Recently at lunch with a group of coworkers, we focused our attention on one of our coworkers who was about to deliver her first baby. Light hearted conversation followed with some suggestions from some of us more seasoned parents. When asked what my advice might be as a parent of two young adults and a teenager, I found the question too daunting to come up with an answer.



I looked at the expectant mothers innocent face full of wonder and anticipation for this miraculous new season of life while 20+ years of parenting choices flashed in my mind nursing vs. baby formula, am I leaving my child vulnerable to disease if I don't immunize or am I subjecting them to risk by immunizing, how can I possibly balance all the demands on my time, is daycare a good thing or not, are we compromising too much by what our kids are exposed to riding the bus and going to public school, I know the movie is rated PG13 but todays PG13 is like yesterdays R rated movie, how can I give permission for my daughter's Brownie leader to drive her troop to Brownie outings when she has a known drinking problem, I know you want to sleep over at your friend's house but we don't feel that her dad is safe the choices got progressively harder as our children got older. I often felt the choices and scenarios were impossible.

Okay, so experienced parent that I am, what's my advice? What has been my fail-safe response? Believe it or not, I do have one that has NEVER failed me. Not even once.

My advice to parents is to grasp the incredible power available to them as they pray for their children. No one can speak into a child's life the way a parent can. God has anointed parents and given them authority over all of the challenges their children are facing.

This didn't make my parenting challenges go away but I'll tell you what it did do. First and foremost prayer for my children changed me. My awareness of how inadequate I was to make decisions on behalf of this individual who I loved more than my own life, drew me closer to God than any experience could have. I learned to trust Him and rely on Him. I began to experience His peace over my over-stimulated and conflicted mind. I learned his faithful nature as I watched him bring us through challenge after challenge. I personally and intimately experienced His provision, His protection, His promises and a stronger faith.

As parents, you and I are in the unique position to pray over every aspect of our children's lives.

Here's what has worked for me. As I move through the day, I pray over all the little caretaking tasks of parenting. I thank God for His provision as I wash my kid's clothes and ask Him to cover them with protection and guidance as they pull their hooded sweatshirts on. I thank God for the ability to care for my family and ask Him to bless their health as I make their meals. I pray for His peace over their beds as I put things away in their rooms. I pray for God's wisdom and discernment over their backpacks as I step over them walking in the door. I pray for self control and purity as I dust the Television and pick up their IPODS. I pray for the blessing of godly relationships over their cell phones.

Powerful words of prayer will make parenting a joyful adventure full of inspiration!

That's what I'm going to say the next time I'm asked for seasoned parenting advice.