Praying for our kids: Protection
Praying protection over our kids is probably one of the easiest things we pray for them from the day they are born. But this week in praying protection we’re doubling down on asking the Lord to watch over them physically, spiritually, and emotionally. One key point I try to pray over my kids relates to the messaging they receive about their identity and also the messaging they believe about God and their faith.
But anytime I get hyper focused on praying over the safety and protection of my family, I’m reminded of Francis Chan’s caution in his book Crazy Love. He suggests that as believers we sometimes become obsessed with our safety and protection at the expense of asking God for whatever brings him the most glory and allows him to accomplish his purposes in our lives. Ouch.
I truly believe there’s nothing wrong with praying for protection over our families—and it’s important we do so. However, I wonder this week if we can also pray that God’s divine purposes are accomplished through our families, and he is glorified even when that’s at the expense of our earthly protection.
Lots to think about and pray over!
The Never-Ending Dinner Dilema with Dina Deleasa-Gonsar
These people in my house want something to eat every single night and, well, it’s all together exhausting. Anyone out there with me?
Thank goodness we have creator, writer, TV personality, and mom Dina Deleasa-Gonsar joining us today to address this age-old dinner dilemma. Dina created a popular food blog called DishItGirl.com.
What I love about Dina is her commitment to her faith, her family, and making food meaningful without all the mom guilt attached. I also loved these things we discussed on today’s show:
- The ministry behind a meal and serving our family well
- What to do when you fall into a cooking rut
- Favorite “cheats” from Costco and Trader Joes
- Reminders that connection and intimacy happen around our kitchen tables
If you are tired of the every night dinner dilemma like I am, today’s episode is for you!
Praying for our kids: Contentment
“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that” (1 Timothy 6:6-8 NIV).
Well that’s one way to put it bluntly, Paul. ⬆️
Today we’re praying contentment over our kids, and, let’s be honest, we probably need to be praying it for ourselves as well. Praying contentment for our children is praying they have an inner satisfaction and fulfillment no matter what their outside circumstances bring.
A great starting place is to pray that our kids live with gratitude, perspective, and inner peace— even when life brings the hard things we all face. Contentment seems most elusive when we’re suffering, but I believe Joni Eareckson Tada (an amazing Christian woman and quadriplegic) says it best in this quote: “When life is rosy, we may slide by with knowing about Jesus, imitating him and quoting him and speaking of him. But only in suffering will we know Jesus.”
Let’s pray this week for our kids to find contentment by pursuing and trusting Jesus no matter what life throws their way. Thanks for joining me as we pray this week, and please take a minute to share our podcast with a friend or two!
Finding God’s peace when you need it most with Janet Denison
As we’re approaching our 300th episode of Pardon the Mess, I am thrilled to welcome back our very first guest all those years ago: Janet Denison!
Janet is an author, speaker, mother, grandmother, and friend who has given me a whole lot of parenting advice over the years. She’s joining us today to talk about finding “a great calm” in our lives even when everything around us feels completely chaotic.
Here’s a few of my favorite topics we cover in today’s show:
- What Christian families are struggling with in today’s culture
- How to build up the spiritual muscle of trust, especially in the hard times
- Learning to wait on God with confidence and humility
- Walking her own child through cancer and the middle of the night prayers
If you’re looking for some seasoned, biblical wisdom for raising kids no matter what you’re facing—you’ve landed in the exact right place today!
Resources from today's show:
A Great Calm by Janet Denison
Abide: For a limited time, our listeners will get 25% off a premium subscription, when you visit Abide.co/pardonthemess.
Praying for our kids: Prayerfulness
Perhaps the greatest gift my parents have ever given me is the gift of growing up in a praying home.
My parents have prayed before meals, before bed, and before every major decision for as long as I can remember. They’ve prayed over me more times than I can count, and I’m eternally grateful to them. That being said, I can think of many years in my own life where prayer was not a priority (and my life 100% reflected that).
I don’t want that same story for my kids, so this week is especially meaningful to me as we talk about raising kids with prayer-filled lives. We will consider not just the “how to” behind prayer but also the “why to.” Prayer is the perfect thing to recommit to in a new year, so join me in praying prayerfulness for our kids this week (quite the mouthful).
When Wishes Change with Tricia Roos
Oh friends, I really, really can’t wait for you to hear today’s show with Tricia Roos. I’m so grateful to know Tricia personally and see first hand how the Lord is using her story to speak of his faithfulness even in the deepest places of loss.
Tricia was three months into her pregnancy when she received a call that her unborn daughter had a rare condition that would be fatal. Against the advice of her medical team, she resolved to have her baby despite a chromosomal condition called Trisomy 18. In the midst of the uncertainty and pain, Tricia’s wish for a healthy baby girl changed into something more beautiful than she could have ever dreamed of.
Tricia’s story is a reminder of how God’s transforming power allows us to love deeper, go further, and grow more than we could ever have imagined for ourselves. I especially love Tricia’s words on learning to live for something bigger than ourselves—a great perspective to consider in our parenting. So glad you’re with us today!
- When Wishes Change: What if the thing you feared most brings more than you dreamed? By Tricia Roos
- See more from Tricia on her website, follow her on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
Praying for our kids: Excellence
Might I share with you one of my favorite quotes of all time?
“Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.” - Francis Chan
I heard that quote many years ago and it continues to guide how I look at the various things that occupy my days. As I pray for the Lord to show favor over my life and that of my families, I find myself asking him to not allow us to be successful in things that are insignificant.
This week as we’re praying excellence over our kids, I think this quote needs to be in the back of our minds as we consider how we pray. So often we want our kids to be excellent at the things the world holds in high esteem, yet those same things often distract them from the bigger purposes God has for their lives.
We’re called to do all things for the Glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31) and excellence is critical to doing that well. Let’s join together in praying for our kids to show excellence in all the things he calls them to.
The four things I would tell my younger parenting self
I’m kicking off the New Year a little differently this year with no guest joining us today. Instead, I’m sharing some of the things I wish I had known as a younger mom. I try not to live with regrets, but I also know the value that comes by taking inventory in our parenting and acknowledging the areas of growth as well as the struggles.
The four things I’m sharing with you today began with an article I wrote several years ago from the perspective of “the oldest mom on the playground.” Since then, I’ve had opportunities to share these parenting truths to various groups, and the Lord has given me even greater clarity that I pray will encourage and challenge you.
I have no doubt that your social media feeds (like mine) are packed with all kinds of weight loss and exercise challenges for a physically healthier 2022. But I would also encourage you to avoid “back-burnering” (assuming that’s a word) your parenting and instead take this week to consider what’s working, what’s not, where you might need to be encouraged, and where you need to encourage others. I’ll start us off with today’s podcast on the four things I would tell my younger parenting self.
I would be so grateful if you would not only take a minute to listen, but then also share it with the other parents you’re walking alongside with each day.
Praying for our kids: Purpose
This time of year always inspires me to consider necessary life-style changes, incorporate missing things into my routines, and find ways to live a new year filled with amazing opportunities better than I did the year before. Or at least that lasts for a few weeks!
But I’m always thankful for the routine in place of praying for our kids, and I love that we’re beginning 2022 by praying purpose over each of them. People so often struggle with the age-old question surrounding their “purpose” in this life, so we’re tackling it as we pray over our kids this week. (Spoiler alert: our purpose is to glorify God.)
Praying for our kids to have purpose in their daily lives means praying they glorify God not only in how they live their earthly lives, but also in how they prepare for all eternity in heaven. We will break this down a little bit further and also take time to begin this new year asking the Lord to show our kids the things he has uniquely created for them to accomplish.
So grateful you are joining me to pray this year! Share our podcast with a friend or two and ask them to join in as we pray for our families.