Saturday I wrote a blog and FB post about women praying for the men in their lives in a way that is focused on the men, not on what the women want from the men, and it has left me wondering. I wonder two things:
1. What would I want the man who loves me to pray for me?
2. What would I want the kids' dad to pray for me?
As many of you know, the kids' dad and I were in the process of divorce when he died seven years ago, but if he were alive, I would still be praying for him as their dad because the way a dad lives affects his kids in every aspect of their lives. I hope he would also pray for me as their mom, and if he did, I would hope he would pray something like this:
Father, help Jerri not to live in unforgiveness of any kind because that closes her heart to love, and I want her to love our kids deep and wide.
Give her wisdom for her finances because in taking care of those, she also takes care of our kids.
Give her wisdom for disciplining the kids, and help her to never discipline out of anger, frustration, or fatigue.
Show her you love her in ways she knows and feels.
Help her see our kids as you created them to be and bless that in them even when it is hard or stretches her or causes differences of opinion.
Help her to listen to the kids and see things through their eyes, too.
Help her to never compromise your Word but to live what she tells them she believes.
Help her to see her value as a mom when she wonders if she makes a difference at all.
Give her friends to encourage her on hard days.
Bring the people she needs to meet practical needs like repairs.
On hard days, help her to know when to just go do something fun and when to stay and fight it out.
Help the two of us to talk and co-parent well.
Give her physical strength to do all she needs to do and mental/emotional strength to face the intangible challenges.
Give her a tenacious spirit for praying for our kids.
Give her hope that things do turn out well for the kids even in the places they are struggling.
If you bring another man into her life, I ask that he would love our kids like You love our kids, that he would be fair and wise, that he would bless who you created them to be, and I ask that he would be part of the parenting team, not a distraction or problem.
Lord, bless Jerri to be joyful in you. Bless who she is, not just as a mom but as a person. Give her courage to be an example of faith to our kids and to become all you created her to be.
I ask these things in Jesus' name, Amen.
Yeah...I think I would like for him to pray something like that...
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