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Gospel-Driven Encouragement for Homemakers

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Your Best Parenting is Done By Prayer

by Marci Ferrell
Motherhood Prayer

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I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

~ John 15:5

In the verse above “apart from me you can do nothing” is a continual reminder that I am utterly dependent on the Lord to do anything. There are many things I can do without dependence on Christ but the reality is I have achieved “nothing” in God’s sight.

This is so true in the raising of our children. I have learned over the years that I am helplessly dependent on the Lord. I can’t parent on my own. As parents, we can’t change the hearts of our children. Only the Lord is able to change their hearts.

This truth should continually bring us to our knees in prayer but many times we find ourselves thinking we can do life on our own. As a parent of now-adult children, I can share that these are the more difficult years of life as the decisions and the difficulties they face are much more challenging than when they were young.

“It didn’t take me long to realize that I did my best parenting by prayer. I began to speak less to the kids and more to God. It was actually quite relaxing.”

~ Paul E. Miller, A Praying Life

What Does Dependence on God Look Like?

do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

~ Philippians 4:6-7

Our youngest son is not a believer and has been living on his own. The tendency of my sinful heart can be anxiousness and worry. All this tells me is that I desire to have control over the situation. This is not the example Jesus set before me. Jesus was utterly dependent on the Father and turned to Him in prayer continually (John 5:19, John 5:30, Luke 5:16, John 12:49). I know I don’t have control over the choices and decisions my adult son makes. I can speak the truth and give guidance but in the end, I need to put my trust in the Lord and His plans for my son’s life.

As a parent, it is my job to love, speak the truth, teach, train and most importantly pray for my children. I can’t micromanage or control their lives. It isn’t my job and it isn’t my life to do that with.

As our children age into the middle and high school years and then into adulthood, we realize we have less and less control over their thoughts, opinions, and actions. This is the time we as parents can begin to panic and start to try and take more control. It may at times lead to rebellion maybe not outwardly but inwardly within their hearts.

I am reminded that the things that are most important in life and in my children’s lives are the ones that I can’t control. I can’t control their salvation, who they will marry, if they will lose a job, choices they will make on a daily basis that may not seem wise to me, and the list goes on and on.

It is comforting to see how the moment I lift my anxious thoughts to the Lord and stop trying to control the situation on my own and in my own strength, how my anxiousness and worry shifts to resting in perfect peace in the Lord. There have been many situations I spent time anxiously worrying about the outcome and the Lord took care of it in His perfect timing and in His perfect way. God does a much better job of being God than I do.

God does a much better job of being God than I do.Click to Tweet

Our dependence on God starts by spending time in the Word. We need to know who God is and what His desires are and this comes from studying the Bible. In  John 15:5 “abide in me” reminds me to be in prayer with the One who I love and who I want to know more of. I want to share with Him all that is in my heart and trust in His work in and through all situations of my life. I need to be reminded that the Lord is the only One that can bring about change. Time spent in fellowship with other believers is of utmost importance too as they are an encouragement in speaking truth to my life. The Lord has graciously given us a church family on this earth to love, care, pray for, and encourage one another. Don’t neglect the importance of meeting together with one another.

Praying Like a Child for Your Child

One of the areas of scripture that is an encouragement to me is when Jesus tells his disciples to become like little children. (Matthew 18:3, Mark 10:14-15, Luke 10:21). I am reminded of how little children are when they come to us as parents with requests. They typically tend to just blurt them out. Little children say exactly what is on their minds and hearts.

Children are fully dependent on parents for everything. As we get older we become more and more independent. We need to be reminded to go back to living as dependent children. Living as a dependent child to the Lord in the everyday moments of life is the best example we can give to our children. Letting them see we are utterly helpless without the work of the Lord in our lives is more powerful than trying to let them think we have it all together.

Many times we feel like our prayer lives have to be ultra spiritual. We need to become like little children and just tell the Lord what is on our mind. Open your heart to the Father. Just share with Him your weaknesses and failures in parenting. Let Him know your struggles (He already does) but when we open up to Him and admit our failures and weaknesses and rely on His strength is when true change can happen.

May God give us more grace to pray for and with our children.

“Prayer is bringing your helplessness to Jesus.”

~ Paul E. Miller, A Praying Life

Prayer is bringing your helplessness to JesusClick to Tweet

Related Resources:

A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World, Paul E. Miller

Podcast: Trusting God in the Midst of a Trial

A Prayer for Our Husbands

 

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Related posts:

  1. EP 45: Our Best Parenting is Done by Prayer
  2. Praying God’s Word Over Our Children
  3. Podcast EP 56: Prayer (Spiritual Disciplines Series)
  4. Our Hearts as Mothers – {and a free eBook on Motherhood: Delighting in our Children}


Motherhood: Delighting in our Children

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« Weekend Coffee Break {October 27th}
Podcast Ep. 4: What Does True Biblical Friendship Look Like? »

Welcome to Thankful Homemaker

So thankful you’ve stopped by for a visit. Please grab a cup of coffee or tea and sit a bit. I hope to remind you that contentment in our role as homemakers begins with finding our satisfaction in Christ.

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thankfulhomemaker

Marci Ferrell
Though gradually, though no one remembers exactly Though gradually, though no one remembers exactly how it happened, the unthinkable becomes tolerable. And then acceptable. And then legal. And then applaudable.⁣
~ Joni Eareckson Tada
We have to pray with our eyes on God. Not on the d We have to pray with our eyes on God. Not on the difficulties.⁣
~ Oswald Chambers⁣
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Listen in to EP 98: 4 Truths to Pray for One Another at the link in my profile @thankfulhomemaker - click on the link under the blue arrows⬇ and then this image 🎧.
Dear friends, I recorded this episode last year af Dear friends, I recorded this episode last year after sharing my testimony with my church family. It was one of the hardest podcast episodes to work through. ⁣
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My testimony comes from one who remembers what it was like to be unsaved and seeking an abortion and now coming from the other side of being born again, a new creation in Christ and understanding the beauty of forgiveness and redemption in Christ. ⁣
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No sin is beyond the grace and forgiveness of God, even the sin of abortion. True forgiveness, hope, and healing can only be found, but it is only found in Jesus Christ. ⁣
I pray you'll listen in if you haven't yet. ⁣
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The link to the podcast is in my bio @thankfulhomemaker - click on the link under the blue arrows and then this image.
The gospel is the one great permanent circumstance The gospel is the one great permanent circumstance in which I live and move; and every hardship in my life is allowed by God only because it serves His gospel purposes in me. 
~ Gloria Furman
“The Christian's primary need is for wisdom and “The Christian's primary need is for wisdom and obedience to appropriate the abundance of blessings the Lord has already given. Our problem is not lack of blessings, but lack of insight and wisdom to understand and use them properly and faithfully.”⁣
~ John MacArthur⁣
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Come listen in to the new BITESIZE Podcast Episode this week - 4 Truths to Pray for One Another - at the link in my profile @thankfulhomemaker (click on the link under the blue arrows and then this image).
EP 98: BITESIZE - 4 Truths to Pray for One Another EP 98: BITESIZE - 4 Truths to Pray for One Another:⁣
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Wisdom in God's ways is something we should all desire to seek as believers and to pray for others that are in Christ.⁣
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Come listen to the episode at the link in my profile @thankfulhomemaker (click on the link under the blue arrows and then this image.
"Much of my learning to follow Jesus is unlearning "Much of my learning to follow Jesus is unlearning to follow myself."⁣
~ Burk Parsons
Charles Spurgeon on gentleness and respect:⁣ Ha Charles Spurgeon on  gentleness and respect:⁣
Have your doctrinal views, and all your knowledge of Christ, packed away in a handy form so that, when people want to know what you believe, you can tell them. If they wish to know why you believe that you are saved, have your answer all ready in a few plain, simple sentences; and in the gentlest and most modest spirit make your confession of faith to the praise and glory of God. Who knows but what such good seed will bring forth an abundant harvest?⁣
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#spurgeon #spurgeonquotes #apologetics #
We have a generation of people who think they can We have a generation of people who think they can stand before the judgment seat of God despite their sins. ⁣
~ R.C. Sproul
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