I have always wanted to be a mom. It’s just the way Jesus made me! When Chris and I were first married and people would ask how many kids we wanted to have, we would say TEN! After we had Jubilee and realized how much money you would need to have ten babies, we thought we might slim the number down to five or six, but we definitely want a big family!
What I’ve learned about having children is that you have to be intentional. Jesus is so intentional in the way that He loves us, and in turn, we should be intentional in the way that we love our own children. Something that Chris and I have done every single night since Jubilee was born is pray with her. Now, we pray with Selah, too!
When Jubilee was tiny, either Chris or I would pray over her as we tucked her into bed or rocked her to sleep every single night. As soon as she could talk, we started teaching her how to pray. I remember when I first started to teach her and I would just begin the prayer, “Jesus, thank you so much for our family,” then, I would look at Jubilee and say, “What else?” She would respond with something like, “Ummmm….. Snacks!” or “My toys!”
One thing about Jubilee is that she has always been a really good talker. She started speaking really clearly a lot earlier than I expected! So, if your child isn’t forming sentences or able to communicate clearly yet, don’t give up!
The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 11:1 “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” Our children are always following our example, even when we don’t realize it! There have been so many nights when I was SO tired and did not feel like taking time to go through the whole bedtime routine, but I knew how important it was to pray with our children! As soon as Jubilee started to pray with me, I knew that it was something that had impacted her. Now, Jubilee prays ALL the time. It’s so cool!
Before my sister got saved, Jubilee would pray for Jesus to go live in Aunt Sam’s heart and help her feel better! That was something that I didn’t even teach her to say… she just said it one night all on her own! Today, my sister is saved and living for Jesus, and I truly believe that it is a result of prayer, especially the prayers of my 3 year old!
Another time, Jubilee fell and hurt her knee. I grabbed her up and tried to kiss it, and she looked at me like I was crazy and said, “No, Mommy. PRAY for it!” She also likes to pray over our food before we eat. Right now, she has to thank Jesus for every single person’s food and then also for their drink, one by one. It can get pretty lengthy, but it is so sweet!
Our kids are so smart! They are constantly learning and growing. Another one of my favorite verses is in Proverbs 22:6. The Amplified version of the Bible says it like this, “Train up a child in the way he should go [teaching him to seek God’s wisdom and will for his abilities and talents], Even when he is old he will not depart from it.”
I think that the impact that we have as parents is so beautiful, and it is something that we should do intentionally. If you aren’t already doing it, I encourage you to start teaching your children how to pray! Start today! They are going to follow your example, and teaching them to pray is one of the most important things you will ever teach them.
It can be just as simple as laying down with them tonight and saying, “Thanks Jesus for today,” looking at them, and saying, “and what else?!”
With messy hair and wild grace,
Ellyn
