• About
  • Books
  • One Word
  • Cousin Camp
  • Speaking
  • Audio
  • Blog
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
Susan Alexander Yates

Susan Alexander Yates

Wisdom for Every Season

  • Character
  • Faith
  • Family
  • Seasons
  • Marriage
  • Parenting
  • Cousin Camp
  • Ask Susan

How to Pray for Your Kids and All the Challenges They Face this Fall

by Susan Alexander Yates

We are walking into a new school year in which our kids are facing many unusual challenges. Covid has impacted each of us in different ways. And now the variant brings even more consternation. Mental health professionals are overwhelmed with clients, kids are depressed, parents fearful.

Dissension over masks or no masks, shots or no shots has caused heart-breaking division between  friends and family members. Uncertainty looms over the future and we don’t like uncertainty. 

two schoolchildren carrying backpacks and wearing masks

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

While life has always been uncertain, this fall seems especially so. It’s difficult to make plans. Our careers are in flux, schools change policies each week, finances are tight and family members are sick. World news is depressing.

Crisis after crisis, we wonder, what will happen next? It’s scary.

2 Things Will Be Helpful for Your Family in this Season:

1. Remember God

It helps to remind ourselves and our kids of several truths:

God is still in charge. He reigns. (1 Chronicles 16:31)

He does not change. (Hebrews 13:8)

He knows everything that is going on, every detail, even the things we don’t know. (Psalm 139:1-24)

He is light and in Him there is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5)

He will bring us through this. (Habakkuk 2:19, Luke 1:37)

He is good. Psalm (Psalm 34:8)

He will never ever leave us or our kids.  (Joshua 1:5, Hebrews 13:5.)

2. Make a specific prayer plan for your family

Amid so many challenges we may not even know how to pray. Likely we feel stuck, unmotivated. After all, we are just trying to make it through one more day. One of the things we need now is a fresh vision for this time. Something that will bring a little clarity into our lives. We need a plan.

Years ago John and I began a tradition early in the school year of praying together for our children that helped us move into the fall with vision, unity, and clarity in how to parent our five kids. We designated a block of time alone to discuss each of our kids in five areas of growth: spiritual, emotional, mental, physical, and social.

We asked ourselves questions like:

  • How is this child doing spiritually? Can we begin to encourage personal Bible reading or teach him how to keep a personal prayer list? (spiritual)
  • Does a child need more discipline in study habits?  How can we ensure this happens? (mental)
  • Does one child need a close friend? (social)
  • How about better eating habits or exercise? (physical)
  • Is there a particular child that we feel isn’t getting enough attention from us or is struggling with his self-image? (emotional)

As we talked about each child, we wrote down what we perceived to be their needs for the coming year and any goals that we might have. These lists became our individual prayer lists for each child. 

The children did not know what we were praying.

One of the surprising blessings of this tradition was its impact on our marriage. 

Simply taking time to discuss each child together enabled us to be on the same page with regard to that child. One of us often articulated something about a child the other had not noticed. Because you have likely had more time together as a family during this pandemic season, you may both feel more in touch with your children’s needs. 

As the mom, I found this drew me closer to John because it was easy to feel like “I do the kids and he does work.” I know that’s not true, but sometimes it sure did feel like it!  This exercise always made me feel more like we were partners in parenting.  After we discussed each child, we spent time praying together for that specific child’s needs.

a bunch of pumpkins, orange, green, and white

Photo by Kerstin Wrba on Unsplash

The year our son Chris was 11, I felt that an emotional need for him was to “feel special.” He was caught in the middle of four siblings, and I was concerned that he needed to be assured of how special he was. And so we began to pray that he would feel special.

Halfway through the year he had an accident and fractured his skull. His brain was swelling, and the neurosurgeon really did not know how things would turn out. We were in the hospital for two weeks.

On the first day John and I began to pray that God would use this for good in our lives and particularly in Chris’s life. Once he regained consciousness, we shared Romans 8:28 with him and prayed together. During the hospital stay, many people sent cards, came and visited, and prayed for him. We covered the walls of his hospital room with these love notes.

Just before he was released I asked, “Chris, can you think of any way God has used this for good in your life yet?”

As he looked at the walls of his room covered with cards, he responded, “Wow, Mom, I didn’t know how special I was.”

Yes, God answers our prayers!

(Chris had no idea what was on our prayer list.)

We continued this “needs and goals” tradition every August throughout the years of raising our kids. When they reached college age, we shared the idea with them. We asked each child to e-mail us and their siblings their own needs and goals—using these five areas of growth as a guideline—for the coming year so that we could pray for each other. John and I sent each of ours to them as well. Of course, they groaned, but they did it!

Today those old e-mails are still a reminder to me of God’s faithfulness. Now that the kids are grown, we take turns sharing needs and goals at adult dinners during our family week together in the summer. This gives us specific insights into each other’s lives, and as we pray for one another in the following months we are drawn closer together as a family.

During this time of uncertainty, praying specifically for our family members will encourage us. Writing down needs and watching God provide — sometimes in unusual ways — will strengthen our hope in our heavenly Father who knows each one of intimately and who promises to provide for our needs, in His way and in His time.

(Philippians 2:13, Isaiah 55:8-9, 1 Timothy 6:17b,)

Share64
Pin2
Tweet
Email
Print
66Shares
Share64
Share
Pin
Text
66Shares

You may also enjoy...

Faith, Parenting
September 22, 2021 · 1 Comment

« Wild and Crazy Family Camp: Worship, Food, and Fun
Facing Conflict with Friends, Family, or Fellow Church Members? Do These 4 Things. »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comments

  1. Keena Duncan says

    September 23, 2021 at 5:26 pm

    Thank you for sharing this blog. I needed it in this challenging time. I will share with my daughter, daughter-in-law and other young moms I disciple. You are a blessing.

    Reply

Hello, I’m Susan.

Susan Alexander Yates

I’m a wife (of more than 50 years), mom to five children (including a set of twins), and grandmother to 21 (including a set of quadruplets!). My favorite time of the year is when all my kids and grandkids are together for a week of “cousins and family camp” in the foothills of the Shenandoah Mountains of Virginia.

Read more…

Recent Posts

  • 10 Questions to Ask Yourself When You Need to Make a Hard Decision
  • Celebrate! Your Recipe for a One-Day Summer Gratitude Extravaganza
  • Feeling Afraid? Remembering God’s Faithfulness Will Help
  • Our Weeping, Suffering Savior: Why This Matters to Me & You
  • How God’s Creation Comforts and Restores Me

One Word

One Word: Sufficient

Featured Books

Risky Faith: Becoming Brave Enough to Trust the God Who Is Bigger Than Your World

Risky Faith: Becoming Brave Enough to Trust the God Who Is Bigger Than Your World
Buy This Book Online
Buy from Amazon
Buy from Amazon Kindle
Risky Faith: Becoming Brave Enough to Trust the God Who Is Bigger Than Your World
Buy now!

One Devotional: One Word, One Verse, One Thought for One Hundred Days

One Devotional: One Word, One Verse, One Thought for One Hundred Days
Buy This Book Online
Buy from Amazon
Buy from Amazon Kindle
One Devotional: One Word, One Verse, One Thought for One Hundred Days
Buy now!

Featured Books

And Then I Had Kids: Encouragement for Mothers of Young Children

And Then I Had Kids: Encouragement for Mothers of Young Children
Buy This Book Online
Buy from Amazon
Buy from Audible.com
And Then I Had Kids: Encouragement for Mothers of Young Children
Buy now!

Character Matters: Raising Kids With Values That Last

Character Matters: Raising Kids With Values That Last
Buy This Book Online
Buy from Amazon
Character Matters: Raising Kids With Values That Last
Buy now!
  • Certainty In Christ
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • Media Kit
  • Privacy Policy
  • Site Index

Search

Risky Faith: Becoming Brave Enough to Trust the God Who Is Bigger Than Your World

Risky Faith: Becoming Brave Enough to Trust the God Who Is Bigger Than Your World
Buy This Book Online
Buy from Amazon
Buy from Amazon Kindle
Risky Faith: Becoming Brave Enough to Trust the God Who Is Bigger Than Your World
Buy now!

Character Matters: Raising Kids With Values That Last

Character Matters: Raising Kids With Values That Last
Buy This Book Online
Buy from Amazon
Character Matters: Raising Kids With Values That Last
Buy now!

Popular

  • Our Best Advice for Your Marriage: What We’ve…
  • What’s the big deal about a donkey?
  • How Do You Do It? (Questions for a Mom of Quads)

One Word: Saves One Verse: “The saying is tr One Word:  Saves
 
One Verse:

“The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost." 1 Timothy 1:15
 
One Thought:

Father, I am a sinner. Thank you for saving me once and for all. Help ______ to come to realize that you want to save him (or her) as well. Your nature is to save. Your love compels it. You cannot help it. You sent Jesus to redeem each one of us.
On a walk the other day I noticed beautiful Iris p On a walk the other day I noticed beautiful Iris plants beginning to bloom. They were surrounded by plants I didn't recognized except that I know some were weeds. 

This metaphor came to mind: ‘Our lives have both beauty and weeds mixed together. It’s easy to focus on the weeds (illnesses, hurtful relationships, a difficult decision, a longing unfulfilled), however it’s healthier to focus on the beauty. 

And if we don’t know what is a weed or a possible plant God knows. He will reveal them to us when we need to know and what we discover may surprise us. It helps to remember that HE is in the midst of whatever we are experiencing.
I have a gift for you this week! In my blog, I'm s I have a gift for you this week! In my blog, I'm sharing 10 questions to ask yourself when you're trying to make a hard decision. ⁣
⁣
We all struggle with decision-making! Especially when it's not a clear moral choice between right and wrong.⁣
⁣
Some years ago, my pastor husband John came up with this list of 10 questions to help make decisions. I'm sharing them on the blog, and my friend, artist Jess Blanchard @jessblanchardstudio turned them into a gorgeous bookmark you can download for free.⁣
⁣
You might want to laminate it and keep it in your Bible. I hope it's a blessing to you.⁣
⁣
Read the blog and download the bookmark -- link in bio, or go to susanalexanderyates.com/blog
One Word: Holds One Verse: “Nevertheless, I One Word:  Holds
 
One Verse:

“Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand." Psalm 73:23
 
One Thought:

Dear God, help me to remember all day today that you are holding my hand. You never let go.
I just got back from a quick trip to Chicago with I just got back from a quick trip to Chicago with two friends (Barbara Rainey and Joanne Thompson) to hear poet Malcolm Guite @uitemalcolm3774 lecture and to visit the Lilias Trotter collection at Wheaton College. We got to read her journals and hold her precious art. She was an artist in the late 1800’s who gave up a promising career to go to Algeria for the next 20 years to minister to poor women. @laurawatershinson has produced a movie about her called Many Beautiful Things. (It's wonderful! Look it up if you haven't seen it.) #manybeautifulthingsmovie 

We were inspired by both of these people. It was wonderfully refreshing to get out of our own worlds and away from ”our stuff” and focus on something completely “other!” We all need to do this😊
This verse from Psalm 105 speaks to me. How easy i This verse from Psalm 105 speaks to me. How easy it is to forget -- rather than to remember -- what He has done. Or to focus on all the crises around me. It’s easy to lose perspective on life and on what God is doing. ⁣
⁣
Setting aside a specific day this summer for celebrating God's faithfulness will restore our PERSPECTIVE.⁣
⁣
I'm sharing ideas in my blog you might want to use to put together a summer gratitude extravaganza of your own!  I hope you'll check it out.⁣
⁣
Link in bio, or go to susanalexanderyates.com/blog⁣
⁣
Let us remember the wonders He has done!
One Word: Mighty One Verse: “O Lord God of h One Word:  Mighty
 
One Verse:

“O Lord God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O Lord, with your faithfulness all around you?" Psalm 89:9
 
One Thought:

Father, too often I forget that you are mighty. I unknowingly assign to you my own weakness without even realizing it. Forgive me. I want to dwell on your mighty power today. Your might levels mountains, raises seas, heals diseases, changes hearts and creates a complex human body. When I focus on your might my perspective is restored.
@jodie_berndt’s new book, Praying the Scriptures @jodie_berndt’s new book, Praying the Scriptures for your Marriage, is the #1 book I would recommend on marriage.

Written with her husband Robbie, it’s honest, funny and very practical. Her down to earth style will make you feel normal with the challenges we all face in marriage, but she doesn’t leave us there. She provides us with tips for communication, relevant scriptures, and samples of specific prayers to pray for your marriage. Get a copy for yourself and several for wedding gifts or anniversary presents!

We’ve been married 53 years and this book is so good for us!

Thank you Jodie!
A craft table at the farm with some of our budding A craft table at the farm with some of our budding artists (grandchildren). ⁣
⁣
I have an idea for you: Let's put on our calendars now a SUMMER CELEBRATION DAY!⁣
⁣
The purpose? To set aside one whole day to recount God’s faithfulness with thanksgiving. This simple act can lead to a day of praise and worship and a closeness with others as we share His goodness together.⁣
⁣
There are so many ways you can do this! On your own, on a day-long (or hour-long) retreat. With your immediate or extended family. With church friends. ⁣
⁣
Out in a park or inside on a rainy day. With a craft table like ours or with music or food or sports -- or all of the above!⁣
⁣
I'm sharing lots of ideas in this week's blog: Celebrate! Your Recipe for a One-Day Summer Gratitude Extravaganza  Link in bio or go to susanalexanderyates.com/blog⁣
⁣
I hope you'll plan something and I'd love to hear what you do!

Copyright © 2023 · Susan Alexander Yates · All Rights Reserved
Calligraphy by Jessica Blanchard · Paintings by Christen Yates
Blog and Ask Susan Photo by Natalie Puls Photography · Books Photo by Cambria Elizabeth

66Shares
66Shares
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OkayPrivacy Policy