Praying for You and Your School Year

This is my prayer for my family as well as yours as you begin (or continue) your school year this year...

"...we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.  May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.  He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."

(Colossians 1:9-14, ESV)

A Prayer for My Children's Mother (Me)

O LORD God of heaven,

The great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love Him and keep His commandments, let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, to hear the prayer of Your servant that I now pray before You day and night for my children.  Grant them continual patience and forbearance to live with me, a wicked parent.  For I have sinned against You; I have acted very corruptly against You by forsaking my responsibility to lead them in righteousness and the fear of You;  I have not kept Your commandments, Your statutes, or the rules that You commanded Your servant Moses.

     Prevent them from following my old self - when I am unfaithful to Your Word, when I neglect prayer, fail to redeem the time, speak carelessly, walk foolishly, fail to hope in You, seek great things for myself, become anxious about tomorrow.  Protect them from my own indwelling sin-when I am beset with the fear of man, the cares of the world, or the love of money.  May they never lose confidence that, in spite of my many iniquities and shortcomings, I am Your servant whom You have redeemed by Your great power and by Your strong hand.

     O Lord, let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant.  May they delight to fear Your name, and give success to them today, and grant them mercy (Nehemiah 1).

From Setting Their Hope in GOD:  Biblical Intercession for Your Children

by Andrew Case

For a free PDF or e-book visit His Magnificence.

Great God of Highest Heaven

I have mentioned my love of the Puritan prayers found in the Valley of Vision prayer book.  Sovereign Grace music has a collection of songs based on these prayers, which can be very helpful to me to sing rather than just to read.  Here are the lyrics of one of my favorites, to start your week. 

O great God of highest heaven
Occupy my lowly heart
Own it all and reign supreme
Conquer every rebel power
Let no vice or sin remain
That resists Your holy war
You have loved and purchased me
Make me Yours forevermore

I was blinded by my sin
Had no ears to hear Your voice
Did not know Your love within
Had no taste for heaven’s joys
Then Your Spirit gave me life
Opened up Your Word to me
Through the gospel of Your Son
Gave me endless hope and peace

Help me now to live a life
That’s dependent on Your grace
Keep my heart and guard my soul
From the evils that I face
You are worthy to be praised
With my every thought and deed
O great God of highest heaven
Glorify Your Name through me
Words and music by Bob Kauflin
As recorded on Valley of Vision
© 2006 Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI).

Hear it here:  Valley of Vision CD

A Prayer for Parenting

I'm busy this week writing lesson plans, going through books, (thinking about) cleaning the school room and starting the countdown to our first day in just four weeks!  In the middle of all that, I really NEED to take the time to pray over our plans and focus on the things that matter most.  But, I have to admit that I'm not a great pray-er.  

I know that I need to first and foremost pray for my boys, but sometimes it seems like I'm just bringing my shopping list before God - first, the staples: Milk, Bread and Eggs (salvation, health and safety).  Then the extras -  character traits I want to see them grow in, or particular needs we have had this week.  I don't like my prayers to feel like a grocery list, so I kind of end up not praying very specifically at all. 

Do you struggle like this, or is it just me?  Anyway, I really want to grow in my prayer life - learning what it is like to really communicate with God, how to persevere in prayer and how to not wander into thinking about my actual grocery shopping list while I pray!

As I start this school year, desiring to incorporate more prayer into my plans, I will share what things have helped, what I have learned and hopefully you will feel comfortable with sharing with me too!  I have found that sometimes it helps to read and pray written prayers to help me to learn how to pray.  I have found great help reading the prayers in the Valley of Vision prayer book.  I also found a resource specifically for praying for your children, called Setting Their Hope in God:  Biblical Intercession for Your Children by Andrew Case.  (It is only 99 cents for Kindle right now!)  I think I might try those resources as part of my morning devotions and when I find something helpful, I will post it here to share with you. 
  
Last school year, I had taped to the cover of my homeschool planner a prayer that I found at Pastor Scotty Smith's blog over at the Gospel Coalition and I wanted to re-post it here for you.  Here is the link to the source, in case you might want to tape it to your homeschool planner!

 
A Prayer For Parenting Our Kids by Faith and Grace

Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep. Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Psalm 127:1-3

Heavenly Father, it’s a liberating joy to address you today as the architect and builder of your own house—including the household of faith and my children’s place in your family. No one cares about and loves our children more than you. I know that now better than ever. Our kids are your heritage.

I grieve the years I spent in pragmatic parenting, assuming if I prayed and parented just right, my kids would be converted at a young age, would never get into big trouble and would be protected from all harm. How naïve on my part. But my rejoicing is much greater than my regretting, for you’ve proven yourself faithful to your covenant love… even when I was overbearing and under-believing.

I praise you for rescuing me from parental “laboring in vain”—assuming a burden you never intended parents to bear. O, the arrogant pride of thinking that by our “good parenting” we can take credit for the encouraging things we see in the lives of our children. O, the undue pressure our children must feel when we parent more out of our fear and pride, rather than by your love and grace. O, the miserable unbelief of assuming that by our “bad parenting” we’ve marred our children forever and have limited what you’ll be able to accomplish in the future.

Father, only you can reveal the glory and grace of Jesus to our children; only you can give anyone a new heart. You’ve called us to parent as an act of worship—to parent “as unto you,” not as a way of saving face, making a name for ourselves, or proving our worthiness of your love. I really believe this, but the move from parenting by grit to parenting by grace has often been three steps forward and two steps back. Take me deeper; take me further.

Since our children and grandchildren are your inheritance, teach us how to care for them as humble stewards, not as anxious owners. Give us quick repentances and observable kindnesses. Constantly remind us that you call us to be faithful parents, not “successful” parents. More than anything else, show us how to parent and grandparent in ways that reveal the unsearchable riches of Christ. Keep teaching us how to love and lead your covenant children “in line with the truth of the gospel” (Gal. 2:14 NIV). Father, dazzle and delight our children with your grace. So very Amen we pray, in Jesus’ faithful and loving name.

How do you make praying for your kids a priority and a habit?  
How do you make it more relational and less like a shopping list? 
What prayer resources do you recommend?

(I look forward to hearing from you!)

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