I have included affiliate links below. When you purchase through these links, I may receive a small commission. Thank you for supporting this site and our sponsorship of our Compassion child, Samson!
You’ll never be a perfect parent, but you can be a praying parent. Prayer is your highest privilege as a parent. ~Mark Batterson, Praying Circles Around Your Children
I’m learning some very important lessons about my finiteness as a parent in patience, love, wisdom, and much more. Parenting is hard. Really hard. I love these three amazing boys more than I ever imagined, but there is no way I will make it to 18 with each of these three on my own.
God is teaching me the importance and power of prayer as a parent while they are still young and for that I am grateful. He is weaving together some challenges along with some amazing books and I’m taking lots of notes.
The Love Dare for Parents had a fabulous chapter on prayer this week.
No matter how smart or savvy you may be, your children are still subject to circumstances and surprises beyond your reach. You cannot always protect them or control the flow around their lives. But love has a stellar battle strategy and backup plan. It’s called PRAYER. ~Day 23, The Love Dare for Parents
I have felt very out of control as a parent, especially as the kids grow up and start making more decisions for themselves. Even though it’s something I do every day, it’s very scary to think about THEM exercising free will. That lack of control, and knowing who really is in control, has driven me to my knees and motivated me to be a praying parent instead of a perfect parent {love that line from Mark Batterson}.
The dare from this week had me thinking more about proactive praying – being on the offensive instead of trying to play clean-up.
Along with The Love Dare for Parents and Praying Circles around Your Children
Marla’s words are so encouraging and practical and spot on with where I want to be as a praying parent. While reading it, I have processed so much about why, how, and what I want to pray for the boys.
I also spent some time this week drawing some prayer circles with the boys’ names in the middle {idea from Praying Circles around Your Children
Prayer was the main theme of my week with the Love Dare, but there was one more quote that I feel EVERY. SINGLE. PARENT. needs to read.
Let me just say this: If you’re waiting to get your life perfect with God before you share Him with your kids, stop that now. You don’t need to have all the answers to let them in on God’s love. And you’re giving them the wrong idea about a relationship with God! Wherever you are with God, pray for His wisdom and words to fill you and start talking about Him to your kids! He will help you! He will guide you!
And now I’m stepping off my soapbox…
Just 12 days left in The Love Dare for Parents! Let’s finish strong!
I'm Erin, a wife, boy mom x 3, writer, and runner in Nebraska! I'm excited to share all my favorites relating to faith, family, fashion, and fitness in this space! Enjoy! 
I follow your blog for some encouragement on boys and encouragement for communicating with God. As usual, I clicked on my newsletter and was scanning and scrolling (not fully reading) because I wasn’t finding what I needed – when it hit me
Photo #3 “You don’t need to understand everything about God to reach out to Him…. You don’t have to know it all to share His love with your kids.” Such a dilemma I have been struggling with that finally feels relieved. I don’t understand even a little bit. My husband and his family are very religious and I grew up more of the holiday worshiper. I feel very uneducated on the subject of God and religion, especially in comparison. But of course! All you need to do is encourage your children, and they will learn. They will ask questions and I wouldn’t be surprised if in the future, they have something to teach me. Thanks for showing me something new today.
Jen, It is so lovely to hear from you. And I know God was thinking of you when He nudged me to share this! I feel like I learn about God more all the time BECAUSE of my kids! Praying for you as step out in faith to share with them!
I have been struggling with this for awhile now and I know I need to start taking my son to church….however, he ‘ll will only be 3 in sept and I have been avoiding church because he is so active. Once he turns 3, I can start taking him to Sunday school, which will be much better than trying to get him to sit still thru a whole service. Until then, I’ve been saying this to him nightly since he was an infant… Now he says it with me….”May God Bless you, may he keep you, may love never be too far… And as you grow, I hope you know, just how wonderful you are”.
It is so hard with little ones in church, isn’t it?! Praying for you both as he transitions into Sunday school and you have more opportunities to share Jesus with him! I love your little rhyme!