Pray & Connect: Praying the Psalms for Your Childrenনমুনা

Scripture: Read Psalm 4 for the full context.

Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah" Psalm 4:4

Have you ever thought of your child’s strong emotions as alerts or notifications? When your cell phone dings it wants to get your attention and notify you something is happening. In a similar way, feelings are doing the same thing.

Your feelings are usually alerting you that something is happening within. Anger is an emotion that we all experience from time to time. Experiencing anger is not sinful, but what usually gets us in trouble is how we respond to that anger. In this verse, we are told not to sin in our anger and then to “ponder & be silent."

It's easy to notice when our children have flipped their lid but let's talk about your anger for a bit. As a parent, you may have experienced agitation or frustration toward your child. Next time, try to “Pause & Pray” when you feel your anger rising to the surface--pause. During your 10 second pause, take some deep breaths, step away from the situation, and pray. Encourage your child to do the same.

When you or your child feel like anger is rising to the surface, don’t be too quick to ignore or cover it up. Take it to God and allow Him to enter into those spaces in your heart. Then ask him for help and, if needed, forgiveness.

Pray: Lord, Your word tells us to be angry and not sin and in the midst of our anger, you ask us to ponder and be silent. So I pray {your child's name} will feel the big emotions stirring inside and allow You into that space. May he/she learn to pause and not be ruled by those feelings. Amen.

Connect: Tell your child, "It’s okay to feel sad, mad, or hurt. I want you to know you can always come to me when you’re feeling this way, and I commit to listening.” Remember to follow through on listening!