Parenting With Prayer
Awhile back, I prayed to be a better parent and felt as if I was failing miserably. I had limited energy and could take only so much back talk and negative attitude. The kids were filled with a spirit of rebellion and anger. I put myself to bed before the kids one night because of my frustration with the situation. I was not enjoying my children. My frustration rose as I tried to deal with them in my own strength and not rely on God’s strength.
I lived like that for two whole weeks. First, I prayed to be a good parent. Then chaos erupted. The enemy attacked me and challenged me to be a good parent in the midst of upheaval. Of course I failed.
But had I called on the Lord’s strength instead of my own, I could have better handled those two weeks. The battle is not only between my children and me. It’s a spiritual battle over us between good in us and evil. I am no good in a spiritual battle without God.
I felt beaten, drained and grumpy. I was in my own strength, so instead of praying to be a good parent, I needed to pray to be a praying parent. I needed to realize that each day belongs to the Lord and each battle is His.
It shouldn’t be a struggle for us to raise our children. We need to pray for them to be free of enemy influence. We need to pray to strengthen their character to empower them to deal with enemy influences on their own in our absence. We need to pray for energy and enthusiasm from God everyday. The enemy would like nothing more than for us to be tired and frustrated with our children. He wants to steal our joy, rob us of a wonderful time in our lives, and kill our enthusiasm.
God wants to fill us with peace, joy and love. He tells us to enjoy our children and He will take care of the battle. We need to turn to Him, the Father, to care for our children and do as He instructs us to do as parents.
Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4 NIV).
Kimberley Payne is a motivational speaker and author. Her writings relate raising a family, pursuing a healthy lifestyle, and everyday experiences to building a relationship with God. Through her work, Kimberley hopes to inspire people to live their life to glorify God. You can visit her website at www.kimberleypayne.com
