Not Finished Yet - I Am a Work In Progress - Be Patient With Me

Backpacks are filled with organized folders, lunch bags are full with lunch and snacks and the kids anxiously waiting to walk to school. If you are a parent whose child entered a new chapter this week, then you know the double feeling when your kids head back to school. For my family, this Tuesday was a first: my oldest son’s first day in high school and my twins first day of middle school.

When I dropped off my oldest son, I had to strengthen myself and hold it together. He was a little cute boy few years ago and now he is a tall good looking boy.

As a mom or dad, when your baby hold your hands and starts to walk, you wish they never let go of you, but they do. I remember the excitement when they made their first steps alone; since then they are striving to become more and more independent. It’s the natural development of a child and extremely hard on the parent to learn to let them go, to allow them to make choices and become successful adults.

When my oldest son started grade one, I freaked out. I couldn’t protect him anymore all the time; I couldn’t be there for him and with him always as I wished. As a parent you want to protect your children from every hardship, yet failure is part of growing and becoming better. Back then I realized that my kids will only stand by God’s grace. Today, I rest in peace that my kids are in the hands of God and nothing can snatch them from HIS hands. I don’t worry anymore; I pray and give my concerns to God and trust in Him, and Him alone.

Before they left for their first day of school, this year too I prayed this prayer.

“Dear LORD, my God, and my Father I want to thank you for my kids, thank you for XXXXXX, XXXXX XX and XXXXX. They are gifts from you; they bring so much joy to our family. Thank you that we live in a country Canada, where we have the freedom of choice to home school or enroll our kids in public or catholic schools. Father this is a privilege and I am thankful that our kids can have great school facilities and school systems where they can study.  Father, thank you that you are a Father and you can relate to me, as parent when I care and you understand me when sometimes worry for my kids.

Lord, thank you that you gave me these amazing boys and you God believed in me more then I believed in myself. I often wonder why you thought I can raise these kids.  Yet, I know without you I can’t do anything. I need your guidance as a mom each and every day.  Lord, this morning when the kids are starting a new school year I pray and beg you for protection over my boys lives. Thank you that you love my kids, that you care for them and you are the ONLY one who can keep them.

Lord, this morning I cover my boys with Jesus’ blood, the precious blood which is full of power and when my kids are covered with your blood Jesus, the angel of death might come and try, but will NEVER  be able to touch them. Lord, I pray that you will protect them from the evil one, that you will be their strength and their refuge. Thank you that you are the God who sees, and you watch over them when I can’t, protects and guides them when I can’t.

Lord, in you hand I put XXXXXX, XXXXXX and XXXXXX. In your mighty hands they are safe. Lord, I pray for the schools my kids are attending, for the principals, for the teachers who are teaching my kids. Lord, help those teachers to enrich my kids lives with academic knowledge, help teachers to be good examples not just in their academic progress, but teaching them important life lessons too. Lord, use my kids to be light around their peers and around their teachers. Lord, I pray for each and every teacher who knows you and is your child to be a light among the kids they work with.

Father, thank you that your promises are true, and thank you that when we trust in you, and we entrust our kids to you - YOU will keep them, not for our sake but for your name sake. Thank you that you will protect my boys, surround them, help them grow in this year academically, spiritually and physically to become the people you made them when you knitted them together.

Lord, I pray for your blessings over my boys’ lives, for your special favor upon them, for great connections, to have good friends for great progress in everything they do. Holy Spirit, I give you freedom to move in my kids lives the way you choose to. Holy Spirit you be their guide in the class room and outside of the class rooms. Holy Spirit move and draw, and use my kids and our family to be an instrument in your mighty hands. Lord, may my kid’s lives and my personal and family life bring glory to you each and every day. I am thankful that because of Jesus I can ask and thank you that your promised, that when we ask your name Jesus the father will answer, not because of us, but because of You Jesus and in Your precious name Jesus I ask all these. Amen”

If you have children, grandchildren, you can pray this prayer over your kids. Fill your kids’ names in the XXXXX and change their gender, or just pray your heart to God. Every day before they head out the door, pray a blessing over them, be part of their lives. Know their struggles and successes. Listen to them. Pray and praise God. Trust me, as your kids grow and the more you have to let them go, the more you learn to pray and beg God. Knock for your kids’ soul; beg God, the only God to keep them, because only He can keep them, and HE WILL hold them and keep them, because God’s promises are true!

What is the custom in your when your kids start school? Do you pray for them daily? Can your kids sincerely share their struggles they face in school? Do they trust you enough to share?