Read Online Not Alone: Trusting God to Help You Raise Godly Kids in a Spiritually Mismatched Home by Lynn Donovan, Dineen Miller - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Lynn Donovan, Dineen Miller
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it out, and until that day you and I just need to pray for your daddy to know Jesus. Can we do that?” I smile at her. My answer assures her, and it also encourages her to pray for her dad.
As I remember back, many teachable moments sprang up for me in all kinds of crazy places and at inconvenient times. One place in particular where we talked more about God than we did in church was in the car. Or, more aptly named, the prayermobile. I think our prayermobile came into being during my daughter’s middle-school years. Middle school is a challenging time for most adolescents, and it was a difficult time for my girl as well. On any given school morning, she and I would jump in the car and head off to school. As we zipped up the street, I could see anxiety rise on my daughter’s face as she contemplated the difficulties and challenges she knew she would likely face that day. My heart was moved, and spontaneously I began to pray for her as we drove. I would reach my hand over to the passenger seat and rest my hand on her knee and then quickly pray over her day. These automobile prayers went something like this:
Lord, today let my girl have a great day. Give her something to laugh about, let her be a good friend, and help her to remember her lessons and do well on the science test. Mostly, walk with her every minute of the day and protect her. Help her to remember that You are with her, and when she feels scared or anxious, remind her to say a quick prayer to ask for Your help. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
I would say, “Amen”; she would echo, “Amen.” She would look at me, I at her, and we would smile.
All was right with the world.
These simple prayers brought Caitie peace. They modeled prayer in everyday living, and they built her faith.
Today my daughter drives to school, so I make it a point to sit with her when she arrives home, usually late in the evening after a play rehearsal. I ask about her school day. She recounts some of the hilarity of her friends’ antics at lunch, then she shares her frustration with teachers or the pain of a friendship difficulty. I listen with compassion, and when she is finished getting it all out, I pray a silent and quick prayer, “Help me, Jesus, to say the right thing here.” Then I casually help her regain perspective. Mostly I try to shed a ray of hope on her troubles. I don’t spout off, “Well, the Bible says …” No, I share how her pain is understandable and how Jesus might look at the situation. What would He say about a friend who had betrayed Him?
Decide today to be ready to stop what you are doing when these kind of moments arrive and to give your kids the truth. Our kids really want to know the hard truth. They honestly desire to understand more about their faith. They want to know if Jesus can really make a difference in their crazy and mixed-message world. They want to make our faith their faith, but they have questions and need to know the
why
of it all. I frequently ask the Lord to make me keenly aware of and ready for these moments when they arrive.
These often quirky and unexpected encounters with our kids pass in an instant, but they are profound moments that stick. My daughter will always have our prayermobile conversations stored in her heart. They will guide her through her entire adult life. It’s an amazing privilege to share Jesus with your child in this way.
Everyday Faith
As a believing mom, I want my kids to be guided by God’s truth. When my children are adults and thrown into circumstances of uncertainty, or when they face a moral dilemma, that’s precisely when all the years of sharing Bible verses with them will truly pay off. Even if they don’t remember verses word for word, the basic underlying truth of God’s Word will remain with them. They will have hidden God’s truth in their hearts, and it will rise within them to guide them to wise and godly decisions.
Make a game of memorizing Scripture verses with your children. Offer a
As I remember back, many teachable moments sprang up for me in all kinds of crazy places and at inconvenient times. One place in particular where we talked more about God than we did in church was in the car. Or, more aptly named, the prayermobile. I think our prayermobile came into being during my daughter’s middle-school years. Middle school is a challenging time for most adolescents, and it was a difficult time for my girl as well. On any given school morning, she and I would jump in the car and head off to school. As we zipped up the street, I could see anxiety rise on my daughter’s face as she contemplated the difficulties and challenges she knew she would likely face that day. My heart was moved, and spontaneously I began to pray for her as we drove. I would reach my hand over to the passenger seat and rest my hand on her knee and then quickly pray over her day. These automobile prayers went something like this:
Lord, today let my girl have a great day. Give her something to laugh about, let her be a good friend, and help her to remember her lessons and do well on the science test. Mostly, walk with her every minute of the day and protect her. Help her to remember that You are with her, and when she feels scared or anxious, remind her to say a quick prayer to ask for Your help. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
I would say, “Amen”; she would echo, “Amen.” She would look at me, I at her, and we would smile.
All was right with the world.
These simple prayers brought Caitie peace. They modeled prayer in everyday living, and they built her faith.
Today my daughter drives to school, so I make it a point to sit with her when she arrives home, usually late in the evening after a play rehearsal. I ask about her school day. She recounts some of the hilarity of her friends’ antics at lunch, then she shares her frustration with teachers or the pain of a friendship difficulty. I listen with compassion, and when she is finished getting it all out, I pray a silent and quick prayer, “Help me, Jesus, to say the right thing here.” Then I casually help her regain perspective. Mostly I try to shed a ray of hope on her troubles. I don’t spout off, “Well, the Bible says …” No, I share how her pain is understandable and how Jesus might look at the situation. What would He say about a friend who had betrayed Him?
Decide today to be ready to stop what you are doing when these kind of moments arrive and to give your kids the truth. Our kids really want to know the hard truth. They honestly desire to understand more about their faith. They want to know if Jesus can really make a difference in their crazy and mixed-message world. They want to make our faith their faith, but they have questions and need to know the
why
of it all. I frequently ask the Lord to make me keenly aware of and ready for these moments when they arrive.
These often quirky and unexpected encounters with our kids pass in an instant, but they are profound moments that stick. My daughter will always have our prayermobile conversations stored in her heart. They will guide her through her entire adult life. It’s an amazing privilege to share Jesus with your child in this way.
Everyday Faith
As a believing mom, I want my kids to be guided by God’s truth. When my children are adults and thrown into circumstances of uncertainty, or when they face a moral dilemma, that’s precisely when all the years of sharing Bible verses with them will truly pay off. Even if they don’t remember verses word for word, the basic underlying truth of God’s Word will remain with them. They will have hidden God’s truth in their hearts, and it will rise within them to guide them to wise and godly decisions.
Make a game of memorizing Scripture verses with your children. Offer a
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