blog that chronicles their family's 3 month trip to Africa, and how she hopes it will impact their two boys.  May all of our children have experiences that reveal you to them - your heart and your care for others.  May they have experiences that shock them out of their consumer mindsets, and may they understand what has true value in your eyes.

Mothers

My prayer for my children this morning is one of gratitude and thanksgiving for them.

Psalm 113 is a Psalm of praise, and one that I read not long after Nolan was born.  It has a phrase at the end that has stuck with me - "He settles the childless woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Praise the Lord."  A happy mother of children.  I was not childless before, but with Nolan's arrival, this plural - children - is now my status. I am happy with my role as their mom and am grateful to the one who has given me these two gifts to enjoy and to mother.

Love

"I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning.  I ask that we love one another.  And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands.  As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love."
(2 John 5&6)

A great circle - love by obeying, and the command to obey is to love.

So much comes back to love; I pray that these children meet Jesus, who IS love, and learn how to love others.

The Fruit of the Spirit

May someone in her world today show love to another.
May someone express true joy that in turn delights those around them.
May someone today be a peacemaker and heal instead of cause conflict.
May one of their classmates show patience to another.
May they all be kind.
May gentleness diffuse anger in their class.
May they be faithful to their friends, not changing loyalties to search for popularity.
May they choose to be generous and choose to be good.
May someone today in her world exercise self-control.
May your spirit be given good soil to grow these things in these kids.

(The 'Fruit of the Spirit' are found in Galatians 5:22 & 23)

Losing or Winning

May this child develop a healthy attitude toward winning and losing.  May they both challenge her to work on weak areas and to inspire her to try harder.  May her treatment of the other team or person be with the same respect either way.

Discipline

...we have all had parents who disciplined us and we respected them for it... Our parents disciplined us for a little while as they thought best... No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.  Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.  - Hebrews 12:9-11

May we as parents persevere, and may our children be trained well by our careful discipline.  May theirs truly be a harvest of righteousness and peace.

At Peace With Everyone

Make every Effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.  - Hebrews 12:14

May they be peacemakers in their schools and in their homes, and value a peaceful life.

Love & Hospitality

Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters.  Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. - Hebrews 13:1,2

May these children see others in a good light, as people worthy of treating well.  May they see them as family or respected strangers, even though they may be wearing the disguise of a classmate they see every day and sometimes have a hard time liking.  This is a hard thing, but I pray that you would help these children have your perspective on people, and the ability to be genuine in their love and good treatment of all others.

The Wisdom Filter

I pray for their ability to filter the things that make them upset, sad, angry and disappointed through the 'wisdom' part of their brains and souls before they let their faces and voices respond in a way that's not appropriate.  Help them learn to deal well with the negatives in life.

Wisdom not Folly

May she understand, at her core, the difference between wisdom and folly and may she choose wisely.

When she rebels against us, I pray that she keeps you in mind still and turns to respect and submit to authority.

May she be creative, imaginative and exploratory all in ways that bring you glory, not in foolish ways.

Disappointments

I pray that when circumstances around them are disappointing (like a rained out class outing), they would understand that they still have the power to control their attitudes.  My they learn to express their hurts and negative emotions in ways that are constructive and don't hurt other people.

Chores

I find it hard sometimes to ask my child to do something I know she won't like... Help me know what things need to be asked and what things can be ignored.  Help me remember that my child won't grow strong unless she disciplines herself through - and I make her do - hard things.  Help me develop a thick skin to her negative reactions and teach her how to respond appropriately.

Healthy Bodies

Lord, as these children get older and begin to make decisions for themselves, I pray they would choose to look after their bodies.  I pray they would choose to eat healthy foods, and not eat solely for pleasure.  I pray they would choose activity over being sedentary.  May they value feeling good and healthy and make choices to take themselves in that direction.

The Way He Loves

I pray that this child loves you with a life long devotion that is evident in the things he does, the way he does them, and to all who surround him.

Easter!

He is Risen!  He is Risen, Indeed!

May the last few days for these children have included a celebration; may they have heard the story of the miraculous and been amazed at your power.  May they have been captivated by the one who can move mountains and beat death and grow new life. 

May they see this spring season as a celebration, a coming to life, that echoes how you once brought the dead to life to save the world.  Our earth around us shouts that truth.  May these young eyes be wise enough to see it and be amazed by you.

Good Friday

Father God, may each of these children that I care about know today that you love them.  May they know the measures that you took to allow them to be close to you.  May they hear what Jesus went through on the first Good Friday and understand that it was done for them.  May we model sacrificial love for them, but may we point them to the one who gave it all and loves them far more than we possible can.  Draw them to you through your Son, Jesus Christ.

May they understand their need for forgiveness and accept your gift of forgiveness and cleansing and fresh starts.  May they grow up knowing how to repent and start anew.  May they come back to the cross time and time again, knowing your sacrifice and loving you for it.

Draw them, Lord Jesus, draw them to you.

The Spiritual Side

Today is the last day of school before the kids are out for a week and a half Easter break.  Lord, I pray that they would hear this year, for the first time or the hundredth, what Easter is all about.  I pray that they would be told what is good about Good Friday.  I pray for the adults in the lives of each of these kids at M's school, and for each of my nieces and nephews, to be bold in taking the opportunity to tell your story.  May your story be fresh in each of these little one's hearts this weekend, and may they understand that the Easter break is not just a holiday away from school, but a celebration of how you have redeemed us for yourself.

Responsibility

I pray for these children in the process of learning responsibility.  May we as parents have the proper balance of high expectations and appropriate discipline, and also grace & kindness.

May my girl know she is loved and not just feel hard done by.  may she see the end result and what that for herself and try.

Wisdom & Foolishness & Popularity

Weaken the power of those who oppose my child; may their influence be revealed for the foolishness that it is.  May the righteousness of those who follow you seem more appealing.

May her peers prefer to follow right and true ways rather than foolishness that will lead to wickedness.

May she see what is popular in the right light, through the filter of wisdom.

May she understand that popularity that will last is the kindness in a person, and not come from following external fads or treating others in a lowly manner.

Camps

I pray today that children have opportunities to go to camps - places where they can learn about you from adults willing to share their lives and show them a great time.  Places where the quiet and your nature can speak for you.  Places where good is encouraged and your word is taught unashamedly.

Your Word

I pray that all these children would be educated in your word.  That parents would read to them from Scripture and let your word do its work.  That we wouldn't just teach values and behavior, but give them solid food - straight from Scripture - to chew on.  May they know, respect and value your word and always hold their Bible as their most prized possession.

May They Thrive

I pray that my children would thrive in new experiences - that more responsibility, being on a team, adapting to changes - would all contribute to them being happy individuals. 

May opportunities for growth like these not cause them too much stress, but bring them joy.

May They Desire You

My greatest prayer is that these children would desire you and seek you.  Behaviors will fall into place as hearts settle into the right place with you.

May they love you.  May they be overwhelmed by the love you have for them and may they desire to give you their whole lives.

Your Word

I pray that the words I have read to her in the mornings from Your Word will not return void.

Plant them in her heart where she treasures her valuables.

Plant them in her mind where she makes her decisions.

Give them root and make them grow.

Created this way by You

Keep far from her mind the irrational throughts that lead to low self esteem; remind her always that you created her, she is yours, and you love her the way she is - that you created her the way she is.

I pray that as she looks at herself and at others, she'd see the similarities - that you created and love each one - rather than the differences to compare.

Learning

Help me be patient with my child and to remember that we often learn by repetition - I will have to walk them through things more than once.  It's not fair to them to expect perfection, or to expect a job well done after only one or two times.

Being Thankful

May I grasp spiritual truths and live them in a way that she also may fully understand.

May she learn to be thankful, to see each moment and all of life's happenings as a gift from you.  May she fully live as she learns to be fully grateful.

Weighing Things Properly

Lord, I pray for our children's ability to properly weigh what messages they get throughout the day.

May the themes of the inappropriate songs they hear not carry more weight than what they have been taught in our homes.

May encouraging words bring them up more than negative ones bring them down.

May your word be read to them daily so they have a firm foundation on which to weigh all these other messages.

May they trust the words and wisdom of their parents over the foolishness of some 'friends'.

May your love be the bottom line that they weight everything else against.

May we be diligent to teach them your love, by our words and actions.

Amen.

Responsibility

We are currently having growing pains in this family as we try to help the oldest learn responsibility.  It's not been the easiest thing for any of us; my prayer is that we would persevere, with grace and kindness, and that she would understand how much better it is, for her character and reputation, to take ownership of her mistakes, to think ahead, and to try hard to be responsible.

Shining Brightly

A morning with the sun reflecting brightly off the bus - made me think wouldn't it be awesome if those kids with Christ at their center shone like that all day long and brought light & joy to their teachers & classmates?  Lord, may your children be set apart - may their actions and attitudes be pointing the way to you & be making their world a better place.

Matthew 5:16  "...let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

Beauty

I pray for my girl's view of beauty.  I pray she knows the difference between inner and outer beauty, and puts  the proper importance on each.  May she develop a beautiful character and learn to look for the beauty in others.  May she recognize the beauty of a smile and in a positive attitude.  May she radiate beauty because she has you at her center.

Praying for this Newborn

This blog has been quiet for two weeks with a good reason.  The 'inside' baby that was one of my children I was praying for is now an 'outside' baby with a name and an adorable face.

This is Nolan.  He has been a joy to welcome into our family.  Born January 19, he's 11 days old now.  That photo was taken at 3 days old.

Our prayer for him is that he would grow up to be a  man after God's own heart.  That we would raise him to be honest, kind, loving, creative, happy, a good friend & good influence...  That he would know God's plan for him as God reveals it, and would follow it joyfully.  Pray that with us for him, would you?  He is a fresh boy, full of potential and hope.  Our other, older, children may have made choices that we wished they had not, but they are no less full of potential.  Let's keep praying for them all.

Joy

Today I pray simply for joy for my child.  May she be concerned with nothing she needs, but enjoy each moment, each person, and spread joy wherever she goes and in whatever she does.

A cheerful heart is good medicine (Proverbs 17:22).  May she be healing to those around her today because of her joy.

Perspective

I pray today for proper perspective - not that they are the most important person in the world, but that they are their own best teacher.  They will turn out to be what they see themselves as.  May they aspire to be kind, nice, and influential for good, rather than rich, powerful, and popular.  May they not see their world as unfair, but instead decide how to live in light of their circumstances.

Scripture Songs

I read a verse today and in my head started singing it - it was one from a chapter that we learned thoroughly through a kid's video when M was young.

Lord, I pray that you would provide many ways like that for your word and your values to become ingrained in these children.  That it becomes part of who they are; that they welcome you to become part of who they are, in all areas of their lives.

Back at it.

Holidays are over and I am once again sitting watching for the bus.  I hope this Christmas you were able to spend time with some of the children you are praying for.

I read a great verse in Titus today, prompted by the mom's prayer guide (humility was the word of the day) - Titus 3:2 says "... to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone."  Wouldn't it be wonderful if that characterized all our children?  That's what I'm praying today.