My husband and I were laying in bed chatting about all we had experienced during the day. I love those late night catch-ups, especially when it feels like we haven’t seen each other enough. The topic of conversation came to our children. We are constantly wondering if we doing a good job raising them.
We desire to be great parents!
My husband mentioned how we need to be careful of our tone of voice with them when we get frustrated. He mentioned how they are so little, reminding me that our kids are not purposing to frustrate us. They are doing what is natural to them, they want to be silly and have fun, and that they are also learning behavior right now.
He also mentioned that there are times they are frustrated, having a hard day, or are having a difficult time processing the world around them.
These were all really good points he made. But the most important thing he mentioned was that as their parents we need to have self-control with our emotions. That we are setting an example for them by the way we behave and respond to each circumstance.
I agreed with him, but I also made a joke saying,
I guess I need to take up kick boxing.”
I imagined that all the frustration, stress, or anxiety built up from having self-control would be easily released as I kicked the big hanging bean bag.
Without hesitation, he quickly responded, “…Or get on your knees.”
I knew exactly what he meant. I needed to be praying on my knees for my kids. EVERY DAY. Although I was joking about starting up kick boxing, his suggestion was a serious request. I could hear it in his voice. He knew the power of prayer would benefit me and our family more than any exercise class or extracurricular activity ever could.
Prayer is prayer no matter if you are sitting or standing or kneeling, and prayer is powerful! Yet, the picture of being on my knees in prayer was a beautiful picture of me surrendering my heart and my every emotion to God.
Even though I was joking about the kickboxing, I think it can be easy to want to escape the pressures of each day by doing something else to get our minds off of the frustrations. But prayer requires that we face them, confront them, surrender them. And the cool part about that, even though it can be a challenge to do, is that it doesn’t stop there. Through prayer, God hears us, He understands what we are going through, and He can help!
And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. – 1 John 5:14-15
I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God;
incline your ear to me; hear my words.” – Psalm 17:6
I was so grateful for the response my husband gave me. I was responding to my flesh, in my flesh. He was responding to my flesh, encouraging me to walk it out spiritually. I love how he leads me like this! And I commit to praying for my children and our days together a whole lot more intentionally!
