Praying While Parenting

I once thought I knew quite a bit about raising kids. Then I had them. . . and the older they grew, the less I realized I knew. You know what else I learned? That the place where God wants us is in total dependence on Him. That’s the place where we need to pray for answers – answers to our questions about raising and relating to our teenagers. Paul’s words in Philippians four-six have become more and more real to me through the times of struggle I’ve faced as a parent: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6). Prayer is a wonderful gift God has given to us as we learn to depend on Him and His power to keep us on track as dads and moms. And when we pray, we don’t change God or His mind. Rather, the beauty of prayer is the changes it brings in us. Yes, prayer does change things. And by God’s design and for our benefit, we are the things that prayer changes!