I collect parenting books. It doesn’t mean I read them all. But I do collect them. Maybe it makes me feel like a better parent just owning them? Maybe I’ll learn by osmosis?
Anywhoo.
I got an email from Tommy Nelson a few weeks ago about a new parenting book. I wasn’t going to review it because I knew it would join stacks of parenting books waiting for me to finish. But the title got me: Raising Your Kids To Love the Lord. I mean, that’s it. That’s all I want to do. I don’t care about my kids’ GPA, if they make the Varsity team or have a bunch of friends. I just want them to love the Lord.
The chapter is simply about prayer. I’ve written about prayer on my blog before. I update our Facebook page with prayers every morning (well, at least as often as I can. And have you seen my photo prayers this week?!). I am all for praying for our kids. This book, however, got me thinking more about teaching our kids to pray for themselves!
The author, Dave Stone tells a story about his 8th grade daughter wanting to transfer to a different school. They discuss it and finally decide to pray about it–and let their daughter pray about it. And ultimately do whatever their daughter thought the Lord was telling her.
Whoa.
Letting an 8th grader decide on her school?! It seems insane! Their daughter took this assignment seriously and came back to her parents saying that God told her to stay at her original school. She ended up being the Class President and very influential in her school!
Stone says, “If that sounds mystical…think about Samuel…he answered God’s call, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening.'” That was a sucker-punch to me (and where I started crying). We JUST read that story (in our The Story Bible) last night and the kids thought it was awesome that God was calling Samuel. I even prayed during bedtime prayers that Lydia and Asa would respond to God’s voice just as Samuel had.
So for me to read, the very next morning, about a real 8th grade example of this? To see a child actually seek the Lord, hear Him and act on it is so encouraging! Stone finished with this, “Maybe your children need to practice self-control or show kindness to a sibling. Perhaps they need courage to make wise and God-honoring choices. Teach them to pray. Trust them. Trust God. Give it a try. You’ll be amazed.”
That last paragraph put tears streaming down my cheeks. These last few days (our first week of summer vacation!) I have been so excited about just chilling with my kids–relaxing, reading, cleaning the house, going on adventures and more. Instead, these last 3 days have been FULL of whining, complaining and disobedience. I sent Lydia to her room the other day simply because I could not, for the life of me, think of the right way to discipline. I felt like she didn’t even recognize that what she had done was sin.
I had never thought to ask my kids to pray about their behavior. When Lydia needs to have self-control? When Asa needs to stop whining? When they need to stop arguing? Maybe I should stop and pray with them? Maybe lead them in a prayer to ask Jesus to help and lead them away from sinful behavior?
I’m really intrigued by this idea. I think it would help them confront their sin issues head on with prayer. I want their first response to sin (or any problem) to be to turn to the Lord anyway. Maybe this is good for those things that I just can’t seem to get through to them? The issues that I know are sin and could take over if we don’t stop them?
What do you think? Do you help your kids pray for repentance and guidance even at a young age?
Sounds like a parenting book that I would actually read! I would love to teach my kids to pray for themselves about everything and anything!!
Since our oldest is 3 we’ve been praying “thankful” prayers for a while. However, now that he’s starting to pray on his own I’ve realized that he’s doing the same thing…thank you for x, y, z. It’s definitely time to being praying more biblical prayers so I would love to read this book! Thanks for the great recap!
I’m intrigued as well! In our home we talk about prayer and model it, but my kids don’t seem that interested in doing it for themselves. I ask them if they want to pray, and most often they say no. But my oldest, who is 7, will say things that indicate she does pray on her own, when no one else is around to hear her. But I want to be more intentional about encouraging her to pray!
And I love the idea you quoted from the book about kids listening to God and hearing from Him. I believe they are fully capable of it, but for some reason we adults don’t always recognize that. This book sounds really good and something I would love to read right now.
I love to hear my 3 year-old pray to Jesus! For example, whenever she can’t find a toy I encourage her to pray and ask Jesus to help her find it! He knows everything, even where lost/misplaced toys are 🙂 I can’t wait to hear how her prayers change as she grows closer to God!
This sounds like a great book because this too is my main purpose as a mother and what I am passionate about!
Wow this book sounds great
I love the idea. Jack is 3 and he says pirates at meals and becomes and we’ve just started learning bible verses. If he can do that he can pray for himself. Sometimes we need to dream big for Gods possibilities in the life of our children as big as we do for our own walk with God.
You might also like “A Praying Life.”
I have prayed consistently for my boys that God would reveal himself to them at an early age.
I pray with my oldest when he’s struggling with a particular sin.
The other day, he said to me (he’s 5), “Mommy, the other night, I asked God to forgive me when I was lying in my bed, and a few minutes later, He told me that He did. He really did, Mom!” Gave me chills….
This is so timely. I just started having my littles, ages 2 and 4, repeat prayers of repentence. I would love to win this as I really desire to disciple their hearts toward the Lord.
We are always mentoring.
Thank you for this post! This is a new way of thinking for me. I feel like we’re teaching our son to pray for others, but why have we not thought to impress upon him the importance of praying about his sin?! So basic! Thanks for the “awakener”!
This morning my daughter told me about a prayer she prays for herself with her chronic illness…she’s 6. I was so glad she is learning to trust God for herself and think this book sounds like a great read.
I pray with my kids every night but mostly they pray thanking God for things, not really requesting things. If they do have a request, it is almost never about themselves but about someone else. This is a great post for me to think about.
This sounds like a great book! I wasn’t raised with a focus on Christ, but am desiring that for our children, now 8 months & 22 months. I need all the help, direction & ideas I can get! Thanks for you’re review of this book.
Would like to win!
We’ve had our four year old pray a for God to help him make wise choices and to obey Him. All about learning how to do this more effectively!
I am a bit of a parenting book collector as well, and think this would be a great book to add to my collection.
One thing that works really well (when I remember to encourage it) is to have our children “run to me to pray”. When they are angry and about to hit… they run to me, and I help them pray. When they are sad… they run to me, and I help them pray. This teaches them that in all these different circumstances, their first reaction should be to run to God!
Blessings,
Jessica
We just got our 2 year old asking blessings over people he chooses.
I have struggled to pray with my daughter but I have found it most rewarding when at night she prays for her mommy and daddy. A couple of weeks ago she prayed that God would come and live in her heart and make her love him. It brought tears to my eyes to see my daughter pray in such a way.
I love to listen to my girls pray… It gives such a sweet glimpse into their little souls!
I would love to win this book…I definitely need some help in this area. I think it sounds like a wonderful idea to teach kids at a young age to pray for themselves. Thanks for the review!
Thanks for the post! I cannot wait to read this book! I do not have kiddos of my own yet but am currently working in children’s ministry at a church. This sounds like a perfect resource to pass on to parents! Thanks!
Last school year ended in complete disaster. The much anticipated family togetherness time turned the kids into bickering heathens and me into mom-zilla. Ashamed at my own behavior I leapt at the opportunity to take a parenting class at a local church. It gave me a few new tools for my arsenal as household referee and peacekeeper. However, I am almost convinced that the end of the school year may be marked with an adjustment period.
This past Friday my son had just 2 hours of school and then summer break officially began. To celebrate I took him and my 4 year old daughter to a children’s museum to celebrate. The summertime adjustment period started almost immediately with grumbling and antagonistic behavior. What is a mom to do besides pray?
Like you, I have a slew of parenting books. Maybe it’s my OCD but I have a desire to do this thing called motherhood perfectly. To lay in bed at night and review the day with as few regrets as possible. I know that I will never be perfect but I will always be prayerful. Thank you for the review and an opportunity to win this book. It may add yet another tool to my cache but more importantly help encourage my children’s personal relationships with the Lord and to equip them to pray for themselves and others.
What a great thing to think about. It’s hard to pray for myself and I can see how my daughter can learn the same bad habit from me. I would live to win.
I need this book:) I read your post while I was in the middle of figuring out how to keep my daughter in er room for her break time. I think she came out almost 20 times! It was good to read this as I awaited her next time coming out of her room:) I would LOVE to read this…as that is all I hope for my kiddos too!!
My daughter taught me a huge lesson about prayer when she was 5 years old. We had been visiting my sister and were just about to leave for the 300 mile drive home. We couldn’t find my daughter’s beloved Lambie (her stuffed animal) anywhere. Aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, all searched the house, and we didn’t know what to do (to leave Lambie behind wasn’t an option). We searched for about 1/2 hour. Then my sister gestured for me to come and see; and right there in the middle of the hallway, oblivious to all of the activity around her, was my precious daughter, eyes closed and lips silently forming words, praying that Jesus would show us where Lambie was. And at that moment, my other sister found Lambie. This was a huge faith-building experience for all of us, and I still cry just thinking about it.
This book sounds amazing. I’m going to definitely read it. My daughter is only 15 months, but most of the time when she gets whiny I do one of those quick “dear Lord help me be patient” prayers. Maybe I need to pray with/for her when she starts melting down even when she’s young.
Wow, I love how God speaks to me through the blogs I read. The material usually seems right on cue to what I’m dealing with in my life. I’ve recently returned to church…after an entire lifetime, so my relationship with Jesus is new and quite awkward. I’ve brought my 6 year old daughter on the journey cause I know how much was missing from my life not having known God from an early age. She’s so dismissive and often mean spirited when asked to pray, to give thanks and praise Him for all that we have. I feel I’m forcing her and she’s doing it out of obligation, lest she have privileges removed… I’d love to learn how to bring her closer to God and teach her how to talk with Him and depend on Him so that the relationship will be firmly rooted into adulthood. Thanks for sharing such needed knowledge!
I just discovered your blog last week. I LOVE it. I am a director at our church preschool and my husband was just called to serve as the Children’s Pastor last month. We would LOVE love love to win this book!!! I imagine we would be sharing it often with others!
Sabrina
Wow, I could really use this book. We have been struggling greatly with the behaviors in our home. I find myself losing hope at times, forgetting to pray- & certainly not remembering to lead my children to pray!
This was a interesting idea for me. I just tried this with my 4 year old (tried a bunch of other things to help him deal with his anger – why not try praying)
Donovan has quite an issue with anger – and a negative spirit at times, too – so we have been working on “throwing up” prayers to God in the moment. When he get s so mad he can’t see straight, I ask him to cry out to God just a “Help me, Lord!” and let the Lord work in him… it’s giving him an immediate way to ask for help instead of giving way to his anger.
I think it is very important to encourage kids to turn to prayer and God’s Word, even from a young age.
Our children praying for themselves and their own behavior makes perfect sense. Think I can teach my almost-16-month-old to pray not to tantrum? 🙂 I’d love to get into the habit of leading him in prayer about his behavior and choices.
I would love to read this. Our daughters are 5 and 18 months. Our oldest daughter’s prayers are beautiful. Even our 18 month old wants her turn where she murmors a few things and says “maymean.” I want to see them grow spiritually with all my heart.
This sounds like a great book. Enjoyed reading your review about it. Thanks
Why have I never thought to pray with my daughter when she is being disobedient? I pray about it, but not with her about it. I want her to turn to the Lord for everything and I think this would be a wonderful way to start. I would like to read this entire book! It sounds inspirational! Thanks for posting.
Yep. Certainly could use this at our funny farm. : )
Wow. That sounds like a wonderful resource. I like you have a collection of parenting books that are not all read! It sounds like I wouldn’t be able to put this one down. Thanks for letting us know about it! Love your blog.
oh I want this book!
I had a similar experience with my daughter and homeschooling. She did not want to and I did. I told her we would both pray for 2 weeks to see if God would change her mind or mine. (But I did tell her ultimately Dad and I would decide. . .)
After the 2 weeks (or before??) she came to me to say that she realized God wanted her to homeschool longer.
Wow. 😉 And yes – you can teach your children to pray about everything!
Oh that is the desire of my heart too. That title draws me in.
This sounds like a great book that we could really use. We pray with our kids but could really use something to help with behavior. Sure makes sense that it would be pray!
So excited! Just put this book on my to-read list a few weeks ago. We are pretty open about popcorn prayers in our house – pray when you need to… but we also have a prayer pail that we draw from for our meal prayer time. I love when the kids think to add someone to it. Thanks for the opportunity!
Yes!! That’s my hearts desire and so many times I fail to represent Jesus. Would love to read this
I have 3 boys under 4. I am very controlling. Just reading your summary made be think about the areas where I really need to let go and trust the Lord when it comes to parenting! Such a hard thing to do!
I have so many great stories about prayer from my now 6 year old. Today we talked about the Disney movie Mulan and how Mulan was praying to her ancestors. It was a great teachable moment because we talked about what that means and who we pray to… the ONLY one we pray to. She was concerned that if Mulan didn’t know Jesus would she go to heaven?
When we pray together at night, I try to talk with her first about what she might want to pray for and I make suggestions based on the ACTS model (adoration, confession, thanksgiving, supplication). So I ask her what she wants to thank God for, if there is anything she wants to tell God she is sorry for, and if there is anyone (herself included) that might need God’s help with something. I want to make prayer a more integral part of our day instead of only at night, and I love the thought of praying when we need self control, patience, etc. Great post! Thank you and thanks for the book recommendation!
This book sounds awesome!
My girls are still young (3 and 5 months) but, we always add prayer time with our nightly routine and to watch my 3 year old as she names all the people in her life that she wants to pray for always warms my heart. Raising the girls to love the Lord is something that I thrive to do as they grow up.
What an interesting read this would be. We’ve prayed with our kids and taught them to pray to be better – but not intentional prayers of exact behavior. Or their own words. Wow. Thank you for opening my eyes to this and for allowing us the opportunity to win this book!
My 5 year old and I are working on stopping in the moment and asking God for help. Sometimes he says, “mom, I prayed and just caught myself!” Would love to read the book!