The 3 P's

Over the past 3-4 months, the Lord has been showing me how I need to be more intentional in my prayers regarding my kids. I feel like I did such a great job when the three older kids were pre-schoolers and elementary-age, in keeping my focus on covering them with prayer, teaching them to pray, and seeking the Lord as to how to pray for them. I commented to a friend today, that poor Li'l Empress is probably walking around with big holes in her parental prayer umbrella.  How's that for a spiritual metaphor?!

But sadly, it's not that far off of the truth.  The intentional training and disciplined focus I had to have when the older kids were really young has made way for their own spiritual disciplines. It's as it should be. For the older kids. However, it doesn't address the fact that we still have two younger kids (and one on the way!) that still need to learn how to pray, that still need active, illustrative modeling to "catch it" for themselves.

So one of the things that I'm asking the Lord to change in me during this season of prayer and fasting is my prayer life for my kids. Back in November and early December, when I was really feeling pressed to the wall by the Holy Spirit over this issue, I also knew that the church was gearing up for this annual focused time of prayer. And it really helps that I lead a Moms' Group at our church and I wanted our January meetings to share the same mission and focus that is going on church-wide. With all that in mind, I asked God to lead me to His plan for me and for the moms' group I lead. I felt like the Lord gave me a neat tool for praying with focus over our kids.

I'm sharing it here because I know I cannot be the only mom in bloggity-world that loses the "ooomph" to pray for her kids once in a while. And I know that I'm not the only mom that wants it simple and accessible... After all, if there's a big long formula or complicated process I have to access, I'm likely to shoot off one of those generic, "Bless the kids today and help them be a good friend today" kind of prayers every morning when I'm sending them out into that big world outside my doors.

Not that there's anything wrong with that prayer,
but really, with all our kids face and all that God dreams for them to become,
there is truly so much more to it than that.

I am NOT dissing generic prayers. Honest.

Here's what I call "The 3 P's of Praying for our Kids."

Praying for Our Kids' Passion

Praying for Our Kids' Purpose

Praying for Our Kids' Purity

Ooooh, are you intrigued yet?!  Hang on.... this is just a teaser!  You have to come back over the next few days to see what each one means!  And when  you do, please be ready to share in the comments some of your thoughts and maybe even some great Scripture references about how you might go about praying for that theme to be accomplished in your children's lives.

I'm really hoping that this little series of mine sparks some great idea swapping and spiritual encouragement for us all!

HINT, HINT!!!!!!