Praying for our stunt kids.

Fear is a natural reaction in most parents. We love our kids so much that the thought of anything bad happening to them sends us into a panic. Yet, if we’re not careful, this anxiety can become overbearing.

Here are some of my favorite Bible verses about fear:

1 Timothy 1:7	Psalm 55:1-2, 4-5	Psalm 27:1
Isaiah 41:10	Psalm 34:4	Philippians 4:6-7
Matthew 6:25-34	1 Peter 5:6-7	John 14:27

We should fear loving our kids too much. Is that possible? Can we love our kids too much? Yes! The Bible says it's possible for us to make the love of our children an idol.

• How do we hold our children with open hands rather than clenched fists,
• How do we trust in God and not fear failure without any promise of the outcome?
• How do we not smother our kids with an overprotective suffocation?
• How do we model genuine trust of God?

The most frightening things can happen to our children; no matter what we do to protect them, it is sometimes not enough. Only God is the ultimate protector.

Isaiah 41:10. Do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be afraid, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you; I will help you;
I will hold on to you with My righteous right hand.

We will have countless opportunities to pray as we raise the children God gives us. We will pray for safety, but even with prayer there are accidents. Everyone knows of a tragedy where a child was lost. Do we understand why? No, not on this side of glory, but we can get to the place where we trust the One who does know.

Eventually our teenagers get the driver’s license they have been waiting for. But wasn’t it just yesterday they were trying to ride their bicycles without training wheels and running to us for comfort when they fell? Now we feebly wave as they pull out of the driveway, and understand as never before…

1 Thessalonians 5:17, “Pray continually.”

We pray without ceasing to the God who never ceases to hear us.

• If you are a parent, you’ve probably experienced a bit of praying continually.
• How does prayer help us trust God with our children?
• What must we believe about God to trust him with our precious ones?
• What is the most important thing we can pray for concerning our children?
• Why do you think it’s easier to take our serious concerns to God, rather than our smaller petitions?

On Fridays, for the rest of the summer, we will address how we parents can lesson our anxieties and learn to trust God with our kids.
Be not afraid!