HOW TO TEACH YOUR KIDS TO PRAY
Guys, parenting can be so hard...am I right? Being a parent is one of the most rewarding yet challenging privileges God gives us. Most days if I can just make it to bedtime without a meltdown (me or the kids) I call it a success. Am I doing enough? Am I being too hard on them? Am I being too easy on them? Am I a bad mom because we ate all 3 meals at Chick-fil-a today? Just a few of the millions of questions I often ask myself. Being able to navigate between teaching responsibility yet not putting too much pressure on them and also grace within the boundaries of expected obedience can cause an inner conflict I'm sure most of us identify with.
You know what I've learned? The great thing is we don't have to manage this parenting thing alone. Not only has God equipped us with exactly what we need to be able to parent well but he also comes along side of us and helps carry the weight. In reality the more willing we are to lean on His understanding of things the less pressure we have on us. Proverbs 22:6 (The Message) "Point your kids in the right direction— when they’re old they won’t be lost." Our job is to help point them to Jesus. I think this starts with making sure you don't parent out of fear. Fear makes you question truth and overanalyze everything. I think it ends up causing you to be an uptight, non relatable, overbearing parent. When you lean into the grace God gives us as parents you learn one of the most valuable things you can be for your kids is a safe place. Let them talk to you. Like actually just talk and don't interrupt with interjections of what should have been done differently. Now that my 2 oldest kids are in middle and high school I am learning how important this is. When they know I'm truly listening and not judging I let them know they can really trust me. They can count on me to keep their secrets and know when I choose to give advice I understand the situation in it's entirety and they trust I have their best interest in mind. Often times when my husband and I encourage them in any area that needs change we give our advice, lay out our clear expectations and then tell them to pray about what they feel God would have them do about it. We follow it up with a conversation later on and make sure we are all on the same page...yes even with Zoe my 5 year old.
From the time my oldest Mia could talk we would pray a prayer with and over her every day. Of course now we do it with Jude and Zoe. It's adapted from Deuteronomy 28 and we just made it more kid-friendly. It started as something cute and empowering for them to declare every day but has actually helped develop the habit in each of them to declare God's promises over their own lives. Another way we can point them to Jesus is by showing them how to pray. Our family does this each day together and I think it really is a great way for them to grow in their own faith. I hope this outpouring of my heart as a mom connects with you today. You aren't alone and you are doing a great job. Just keep loving those babies will the best you have and let God show Himself faithful...He always does.
** I've linked a beautiful printable of our family prayer that my talented friend Andi made just for you! I would love to see pics of how you might end up framing it or hanging it so be sure to tag me on social media☺️💕
**Also, I filmed a super cute video with my little Zoe Rae of her showing you how it's done😉 Make sure you watch her sassy outtakes at the end. She sure makes me laugh and I know you will too!
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