I have always been an avid reader. Now that I'm a parent I read less but I still long for more information. More than I would have ever imagined. You see if I don't understand something (like my children) I have a tendancy to research things and want to read, read, read everything about what I'm experiencing.

Recently, I've been reading The New Strong-Willed Child written by Dr. James Dobson. (Don't ask why...that's another blog post!) Like most books Dobson has written, this one is packed with some good stuff. It has a lot on how to deal with discipline issues. I encourage you to read it. I just finished it though and he ended with some great encouragement for parents of kids of all ages and I wanted to share a snipit with you. So here goes:

"...I urge you to hold your children before the Lord in fervent prayer day by day by day. Begin every morning with a prayer for wisdom and guidance. I am convinced that there is no other true source of confidence in parenting. There is not enough knowledge in the books, mine or anyone else's, to counteract the evil that surrounds our kids today. We must bathe them in fervent prayer when we are in our prayer closet, saying words similar to these:

'Lord, You know my inadequacies. You know my weaknesses, not only in parenting but in every area of my life. I'm doing the best I can to raise my kids properly, but it may not be good enough. As You provided the fish and the loaves to feed the five thousand hungry people, now take my meager effort and use it to bless my family. Make up for the things I do wrong. Satisfy the needs that I have not met. Compensate for my blunders and mistakes. Wrap Your great arms around my children, and hold them close to You. And be there when they stand at the great crossroads between right and wrong. All I can give them is my best, and I will continue to do that. I submit to You now and rededicate myself to the task You have placed before me. The outcome rests securely in Your hands.'

I've found that God is faithful, as a loving Father, to hear and answer that cry of the heart. Turn to Him for solace when you've reached the end of your rope. He will be there to comfort you and work within the soul of your beloved child. ..." excerpt taken from The New Strong-Willed Child by Dr. James Dobson, copyright 1978, 2004.

My prayer is that we, as parents, would all adopt the practice of going to the Lord each and every morning with a prayer similar to the one Dobson wrote. There is power in prayer. Whether your child is 2 months old or 15 years old, we need to bathe them in prayer and ask God to protect them. They are precious blessings in our lives. And, if you are struggling with something, read, read, read more about it. Knowledge is power.

3 comments

1. Anonymous on May 9, 2008 at 8:55 AM

   Thanks for the reminder, Heidi!

    
2. Clements, party of 5 on May 13, 2008 at 9:02 AM

   AMEN! AMEN! AMEN!
   
   Now I need to go and pray!

    
3. Chris on May 16, 2008 at 12:33 AM

   Great word, Heidi and one I needed to hear. You can't ever pray enough when it comes to your kids.