Dear Lord, I pray...

Dear Lord,

I pray for the grace to face the challenges of parenting.

Affirm me with your words of love,
Bring me to your presence daily,
Create in me gentleness to self and others,
Deliver me from the temptation of "rushing to grow my child,"
Examine me to see if there are any anxious thoughts,
Frustrate me to train my patience and capacity,
Grant me the wisdom, quick to observe and slow to speak,
Holy is your name that I will call upon,
Invite my spouse to create and share positive memories,
Journey together in humility, vulnerability, and respect,
Kindle in me the love of learning together with my child,
Let my heart be still and know that you are God,
Make me a partner in raising up a generation of God's servants,
Nurture my heart and mind with your grace and truth,
Operate freely in my family and its affairs,
Protect me from self-doubt and false guilt of not doing enough,
Quicken my feet to follow in your ways,
Reduce the conflict and strife,
Surround me with your angels and good listeners,

Teach me your ways before I teach my child,

Undo the hurtful words that we say to each other,

Value our homes as you value us,

Wash away our sins and give us a new start,
X is when I don't know what to say,
You are the Lord of our family,
Zealot, you are, in drawing us closer together.