In a few months my daughter will reach a milestone-she will officially become a teenager. One of the biggest things I want to become better about is listening and praying for her. So today, lets talk about praying for your teen.
Hear what they are saying.
My child is a talker. She can ramble for hours about school, Sunday school, what she loves about soccer or why certain animals have specific characteristics. Being an extrovert is a part of her personality. For this introverted mama, during her two hour mouth dump after school can spiral me into tuning her out.
But over the last few years, I’ve learned that she expects me to be intently listening. While it may seem like girl drama, she’s telling me about her social life and her certain views on life. Knowing these things give me specific attitudes and behaviors and relationships to pay for when I’m praying for my teen.
Actively engage them.
While she’s moody and can be prone to teenage melodrama; I have to remind myself to continue to engage her. I never want there to be a complete breakdown in our communication. I pray consistently to engage her in certain settings and conversations.
This comes with just knowing your kid. I also love to schedule times for she and I to be together. Whether it is a trip to the bookstore or an ice cream date after school, I look for ways to spend time with her.
Encourage them with scripture.
We have a chalkboard in our kitchen and each week, our teen is responsible for changing the verse. This allows her to sharpen her skills in looking through the Bible. It also gives me a chance to talk through her verse choice with her and why she choose it.
Several times when she is struggling with a certain situation, we can pray through it together by using the scripture she’s looked up for a week. Watching her open her heart in prayer is another way I can connect with her, but I can pray for her directly.
Lindsey Andrews is a writer, lawyer and adoptive mother who writes on the internet here.
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