It has taken me a whole month to even begin my New Year’s goal of waking up before my kids. Asa regularly wakes up at…wait, he doesn’t REGULARLY wake up. Some days its 5:30, sometimes 6:00 and when we’re really lucky it’s 6:30. Nonetheless, I was feeling grumpy regardless of when he woke, I was taking showers at 5:45pm and not getting my day started until naptimes!
So, I bit the bullet and decided I had to wake up early. I wasn’t so deluded to think that I’d shower, exercise and make breakfast before the kids woke up. Oh no, I just decided I had to get up early enough to do ONE of those things. I didn’t care which one.
I’m going to be completely honest and say that this is only the 2nd day I’ve woken up early. I was staring at my clock at 5:59 this morning. Begging it to stay there. Finally at 6:02 I crawled out of bed, grabbed a blanket, my Bible and a notebook and sat at the kitchen table.
I wrote a little, read a little and then decided I’d make a list of people and situations to pray for. Then I remembered! I have a calendar of prayer points—to pray for your children. And who else do I want (NEED) to pray for than my kids? You’d think as a mom, you’d pray for your kids all the time, right? Sure, I pray for them. But mostly it’s, “please let him stop crying.” OR “please help me figure out how to help her obey” and “God is great, God is good…”.
Today’s prayer was labeled: SALVATION.
*sigh*
Isn’t that my goal? Isn’t that the reason I stay home? Teach my kids Bible stories? Do crafts? Play games? Sing songs? I do these things to show them Jesus so they will look for and receive SALVATION from Him! And I thought this getting up early thing was going to be so I could get a shower in! The prayer was a simple one based on Isaiah 45:8 and 2 Timothy 2:10…
Lord, let salvation spring up within my children that they may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.
So. Now my goal in the morning is not to get a shower, to make breakfast or to do yoga. It’s to pray for my kids. It’s to read that little prayer, get it into my heart and mind so I can focus on it the rest of the day. So I can do my “job” of being a mother with the leadership of Jesus.
And for the record? This morning I read my Bible, exercised, took a shower AND made breakfast before the kids got up!
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More amazing and totally worth your time resources to help you pray for your children:
Prayer Calendar from Inspired to Action (scroll down, it’s under Downloadable Resources)
7 Prayers from Tricia Goyer
Alllll the posts I’ve written about prayer. *grin*
Tracey says
Amen! Thank you for the reminder that by focusing on our ultimate goal with our children, the menial tasks and daily chores take on a spiritual meaning. Both of my daughters have made a profession of faith, yet I continue to pray for spiritual growth in their lives as well as for myself – that I might model for them the Christian lady that I hope they will grow up to be.
.-= Tracey´s last blog ..2010 Goals, January Update =-.
Leigh says
GIRL! I woke up early today, too! I got up at 5, and did everything, too… What an amazing way to start the day!
Thanks for the resources on prayer!
Hillary @ The Other Mama says
Well, you know of course, that I agree with you, here! So funny that we posted the same things on the same day! You think God is trying to tell us something? 🙂
can’t wait to hug your neck soon!
.-= Hillary @ The Other Mama´s last blog ..Praying for our Children =-.
elizabeth c. says
i keep telling myself that i am going to do this…it is always so wonderful and worth it…hopefully your posts will be the boost i need …(though it is so hard when the baby wakes to be nursed at 4:30, and then trying to get up before 6 :} *sigh*
Jodi says
What a great prayer to focus our parenting where it should be – on the gospel! Thanks for sharing 🙂
That’s awesome that you’re getting up early! I’ve just started this too, and I feel like a lot of people I know have just started at the same time. It’s been a great new habit for me so far, and it’s good to have so much moral support in other mommies I know 🙂
.-= Jodi´s last blog ..The New Girl =-.
Kat @ Inspiredtoaction.com says
Wow. Thanks so much for telling your reader about the ebook and blog series. I’m honored to be among such a great list of resources!
.-= Kat @ Inspiredtoaction.com´s last blog ..The Key To An Effective Routine: Create The Habit =-.