Parenting is hard. No matter what age your child is. I often find myself feeling frustrated and wishing I was doing a better job at being a parent. I find myself praying a lot for my children and for God to help me be the parent He wants me to be.
As I was going through my Grandmother’s Bible one day, I found a prayer for parents that was printed in a church bulletin. I don’t even know what church this is from, but am thinking it was from the Hohenwald Church of Christ (the church she lived next door to). And this prayer doesn’t say who wrote it either. It just says “Selected”. So I cannot give credit to the person who wrote this prayer.
But this prayer is so good and I wanted to share it with you. I pray you will find comfort and peace in saying this prayer to God as you seek His help and wisdom in being a better parent.
Heavenly Father, make me a better parent. Teach me to understand my children, to listen patiently to what they have to say, and to answer all their questions kindly. Keep me from interrupting them or contradicting them. Make me as courteous to them as I would have them be to me. Forbid that I should ever laugh at their mistakes, or resort to shame or ridicule when they displease me. May I never punish them for my own selfish satisfaction or to show my power.
Let me not tempt my child to lie or steal. And guide me hour by hour that I may demonstrate by all I say and do that honesty produces happiness.
Reduce, I pray, the meanness in me. And when I am out of sorts, help me, O Lord, to hold my tongue.
May I ever be mindful that my children are children and I should not expect of them the judgment of adults.
Let me not rob them of the opportunity to wait on themselves and to make decisions.
Bless me with the bigness to grant them all their reasonable requests, and the courage to deny them privileges I know will do them harm.
Make me fair and just and kind. And fit me, O Lord, to be loved and respected and imitated by my children. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Below is a printable of the prayer that you can save, download, and print so that you can pray this daily.
2 comments
Hi ,
I have four grown children with families of their own now. But I kept this in my nightstand and tried to remember to pray it for my children and myself each night. They have grown into wonderful adults now.
I give a copy in every baby shower or gift that I give.
I understood that the author was the founder of Highlights magazine. I can’t remember the name.
Hi Vanessa,
I did a search and found this post with the Parents Prayer. I, too, found this tucked away in a book of my grandmother’s after she passed away. It was clipped from a newspaper and there was no date. She was born in 1901 so I’m not sure if it’s the same generation as your grandmother, but I found it interesting that we both found this gift from our grandmothers to use and pass on to the next generation.. I am a grandma now, so will pass it on to my kids. I agree that it is a beautiful and meaningful prayer with strong guidance for parents. Thanks you!