“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT)
One of my earliest memories is of my dad praying for me as he tucked me in at night. As he prayed, he would often weave in this request to God: “Lord, thank you that when my son lies down, he will not be afraid, and his sleep will be sweet.” What I didn’t realize at the time was he was praying Proverbs 3:24 over my life. Just like most young boys my age, I was afraid of the dark once the lights went out. And at school, I desperately longed to be accepted by my peers. Both kept me up at night.
Now, many decades later, I’ve grown to realize one of my biggest responsibilities as a father is to cover my children in prayer, just like my dad did for me. As parents, we need to teach our kids to stand on the promises of God. Through the years, my wife and I have come to learn the importance of knowing the Scriptures and knowing our children well enough to discern what promises in God’s Word they need to be reminded of.
Our fears don’t stand a chance against the power and promises of our God. As we gear up for another school year, and the anxiety it can usher in, let’s pause long enough to pray Philippians 4:6-7 over our children and remind them to not worry. Let’s be parents who encourage our children to pray about everything—big and small. This biblical instruction carries a promise. As we pray with grateful hearts, God promises to grant us His peace—peace that passes all understanding.
As you once again start packing lunches and backpacks, take God at His Word and trust that His peace will guard your child’s heart and mind as they begin another school year. Let’s encourage our children to bring their fears and hopes and dreams—and everything in between—to God in prayer. If we do this, we’re setting them up for success in the school year ahead.
Reflect and Respond:
What specific fear is your child currently struggling with? Turn to God’s Word and pray His promises over that situation.
Read Philippians 4:6-7 again. Use this Scripture as a guide to cover your child in prayer when you tuck them in tonight.
We also have a special Back To School Checklist download from our friends over at iMOM. It’s something we just had to share with you for the upcoming school year: http://bit.ly/2ys4zLc
