Counsels on Relationships

Counsel #20 — Prayer-Based Parenting

Picture: Counsel #20 — Prayer-based Parenting CR 131.1

Parenting is a full-time commitment, and guiding a child successfully through life’s challenges in a world filled with temptation is only possible with God’s direction. Children, especially teenagers, face constant pressure from their environment, with friends often holding significant influence over their choices and beliefs. Unfortunately, the advice your teen gets from friends, the media, and other sources may not align with God’s Word. CR 131.2

As parents, we must humbly submit to God’s expectations for raising our children and continually seek to parent according to His will. Teenagers value opportunities to voice their opinions and take responsibility, so it’s essential for parents to not only teach God’s principles and model a godly lifestyle but also create a space where questions and ideas can be openly discussed. Encourage your teens to lead family prayer or guide Bible study. Make a concerted and consistent effort to daily make God the foundation of your home. This godly foundation will provide an anchor in the winds of stressful situations that inevitably come.^[125] CR 131.3

“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” 3 John 1:4 NIV CR 131.4

“Children will be happier, far happier, under proper discipline than if left to do as their unrestrained impulses suggest. A child's truest graces consist in modesty and obedience—in attentive ears to hear the words of direction, in willing feet and hands to walk and work in the path of duty...” Ellen White in Reflecting Christ, p. 172 CR 131.5

Reflect: How can you consistently make Jesus a welcome guest in your home? CR 131.6