Parenting

The following are seven ways I prayed for my daughter before she returned to God and to me. There are also prayers to personalize for your specific child.

No matter the circumstances, reconciling with an adult child is delicate and personal. You never know how they will react or not react. It's easy to want to go all in, but you should take some steps first to identify why you want to reconcile and the steps you need to take to get there.

We know that you now share things, process decisions, and talk issues through with your spouse first. We will always be here for you, but our goal is not to manipulate you or make you feel guilty for this.

The Bible does not give us explicit guidelines for using social media, but it does provide some principles that can help us, as parents, prayerfully determine how we feel most comfortable using it and how much we should share about our kids' lives online.

This can be a tempting model for Christian parents because it models values like gentleness, patience, and love, which are Fruits of the Spirit and Christ-like virtues. However, we should examine every parenting style, to see whether or not it falls under a model for Biblical parenting, or even a realistic one.

Thankfully, God has guided every moment of our lives with our child, and He has given us the greatest resource He could for parenting: the Bible. It includes several pieces of advice and parenting examples (both dos and don’ts) that are more helpful than a lot of parenting guides out there.

As parents, we must have a firm grip on the gospel ourselves, and be committed to teaching it, speaking of it, and illustrating it in our daily lives, so that our children will not only hear it, but see it and desire it for themselves. Our job is to imprint the truths of the gospel on their minds and hearts, and to pray diligently that the Holy Spirit will draw them, convict them of sin, and give them a clear understanding of the gospel.

Vacation Bible School can plant seeds that last a lifetime—but only if children truly hear and understand the gospel. Here are five specific ways we can pray for that to happen this summer.

Is your child ready to take communion? Here’s how to talk through this sacred moment and prepare them with reverence and gratitude.

There are two “camps” of people on either side of the spectrum. One group is shouting, “Summer camp all the way!” While the rest says, “I’ll not be sending my kid to camp—now or ever!”

The work done by a stay-at-home mom is not easy by any stretch of the imagination. It’s hard, yet it’s fruitful because it’s eternal work. If you get anxious (and you will), pray to our Lord, who is at hand. He’s never far from you. Let Him know how you’re doing and what you need.

The enemy is hard at work, misleading our children in an already hyper-sexualized society with messages about their bodies, love, and marriage. His approach is nothing new, but where the messages were once a bit more subtle, they are now glaringly obvious, blatantly going against God's Word (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Rather than honoring their body as a holy temple, there are endless questions about their gender, pressures to seek sinful pleasures, and temptations to lust after ideal body images or partake in sexual relations that go outside of God's plan.

You know you need to stop giving your children money and volunteering free babysitting, but how can you stand to watch them—or your grandkids—suffer?

Parenting is a blessing, but for many moms and dads, it can also become a source of deep depletion. What does parental burnout reveal about overload, unrealistic expectations, and the false belief that good parents must carry everything? Jesus invites weary parents into rest, wisdom, and faithful stewardship.

The following is certainly not an exhaustive list but comprises of scriptures that will encourage a pregnant mother. They demonstrate the God has his hand on your baby while she is in the womb. You might like to pray through these verses as you are pregnant and claim these promises. Whether you are mother-to-be, grandmother-to-be, Aunty-to-be, or happy friend, your prayers make a difference in her tiny life.

Upgrading your child’s lunch does not have to mean giving them higher-quality meat or baking endless amounts of cookies. Instead, it can be in the form of a loving note from you to them.

Before the rush of school and work, gather your family to seek the Lord. These daily prayers (one for each day of the week) invite God into your home with purpose, peace, and lasting joy.

As school wraps up, the family routine is out the door, vacation is finally on the calendar, and fun memories are waiting to be made.

When we seek God and study His word, our needs are filled so we can love our people from a place of wholeness rather than emptiness. Instead of surviving the empty nest, we just might find ourselves thriving.

Your child may need some friendly reminders and a little coaxing to get everything done in this home stretch. But take the opportunity to also express your pride in the person your child has become.