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LAC Families-
“Now I lay me down to sleep…” I remember saying this prayer when I was younger. I cannot remember where I learned it or when I really started paying attention to the words. Either way, I realized that it was not a prayer that I was going to teach my daughter because I didn’t know if it was going to scare her, scar her or just be weird, like it was for me. That simple thought process made me think through what it is that I wanted to pray for my daughter. I realized that I wanted to be intentional about what I was going to pray for my kid. I wanted to be thoughtful about what God wanted me to pray and so I went searching.
I ran into this idea of types of prayers, Type A and Type B. Type A prayers are those prayers that we and God prioritizes. Type B prayers are those prayers that we see as good things, but that God may see as secondary.
Here is what I mean…
TYPE A
- That God would be revealed in our child’s heart and that they would respond in faith to Jesus’ call.
- That God would be glorified in the decisions that they make.
- That they would use their gifts to God’s glory and to further the Kingdom of God.
Type B
- That God would give them a good job, nearby.
- That God would provide a happy marriage.
- That God would get them into a ‘good’ school.
When we pray for our kids, we have to allow ourselves to be ultimately concerned with what God is ultimately concerned for. That does not mean that you should not pray for the things that are on your heart for your kids. Yet, this journey of parenting often means that in order for God to fulfill Kingdom purposes in your child, we will watch them operate outside of the pseudo-safety net that we have cast for them.
If I am honest, I often pray the Type B prayers. I allow my concerns for those tangible things to eclipse purpose and passion. I want God to prioritize the Type A prayers. That means I should prioritize them as well.
Spend some time praying for your kids.
Blessings,
Chuck Hunt
Associate Pastor of Family Ministries
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