Ways Parents Can Pray for Themselves

From my Acts of the Apostles
Home Training Lesson 14

I always have great into on ways to pray for my child for different areas, but when I got this home training lesson from my BSF class I was intrigued. I know I should pray to be a better parent...God knows I definitely need this, but here's some very specific ways to pray for myself and my husband in parenting our children.

• That I will be convicted of any personal hypocrisy lived out before my children, contradicting what I say by what I do, and, when appropriate, admit my sin to my children (Matthew 7:3-6)
• That my words, looks, and actions will clearly reflect to my children that my mate is loved, honored, and cherished (Proverbs 31:10-12; Ephesians 5:25, 28)
• That I will recognize individual limitations, respect individual differences, and have realistic expectations for each child (Colossians 3:21; Ephesians 6:4)
• That I will never be too tired or angry or negligent to discipline my children wisely (Proverbs 29:17)                 I definitely need prayer in this area!
• That I can be a peacemaker to diminish jealousy and irritations between my children and in so doing encourage them to be peacemakers (Proverbs 17:14; Philippians 2:3; Matthew 5:9)
• That I will not spoil my children with too many possessions nor too few expectations and responsibilities (Psalm 37:16)          
• That I will be able to shield my children from premature association with sexuality, sophistication in ideas and dress, and unnecessary knowledge of the world (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 17)   This gets so much harder as they get older. I definitely need to start praying now for the older years!
• That I will resist the enticement of popularity for my children and be willing for our family to be different from the world's standards (1 Samuel 16:7, Psalm 37)
• That I will be generous in expressing appreciation and approval while holding back reminders about their past failures and mistakes (Psalm 78:38-39; Proverbs 25:11)
• That I will know when to step in and take charge of a situation for my children and when to step back and let them learn for themselves (Proverbs 16:9)     This is definitely a must for me right now. It's been so hard to keep my mouth shut in some situations lately. God, I need your guidance here!
• That prayer will be my immediate response to family joys and crises alike (Ephesians 6:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18)   This one really convicted me. I am always very "johnny on the spot" of praying when we are in need or have an illness, but I need to start getting better going to Jesus in our joyful times as well!
• That I will daily remember my own need to be taught by God's Word and filled with His Spirit so that I reflect the joy of the Lord before my children (Psalm 16:11)