Today starts our new series and our first book study. We are going to read a chapter a day of my favorite parenting book, Praying Circles around Your Children by Mark Batterson. Let’s jump right in!
After reading chapter 1, “The Greatest Legacy You Can Leave,” can you see why I wanted you to read it?
I went through the chapter and underlined my favorite sentences. I will share those with you. Please feel free to add your favorite lines to the comment section.
“Make sure the heavenly Father hears about your kids daily!” (p. 9) We can do this! I do this quite often. What I want to us to get from this book is the how. How can we effectively pray for our kids? Keep reading the book, he answers that question.
“I have a very simple parenting philosophy that boils down to just three words: please, sorry, and thanks.” (p. 10) So true! If we can model this for our kids and they actually learn it, we will have taught them a great life skill.
“You’ll never be a perfect parent, but you can be a praying parent.” (p. 11) So often I feel like I miss it as a parent. I say the wrong thing or don’t say anything when I probably should have. At night I lie in bed reviewing the day and can feel defeated. But there is one thing I know I can get right and that is to pray for my girls daily. Regardless of what we mess up during the day, we can redeem our boo-boos with prayer.
“I realize not everyone inherited a prayer legacy from their parents or grandparents like I did, but you can leave a legacy for future generations. You can start a new tradition, a new tree. You can begin a new prayer genealogy.” (p. 14) This section of the chapter really spoke to me. On my mom’s side, I know that I was prayed for by my grandmother and great-grandmother. Kurt did not grow up in a believing home, but his great-grandfather was a pastor. After reading this chapter, Kurt and I reflected about how his great-grandfather prayed for him. He never met him, but it was his prayers that carried through and possibly are the reason Kurt went to Bible college and why he works in ministry today. If you don’t have a praying ancestry, start one. Who knows what your great-grandchildren will be doing for the Lord.
“You don’t become a praying parent by default. You do it by design, by desire, by disciple.” (p. 18) The fact that you are reading this book and participating in this study speaks to your desire to be a praying parent. Let’s become intentional praying parents!
“Your prayers will live on in their lives long after you die.” (p. 18) This has to be the best part of the chapter. What an encouragement! We can make a difference in the lives of our children and our children’s children by simply praying. And the impact of our prayers will reach far beyond the seventy, eighty or ninety years we will live. Can you think of a better legacy?
We are off to a great start. Read chapter 2 and come back tomorrow…and start praying intentionally today!
