Promises & Prayers to Help You Pray for & With Your ChildrenНамуна

 Safely at Home in His Presence

Our homes are meant to be places of safety and refuge. Life is not fair, and not everyone will be kind and considerate toward our children and grandchildren. Our young ones will face things that are unpleasant and people who are unjust. But at the end of the day, our homes get to be places of safety where every family member returns to be strengthened and empowered for the next day. We provide a place of safety for our children and grandchildren, and God provides a shelter of protection over us.

We are meant to dwell in the shelter of the Most High, abiding in God’s presence as a lifestyle. This is not a point of theology; rather, it is a conscious awareness of the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and homes. When we dwell as a family in God’s presence in this way, we are living under His protection. God’s presence overshadows us, pulling us into His realm of safety.

Corrie ten Boom once said, “When you are covered by His wings, it can get pretty dark.” Some difficult moments will come that may seem dark for us as families or individuals, but as those moments unfold, they will only provide a testament to God’s nearness. God is not intimidated by anything, and His protection over us will not fail.

We don’t want to shame our children if they are feeling fear in the face of difficulties, but we do want to throw them a lifeline of hope. God is their refuge and strength, just as He is ours. As His children, we have been called to become influencers in the midst of difficulty and calamity. We are not the answer, but we usher in the answer through the wonderful message of the Gospel.

God shows up opposite of His surroundings. When Israel was wandering through the desert, God would manifest as a cloud covering in the heat of the day, to bring coolness. In the cold of the night, He was there as a pillar of fire. He shows up as the redemptive solution to every problem. He does not bring calamity; instead, He is prepared to reverse its effects. Jesus can redeem every aspect of every situation into the promotion of the Gospel. He is our hope and the hope of our children. We are safely at home in His presence.

You are my rock, God! You are a shield around us, and You will always be a safe place for ___ and for me. Thank You that You will keep ___ from every form of evil because You continually watch over ___’s every move. Thank You that I don’t need to worry because You are the Protector over ___ and over my entire family. We invite Your presence to fill our home, overshadowing our family with the wings of Your protection.

For Time with Your Child

Ask: What makes you feel really safe?

Pray: You are my Protector, God, the one I can run to anytime I am afraid. Thank You that You care about every part of my life.

Declare: I am always safe in the arms of my Father God! He watches over me, so I never need to be afraid.

Do: The Bible says God is our shield. Make or draw a shield of His protection over your life.

We adapted this plan from a 31-day resource to help you pray for and with your children. Learn more at http://bakerpublishinggroup.com/books/bible-promises-and-prayers-for-children/400660.