Ever had a day with your children where by the end you felt simply defeated and like you really didn’t want to face them again the next day? It’s so easy in those moments to let our thoughts go to unhelpful places. We might mentally compare ourselves to others, feeling like a failure (or like the hero, depending). We might feel like we’re trapped in a hopeless situation, unsure where to turn.
God, though, welcomes our honest cry for help. He can handle our questions and frustrations. And He invites us to ask Him for the wisdom we desperately need.
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. James 1:5 (ESV)
I have been recently reminded of the importance of prayer through studying the life of Daniel. God wants us praying, not only on those overwhelmed days, but “without ceasing” (1 Thes. 5:17 ESV), and Daniel’s life illustrates this.
Daniel truly understood that God is the true King in charge–the One Who can truly change the heart of even a pagan king like Nebuchadnezzar who went from building a statue of himself for all to worship to acknowledging God as King. Daniel “prayed and gave thanks” (Daniel 6:10b) three times a day, even when he knew it could cost him his life. He never forgot that God was the giver of all his wisdom.
Are our lives, including our parenting, marked by prayer? What are some habits we can develop to make them more so?
If we want to parent and live for God’s Kingdom, we need God’s strength and wisdom every day.
I’m a sinner saved by grace through Jesus Christ. I’m also a writer—I’ve been writing ever since I could hold a pen. I… 
