I have a Christopher Robin and a Tigger. My eldest son is mild, kind and wise. My younger son bounces around and never stops. I thank God for them daily, even when one is being the Minister for Justice and the other is being a crazy stuntman. Among the mess, chaos and noise, when the house is quiet and I am tucking their sleepy feet back under the covers, I pray.
I pray that they will have a ‘boring’ testimony. Once I told a friend the story of my surprising conversion in my 30s, from an arrogant atheist to follower of Jesus. She shook her head sadly. “I wish I had an interesting testimony. My testimony is so boring. I mean, I just was never not a Christian.” I remember clasping her hands and saying, “But that’s the testimony I pray my kids will have!”
It’s not that I don’t want the boys to have doubts or to unthinkingly just take my faith as theirs. But I pray fervently that there will be no great rebellion years that end with them walking away. I pray that they will think, wrestle and decide for themselves, but ultimately feel confident in their decision for Christ. I pray they will never know a day when they are not sure that Jesus is their Lord and Saviour and friend.
I don’t pray this because I want them to copy me or fit in at church. Of course, ultimately I pray this because I want them to be safe for eternity with Jesus, for his glory. And I also pray this because I know that as they get older and face tough times, God will be their anchor and comforter. I pray it because I know they will need him when they feel lost or alone, hurt or afraid. I pray it because I know the joy of delighting in God and how much richer life is when we glory in him and reflect his glory out to others. I pray it because I became a Christian later in life—I’ve been where they could be without Jesus. And it’s not a good place. I pray they have the hope of Christ to make sense of their lives and order their lives so they can live it to the full.
I pray for their physical protection. When they came along, I fell in love with them so deeply. And because I love them so deeply, my greatest fears are also tied up in them. But I know the only place to take my fears is to God. I don’t pray that they will live in a bubble. I want them to have a full life of fun and laughter, eating dirt and climbing trees and (probably) breaking the odd bone. But I pray for God’s protection from the darker sides of the world, where there are threats from risky situations and dangerous people.
I pray for them to grow as wise and godly men. As a single mum, this goes hand in hand with my prayers for myself as a mother to help me raise them well. I pray for wisdom as I take the lead spiritually while they are young, but gradually develop their spiritual autonomy and leadership. It is important that I prepare them to be their own men and godly leaders. I need to help ready them so that when they are grown, they are strong Christian men who can exercise godly leadership in their relationships, and aren’t looking for a best friend or wife to replace me as their spiritual leader.
Lastly, I pray things that are specific to them. I pray for resilience for my Christopher Robin and focus for my Tigger. I was greatly impacted by Paul E. Miller’s book, A Praying Life. This really helped me in working out how to invite God into the day-to-day of parenting with a view to their long-term growth, specifically by using Scripture to frame my prayers. It’s easy to forget praying about the day-to-day, but God wants us to talk to him about everything. Encouraged by this, I have been praying for growth in particular areas of my kids’ character. I put before God these areas that I know lie at the root of some of my boys’ daily struggles. This way, I am talking to God about the ins and outs of the boys’ lives which feels helpful and natural. It helps me acknowledge God an integral part of their long-term growth.
These prayers help me as a parent. In praying to God, I am asking him to help me to be his hands and feet in every moment. But I am also trusting my children to him. They are who God made them to be. And he entrusted them to me. I was chosen by him to be their mum. This is a gift and responsibility that I don’t take lightly, but that I do take joyfully, with his help.
Churches are warmly invited to reproduce this article in their newsletters, provided it is reproduced in full and the Australian Church Record is acknowledged as the source, with a link to the original article: https://australianchurchrecord.net/what-i-pray-for-my-kids-with-ruth-baker/
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