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•Praying for God’s Plans in Our Children’s Lives•By Anthony Valente👉 “In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9)Though parenting is a great blessing we undoubtedly treasure, it often causes us to worry and pray the most. Kids are only containable and controllable to a certain extent. When I am overwhelmed, scouring through Scriptures to pray on their behalf and desperate for God to shield them…. He is faithful to remind me that control over their lives is not ultimately mine.Abba, Yahweh, loves them infinitely more than I ever could. I often need to take my own advice and pray and be patient while God works out the details of their days in His sovereignty. He’s never given me a reason to doubt Him, and I needn’t worry He’ll fail to be faithful.We, as Solomon wisely wrote in Proverbs, have a tendency to plot and plan the course of our lives, and those of our children. Then, we ask for God’s blessing. But God’s will for our lives is to obediently follow His lead to the best of our ability.But the LORD, significantly and purposefully written in all caps to remind us who the LORD is, determines our steps. He alone knows what’s up next in our lives. When we are good stewards of the time, talents, and treasures He blesses us with on earth, we have nothing to worry about…. nothing to fear…. for His plans for us, and our children, are more than we can ask for or imagine.Faithfully following Jesus is the greatest example we can set for our children. His love never falters or fades. Jesus meets us right where we are and walks with us. By the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in every believer of Christ, we will walk out the steps the LORD determines, for His glory and honor.Let's pray.✝️ Heavenly Father,Thank You for the reminder of Your sovereignty and our place as Your children. You chose us, created us, and purposed us ….and our children! When we are tempted to worry and request Your blessing over our plans instead of aiming to hear Your will for our lives, grab our attention. Convict our hearts and remind us who You are, and who we are in Christ. Sons and daughters of the One True God.Yahweh, let the repetition of saying Your name calm us in the midst of worrisome circumstances and challenging moments as parents. Let the weight of perfection fall off of our shoulders, and the weightless and limitless freedom of grace rush through our lives. Let our daily lives honor You, God.Bless our role as parents, and give us the wisdom we need in order to release the grip of control that so deceitfully sneaks into the cracks of our lives when we fear the decisions our children are making. Help us release them into Your hands. Protect them from those who wish to harm them. Shield and soften their hearts, Father.Over everything we plan and worry about, we pray Your will for our lives. You are good. We trust You, LORD. We love You, LORD.In Jesus’ Name,AMEN 🙏 “She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: ‘Many women do noble things, you surpass them all.’ Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.”(Proverbs 31:26-31)“I have no greater joy than this: to hear that my children are living according to the truth.”(3 John 1:4)“Parents, don’t provoke your children in a way that ends up discouraging them.”(Colossians 3:21)“When a woman gives birth, she has pain because her time has come. But when the child is born, she no longer remembers her distress because of her joy that a child has been born into the world.”(John 16:21)“But be on guard and watch yourselves closely so that you don’t forget the things your eyes saw and so they never leave your mind as long as you live. Teach them to your children and your grandchildren.”(Deuteronomy 4:9)“Be careful that you don’t look down on one of these little ones. I say to you that their angels in heaven are always looking into the face of my Father who is in heaven.”(Matthew 18:10)“In your house, your wife will be like a vine full of fruit. All around your table, your children will be like olive trees, freshly planted.”(Psalm 128:3)“Those who withhold the rod hate their children, but the one who loves them applies discipline.”(Proverbs 13:24)“Train children in the way they should go; when they grow old, they won’t depart from it.”(Proverbs 22:6)“As for children, obey your parents in the Lord, because it is right. The commandment ‘Honor your father and mother’ is the first one with a promise attached: ‘so that things will go well for you, and you will live for a long time in the land.’ As for parents, don’t provoke your children to anger, but raise them with discipline and instruction about the Lord.”(Ephesians 6:1-4)“A wise son makes a father glad, But a foolish man despises his mother.”(Proverbs 15:20)“So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”(Matthew 6:34)One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him. When Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry with his disciples. He said to them, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” Then he took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them.(Mark 10:13-16)For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.(Psalm 139:13-16)(pic verse)“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”(Jeremiah 1:5)