Encouragement for Parents
Reflections from OUR DAILY BREAD
As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who
fear him.
Encouragement for Parents
Reflections from OUR DAILY BREAD
EDITORIAL TEAM: Anne Cetas, Becky Knapp, Dave Branon, Tim Gustafson, Alyson Kieda, David Sper • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version Anglicised Copyright ©️ 1979, 1984, 2011 Biblica. Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton Ltd, an Hachette UK company. All rights reserved. ‘NIV’ is a registered trademark of Biblica UK trademark number 1448790. ©️ 2024 Our Daily Bread Ministries. All rights reserved. • Printed in Europe.
Parents Need Encouragement
Since baby’s first cry, life has never been the same. Sleepless nights, screaming hunger, the first cold, colic, the relentless routine, the second cold, more screaming to decipher, shopping trips becoming military operations . . . Then they start crawling; and suddenly they no longer stay where you put them! Before you know it, baby is not a baby anymore. Baby has become a child.
While the physical demands lessen as they learn to feed, clothe and toilet themselves, the intensity of their emotional and social needs really crank up. How do you stop them hitting? Why won’t they share? Why won’t they play nicely? Why won’t they stay in a room without me for longer than thirty seconds?
Then comes the challenges of navigating them through school; supporting them when life is just unfair; understanding their ever-developing personality and independence; steering them towards positive and wise influences. And all of that before they then become teenagers . . .
Parenting and guiding children is challenging. Really challenging. It takes up a huge amount of your energy and headspace—and you’ll still end most days asking yourself could I have handled that better? That’s why we’ve created this special edition of Our Daily Bread—to encourage you as you tackle parenting head on. God, as your heavenly Father, is right here with you, for every decision, drama and doubt. And His compassionate heart of love and discipline is the example to follow as you invest in your own little ones (even if they’re becoming big ones!).
It is our prayer that these reflections will give you some downto-earth advice, while encouraging you to walk each day in God’s strength.
Your friends at Our Daily Bread Ministries
14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge–that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Of spiders and God’s presence
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being. [ EPHESIANS 3:16 ]
Spiders. I don’t know any kid who likes them. At least not in their rooms . . . at bedtime. But as she was getting ready for bed, my daughter spied one dangerously close to her bed. “Daaaad!!!!! Spiiiderrr!!!!!” she hollered. Despite my determination, I couldn’t find the eight-legged invader. “He’s not going to hurt you,” I reassured her. She wasn’t convinced. It wasn’t until I told her I’d stay next to her top bunk and stand guard that she agreed to get in bed. As my daughter settled in, I held her hand. I told her, “I love you so much. I’m right here. But you know what? God loves you even more than Daddy and Mummy. And He’s very close. You can always pray to Him when you’re scared.” That seemed to comfort her, and peaceful sleep came quickly.
Scripture repeatedly reassures us God is always near (PSALM 145:18; ROMANS 8:38–39; JAMES 4:7–8), but sometimes we struggle to believe it. Perhaps that’s why Paul prayed for the believers in Ephesus to have strength and power to grasp that truth (EPHESIANS 3:16). He knew that when we’re frightened, we can lose track of God’s closeness. But just as I lovingly held my daughter as she went to sleep that night, so our loving heavenly Father is always as close to us as a prayer.
ADAM HOLZ
REFLECT: How does it encourage you that God views you as His child? How might His love and closeness influence your own parenting?
PRAY: Lord, thank You for always being close by. Please give me strength and power in my heart to remember You are near, You love me deeply and I can always call out to You.
God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
Hebrews 13:5
6 Promises about God’s Presence in Your Life
1 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Psalm 23:4
2 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1
3 Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. Isaiah 41:10
4 Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Matthew 28:20
5 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives among you? 1 Corinthians 3:16
6 God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5
13 Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them.
14 Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’ 15 When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.
Parents who pray
Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them.
[ MATTHEW 19:13 ]
Ayoung mother sent these words to a magazine: “I wish I could wrap my children in bubble wrap to protect them from the big, bad world outside.”
Author Stormie Omartian understands how that mother feels. In her book The Power of a Praying Parent, she writes, “One day I cried out to God, saying, ‘Lord, this is too much for me. I can’t keep a moment-by-moment watch on my son every day. How can I ever have peace?’”
God responded by leading Stormie and her husband to become praying parents. They began to intercede for their son daily, mentioning the details of his life in prayer.
The desire to wrap our children in bubble wrap to protect them is rooted in fear, a common tendency for all parents, no matter how old our children are. Wrapping them in prayer, as Jesus did (MATTHEW 19:13–15), is a powerful alternative. He cares more about our children than we do, so we can release them into His hands by praying for them. He doesn’t promise us that nothing bad will happen to them. But as we pray, He will give us the peace we long for (PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7).
This challenge is for all parents—even those whose children have grown up: don’t ever stop wrapping your children in prayer!
JOANIE YODER
REFLECT: When have you experienced God’s peace in prayer? How can you develop a daily habit of praying for your children?
PRAY: Father God, please help me to be a praying parent. I want to entrust them to You. For You know them, love them and are always with them.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6–7
A Prayer for Your Children
Lord God, I thank You for being my Father and my children’s heavenly Father. You know them, love them and walk beside them. You are there when they rise or they fall; You hear every unspoken fear; You see every challenging moment of their day. You understand their hearts infinitely better than I do.
And so I release my children to Your care and Your plan. Lord, reign over them and their journey through life. Even when they must walk through valleys of heartache, help me to trust Your presence in their lives and Your ways which are beyond my understanding.
And I ask, Father, that You would help me to guide my children to You. May I speak with Your kindness and compassion. May I act with Your grace and understanding. May my every act of discipline be wrapped in abundant love.
Even when I cannot see You transforming their hearts, give me the faith to believe that You are indeed at work for good in their lives. Lord, my children are Yours. Have Your way. Amen
1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
2 ‘Honour your father and mother’—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3 ‘so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.’
4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
It’s Sally!
Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. [ EPHESIANS 6:4 ]
Benjamin West was just trying to be a good babysitter for his little sister Sally. While his mother was out, Benjamin found some bottles of coloured ink and proceeded to paint Sally’s portrait. But by the time Mrs. West returned, ink blots stained the table, chairs and floor. Benjamin’s mother surveyed the mess without a word until she saw the picture. Picking it up she exclaimed, “Why, it’s Sally!” And she bent down and kissed her young son.
In 1763, when he was twenty-five years old, Benjamin West was selected as history painter to King George III. He became one of the most celebrated artists of his day. Commenting on his start as an artist, he said, “My mother’s kiss made me a painter.” Her encouragement did far more than a rebuke ever could have done.
The apostle Paul instructed parents: “do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord” (EPHESIANS 6:4).
It’s easy to notice the wrong in a child, but difficult to look beyond an innocent offence to see an act of creativity and love. What a challenge to raise our children according to God’s standards, knowing when to say, “It’s a mess!” and when to say, “Why, it’s Sally!”
DAVID MCCASLAND
REFLECT: What is the balance between correction and encouragement? When have you experienced both of these things from your heavenly Father?
PRAY: Heavenly Father, please help me to encourage my children, even as I discipline and guide them. Give me a wisdom that is beyond my own understanding, so that I might reveal Your heart to them.
Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.
Proverbs 22:6
How is God’s discipline described (in Hebrews
12)?
It expresses His love: “The Lord disciplines the one he loves” (V. 6). Sometimes we mistake the hard times in our lives as a sign that God doesn’t care. The Bible shows us the opposite is true. God loves us too much to leave us as we are; He wants to transform us into the people He made us to be. But it’s painful to face up to things we need to change. Isn’t it the same with our own kids? They get upset when we correct them or show them things they need to work on. But the whole reason we do that is because we love them and believe in them.
It’s for our good: “God disciplines us for our good” (V. 10). Why do we discipline our kids? The difficult conversations and exhausting investment in their development isn’t for our benefit, but for theirs. And when God shapes or redirect us, it’s to improve our lives and experience of Him. It brings us peace and contentment as we learn to value His kingdom and His Word above this world. So, we don’t correct our kids just to maintain the balance of ‘right vs. wrong’, but to help them find meaning and security in the healthiest of places—their heavenly Father.
It leads to holiness: “We may share in his holiness” (V. 10). Sometimes the highest value we place on our children’s lives is happiness. It’s not wrong to want them to enjoy life and have good things. But holiness is a far deeper contentment; it’s living life at God’s side, knowing we have a Saviour who loves us, fights for us and will never let us go. Our Father doesn’t prioritise momentary happiness over the deeper satisfaction of holiness. We can learn to do the same for our children.
It is like training: “It produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (V. 11). Sometimes discipline hurts; it’s “painful”. No one likes being told they need to change or say sorry. But this discipline trains us to live in this world with righteousness and peace. God trains us to walk close by His side, where these things are found. So too our training for our kids is to achieve the same end.
28 And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.
29 If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.
3 1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
Great love!
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! [ 1 JOHN 3:1 ]
Walk around any bookshop and you’ll discover an array of books on parenting. Advice abounds on a multitude of childrearing topics. Yet, surely, our children’s greatest need is to be loved. That’s how they measure their worth within the family and how they know they belong. Love creates acceptance, engenders trust, builds character, and gives security. Love is not a fickle feeling; it’s a living reality.
The apostle John wrote graphically about the extravagance with which our Heavenly Father loves His children. God the Father neither skimps nor leaves us wondering. Instead, He lavishes—smothers, heaps, pours—His love on us. John tells us, “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 JOHN 3:1) Later John states, “That the Father has sent his Son to be the Saviour of the world” (4:14). That is love demonstrated, not merely expressed—poured out on us by Christ when He died on the cross for our salvation. It’s what transforms sinners into children of God!
And just to make sure we get it, that we understand we’re God’s children, John adds, “And that’s what we are!” (3:1). Rest in it. Don’t doubt it. Believe God loves you, and embrace all He has for you, for His love didn’t stop at the cross. It continues each and every day until we reach the Father’s House. . . and then for all eternity.
CATHERINE CAMPBELL
REFLECT: How does it encourage you that God views you as His child? How might His love and closeness influence your own parenting?
PRAY: Heavenly Father, I am overwhelmed by Your great love for me. Thank You for sending Jesus to die on the cross to enable me to become part of Your family.
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!
And that is what we are!
1 John 3:1
6 Verses about Being God’s Children
1
To all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. John 1:12–13
2 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:14
3 The Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” Romans 8:15
4 You are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir. Galatians 4:7
5 He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will. Ephesians 1:5
6 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! 1 John 3:1
16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Our purpose
We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.
[ 2 CORINTHIANS 5:20 ]
When I gave my life to Christ, my desire for a career in art faded and instead I went to Bible College with a view to becoming a missionary. There, I was asked to paint three huge murals on campus. God used Bible College to give me my start as an artist! Whenever I paint murals now, I pray for opportunities to share Christ as well. It turns out artists and missionaries are not so different after all.
Since Bible College, I’ve been a stay-at-home parent, an art teacher, a hotel cleaner, a Bible study leader and a writer. My purpose, however, has always been the same. As Paul explains, “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us” (2 CORINTHIANS 5:20). God has committed his “message of reconciliation” to each of us so that we can be living invitations for others to return home to Him (V. 19).
As parents, how can we be actively introducing our children to Jesus? What might it look like to bring His love and kindness into our family home? How frequently are we praying for openings to share our journey with God? We don’t have to be missionaries to take the “message of reconciliation” with us wherever we go.
No matter our vocation or life stage, God has given us all “the ministry of reconciliation” (V. 18). We are His ambassadors, so let’s seek opportunities to speak the message entrusted to us. DEBBI FRALICK
REFLECT: How can you be sharing the “message of reconciliation” in your family life?
PRAY: Dear Jesus, help me to be a good ambassador for Your kingdom. Help me to look for opportunities to share my faith with my children. Amen.
We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.
2 Corinthians 5:20
5 Ways to Be an Ambassador for Christ in Your Home
1 Be prepared in every season: “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.” 2 Timothy 4:2
2 Know your hope: “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” 1 Peter 3:15
3 Know the message: “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: be reconciled to God.” 2 Corinthians 5:20
4 Live your faith: “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16
5 Trust that God has prepared opportunities for you: “We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10
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Parenting and guiding children is challenging. Really challenging. It takes a huge amount of your energy and headspace—and you’ll still end most days asking could I have handled that better? That’s why we’ve created this special edition of Our Daily Bread—to encourage you as you tackle parenting head on. God, as your heavenly Father, is right here with you, for every decision, drama and doubt. And His compassionate heart of love and discipline is the perfect example to follow as you invest in your own little ones (even if they’re becoming big ones!).
It is our prayer that these reflections will give you some down-to-earth advice, while encouraging you to walk each day in God’s strength.
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