Faith in Your Family - Praying Parents

The blonde curls bobbed with each bounce of his tiny head. He was praying hard. A simple, sweet, genuine prayer. Hearing his earnest conversation, I thought, how tender it is to hear a little child pray! It’s a reminder to us how sweet and sincere prayer can be. As simple as a child’s prayer may be, we shouldn’t underestimate a little one’s faith. Jesus certainly didn't underestimate the faith of children. In fact, in Mark 10, Jesus instructed his disciples to allow little children to come see Him and said that "The Kingdom of God belongs to them."  Perhaps children's tender hearts are touched deeply by prayers. And in their naïve trusting way, they may understand a more innocent faith. As parents, praying for our child accesses a vital spiritual tool.  Never, ever underestimate the power that you have in leading your child into a relationship with Jesus.  Mom, you can do that by praying for and with your children. Kneel with them beside their bed as they prepare to sleep. Ask for God's blessing on his life. You can also send them off to school in the morning with a family prayer time. And just remember this: God loves your child - even more than you.

Take Action: Pray for your children all during the day, specifically asking God to intercede in their lives, whether it is to help them do well on a test or to handle a relationship with a friend. 

Wisdom from the Word: 
 "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.” Psalm 32:8

“I know, 0 LORD, that a man's life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.” Jeremiah 10:23

The Heart of Your Family at Home

Who are you – at home?  Really, who do your kids see? The person that YOU want them to see or do they see the real you? Perhaps one of the reasons that it is hard for us to be ourselves with our children is that we are very aware that we are setting the example in behavior and words that our kids are to follow. Family research tells us that children really do learn from the example that their parents give them. Focus on the Family research reported that teenagers said they watched certain movies and television shows because it was what their parents watched. And that can be a good thing - or not. One mom that I know watches hours of the Andy Griffith show with her two kids. They are not crazy about the show -- but they are certainly crazy about their mom. And because she spends so much time with them, they indulge her and watch her favorite show with her. As your child’s parent you have a tremendous influence on what kind of things your family will be entertained by. What music, tv shows, movies you like will influence your children’s choices. If you make good choices, it is much more likely that your kids will too. We show our children how to be wise about what is healthy to watch and listen to when we make wise choices ourselves. Remember YOUR kids are always watching YOU.

Take Action: Sit down with your kids one night and look through the tv guide and decide what shows are best to watch and which ones are good influences. Make a tv-viewing program plan and stick with it.

Wisdom from the Word:

“The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”                                  I Samuel 6:7