Praying for my children

Do you purposefully pray for your children? 

I mean beyond “Please God keep them safe"?

I have done different praying at different times in their(my) lives. 

1.  Infant—Please HELP me God, I don’t know what I am doing.

2.  Infant—Please God just a few minutes of sleep?

3.  2 years—Please HELP me God, I may loose my mind.

4.  3 years—Please God will he/she ever go in the potty?

5.  Middle Years—Please HELP me God, you meant them to be my kids right?  They are so strange.

 

6.  Middle Years—Please God will they survive to be adults?

7.  Teen Years—Oh Lord, you and me right?  HELP!

 

8.  Teen Years—Lord help them to be pure and wait for the mate you have for them.  Help them desire your best.

9.  Teen Years—Please God help them to hear their tone of voice.

10.  College Years—Please Lord, bring him home once in a while.

Today I don’t have bottles & diapers to deal with any more, but the remaining years seem to be flying by as my little people are rapidly becoming BIG people.

This morning I was blessed to have this verse jump off the page.

Asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. 

And we pray this in order that you may life a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in everyway; bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.       Colossians 1:9-10

Even if it wasn’t highlighted already I would have recognized this verse.  I have prayed this over and over for my children. 

For so many of those younger years I kept looking for the fruit of my labors.  I did see some good fruit.  They would share toys, play nicely & speak kindly—most of the time.  But it seemed I saw my fair share of rotten fruit too.  Hitting, selfishness, laziness—they are/were human after all.

Now I am learning to let them go.  A year ago I was a total mess.  All I knew was that my oldest, who was a senior, was LEAVING. 

My heart was breaking and I cried A LOT.  I couldn’t stand it.

I knew he was ready for this step and that he would continue to grow and become an amazing young man.  BUT it is hard to let go and see things change.

I prayed that verse many times because I knew that God would take care of him when I wasn’t there.  I didn’t want him to stay the same but finding a way to let go was just beyond me.

So I continue to pray although he isn’t under my roof everyday.  I don’t know where he is most of the time.  I pray for him to have good fruit in his life. 

But I know my job—to pray and lift all my children up so that God can fill them with the knowledge of his will.

What do you pray over and over for your children?