Parenting Children - September 29, 2012

Day 46 - Praying for our children

• never too soon to start (see the account of John the Baptist in the womb in Luke 1:44, The Bible)
• never too late to start (see the Parable of the Lost Son in Luke 15: 11-24, The Bible)
• turn fears and longings into prayers
• when to pray:

o with them before they go to sleep
o teaching them to pray (thank you, sorry, please)
o on our own
o with others
o in traffic jams or when cleaning up or ironing
• when prompted (often at moments of potential danger or temptation for our child)
• everyday

what to pray for:
• friendships
• schools
• their health
• their safety
• their marriage partner (most children will marry one day and their marriage partner may well already be alive somewhere)
• their response to God's love
• their characters - use the fruit of the Spirit as a list to pray through: love. joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (see Galatians 5: 22-23, The Bible)
• pray with them, particularly at bedtime
• pray for yourselves as parents

Question:
Take some time to pray for your child(ren), and plan to make it a regular routine.

From Series: "Parenting Children Ages 0-10"

Study Guide

More Messages Associated With "Family"...

Powered by Series Engine


We look at the role of listening and attention-giving in effective communications.2. Learn to listen

  • treat them like young adults (not children)
  • Listen carefully to their views and feelings
  • Effective communication requires that parents
    • learn to speak with their teenager rather than at their teenager (Gary Chapman, The Five Love Languages of Teenagers)
    • engage in discussion and be prepared to debate the issues rather than repeating Simplistic slogans such as “You’re too young to have a boyfriend” or “drugs are dangerous”

3. Give your full attention

  • recognize the important moments to listen and give your full attention
  • don’t try to listen to your teenager while doing something else at the same time

maintain eye contact; observe your teenager’s body language

When have you had your best conversations with your teenager?