Early this morning, I read these words by the Psalmist, “Once you spoke in a vision” Psalm 89:19. As I was reflecting on those words, my mind traveled back to the years when I was in the thick of raising our kids. Daily I asked God for wisdom. Often I asked God for His heart for a particular child. I had my own dreams for each child, but I wanted to know what God’s dreams were for each child.  Many times through my parenting journey, God spoke to me through his word, giving me a verse for a particular situation. Sometimes, He spoke to me through the still small whisper of His Spirit prompting me to pray in a certain direction. At other times, when the journey of parenting felt difficult and strenuous, I took a day of prayer.

I specifically remember a time when one of our kids was struggling in their faith journey and in their relationships. My heart felt so heavy so I took a day of prayer to get alone with God to hear His voice. As I knelt before Him His voice quieted my anxiety with these words, “My hand will sustain her” and “My faithful love will be with her” Psalm 89:21, 24. After God spoke those words to me, He invited me to dream with Him on behalf of that child.  At His prompting, I began to put on paper dreams that I had for that child. As I surrendered each dream to Him, God gave me His dreams. Gradually, a vision emerged for how God wanted to use my daughter for His glory. That vision then guided my prayers.  I prayed that my child would serve God by compassionately, helping others through her gifts of song and prayer.   I prayed that she would grow strong and steady in her faith and that she would not be easily swayed by others. I prayed  that God would give her the gift of discernment.

God answered my prayers in ways I can’t even describe.  You see, they weren’t really “my dreams” for that child, but “God’s dreams” for that child. As I bowed before Him, He brought my heart as a parent into perfect union with His, so that I was able to pray in unison with the Holy Spirit for my child. That’s the key. As we surrender every dream for our child to the Lord and praise Him that He is able to more than we can imagine in our child’s lives, we have the assurance that God’s faithfulness will sovereignly guide our child’s life.

What about you?   As you seek God for your child, whether your child is still home or an adult, how is God calling you to pray? It’s easy at times to pray selfishly as a parent for the things we want. But what about, asking God what His dreams are for your child, and then bowing before Him and asking Him to bring your will into perfect union with His. When you pray according to God’s will, it’s a win, win, for everyone! If your child is young, it’s never too early to start dreaming with God. Ask God to help you see your child through His eyes. Ask Him to give you a vision. Spend a few hours quietly thinking about your child’s unique design. Then praise God in advance for how His vision for your child will unfold!

Over the next few months, I’ll be blogging on parenting issues. If you have a topic relative to parenting that you would like to see addressed on my blog, leave a comment and let me know! If I choose your topic, you will receive a free copy of The 30 Day Praise Challenge For Parents, when it releases in September.