God, Help Me Not To Mess Up My Kids!Sample

God, Help My Kids be Brave—A Prayer for Courage

Most of us remember the first time our child rode a bicycle. We ran alongside, trying to protect her from falling. It’s in our nature to protect, isn’t it? For many of us, it’s difficult to let go of that bicycle and let her ride on her own. Down inside, though, we know we can’t protect her forever. We want to raise courageous kids who grow to make a big impact!

Moses was 120 years old in the passage we read today. His natural strength wasn’t gone, but God had previously told him that he wouldn’t lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. The fate of Israel didn’t end with Moses and it didn’t fall on one person alone. Moses declared that God Himself would cross over ahead of them. God would lead His people forward and He would use Joshua to guide them. In a sense, Moses let go of the bicycle and gave this encouraging call to Joshua: “Be strong and courageous…”

In the Bible, courage is the opposite of fear. It has the idea of boldness and confidence. Have you noticed that God doesn’t simply demand that we have courage? In almost every instance where “fear not” is used, there is a reason given. That reason is God Himself! He will lead us.

We can be courageous because of God. He is the source of our courage. That’s a great promise!

Let’s use today’s verses as a blueprint for prayer. Take the concepts of the verses and turn them into a prayer for your children. Here’s an example:

Father God, develop an attitude of strength and courage in my children. Help them discover that they need not fear for You go with them. You will never leave them or turn Your back on them. When they are called to tasks far beyond their confidence, help them know that You go before them. When they are tempted to follow the crowd instead of Your Truth, give them courage to make the correct choice. Cast discouragement away from them and give them the confidence that You are leading the way. Help them learn to trust You in all areas of their lives” (based on Deuteronomy 31:6-8).

Let’s dig deeper together. Watch a video of a mother sharing her story about her hope for her son, find encouragement, and discover some practical ways to apply this lesson.