A Parent's Prayer For Teens

Lord, thank you for helping me to be the type of parent you call me to be.Thank you for giving me patience and wisdom so that I may be an honorable guide who lays a strong foundation for my teen because we cannot control or mold others but we can offer our adolescents the building blocks for a righteous character.

Heavenly Father, thank you for giving me the strength and courage to face each morning as a new day, forgetting the irritations of the day before, and treating each time the sun rises as a fresh start.

Thank you, Lord, for reminding me that I was once a teen too, and just as I made some mistakes and had to find my own way so too does my soon-to-be adult child need to carve their own path.

God, please remind me daily to pray for my teen; for their health, safety and wise choices. Thank you for helping me dare to trust, not only the decisions of my child, but to trust the life of my child in your capable hands.

Lord, thank you for helping me to whisper when I may feel like screaming, and to hug when I may feel like striking. Children learn best by example, so help me to wear a title I can be proud of.

Thank you God, for reminding me to see the good in my child, and to frequently tell my teen that he or she is loved, even when they may do or say something that may displease me.

Thank you Lord, for giving me the wisdom and understanding to know when a problem is too large for me to handle within my own home, and to not fear reaching out for help when help is needed.

God, thank you for reminding me daily that although motherhood and fatherhood is a full-time job, my needs are important too. The result of my own personal care is a happier and healthier parent.

Lord, please help my teen to be a leader, and not a follower of fools. And, if the time should come my child makes a detour, thank you for allowing me to give compassion and understanding for I am sometimes foolish too.

Thank you God, for offering me the wisdom to see that a good parent sometimes needs to say no and set boundaries, and likewise, a good parent provides their child with wings to soar.

Thank you for helping me to understand that just as I may sometimes feel confused, frustrated and worried about my teens behavior, their mixed emotions are often more frightening to them. Our children have been thrust into a society that sometimes offers mixed messages, quick ungodly fixes and senseless violence, so please help to remind me that my young adult needs some time to figure out what his or her world is all about.

Lastly God, as much as I wish to hold tight on to my child, thank you for always reminding me that You are holding on to me even tighter. There IS a light at the end of the tunnel, and even puberty shall one day pass. This I ask in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Authors note: Need a helping hand at parenting a teen? Start by reaching out to God, and letting His comforting love refresh and inspire you!

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Contributed by Melanie Schurr (Copyright (c)2003 Melanie Schurr) Melanie Schurr is author of "Ecstatic Living Ecstatic Loving: How to have more peace and joy in marriage, and life in general by walking in harmony with God," and "Son Salutations: A refreshing collection of modern inspirations for those who seek God each day." For more information, visit her web page at www.angelfire.com/mi/melschurr