ANXIETY THE MONSTER
The summer months are coming to a close, and the impending school year is quickly approaching. Every trip to the store or visit to their app is filled with signs of the reminder that it’s time to shop for back to school. Some of us are endlessly searching for the best deals. Our thoughts, grocery carts, grocery pick ups, and packages are consumed with supplies for our children this school year. Supplies to equip them for the year ahead, but our list was missing an important item.
Growing up, I never enjoyed going to school. I was the child who cried crocodile tears to stay home with my mom every morning. Despite my past experiences, I am excited for them to be with friends, learn new things, and experience new opportunities. But, I am also quick to validate their feelings and let them know that I understand. That’s why I want them to know the single most important school supply for their school year, and for us as parents.
The missing school supply is prayer. It is the most important item, but it’s absent from the list. Prayer is our direct connection to the Father.
Our prayers, as believers, are powerful. But, do we believe that? Do we believe that God hears the pleading of our hearts? Are we sharing with our children the importance of prayer? The importance of their prayers? That God wants us to pray about everything? That He will take our prayers and exchange them with His peace?
We have been talking about how much fun our children are going to have, preparing them for what to expect, and equipping them with supplies to use throughout the school year. But, most importantly, our children must know the power of their prayers. Our children must know that they are never alone, because God is in the room with them. Whenever they need Him, He is near. God is close to our children when fear arises, when a task is harder to do than we hoped, when trials occur with friends, when correcting occurs with their teachers, or when they are tired and ready to be done with their day. He is where their help comes from. His strength and presence will carry them through.
I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth. (Psalm 121:1-2 ESV)
Jesus said in Matthew 18:10, “Beware that you don’t look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels are always in the presence of my heavenly Father.”
Give All Your Worries to God
Friend, I need God to do what I cannot. I need to place my trust fully in His hands. My children being apart from me for the majority of the day feels scary. What if they need me? What if my child is scared, mad, upset, or lonely – who will comfort them? What if my child’s safety is at risk? These exact worries are where we can feel stuck. Stuck in our fear, worry, and helplessness.
Jesus said in Matthew 18:10, “Beware that you don’t look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels are always in the presence of my heavenly Father.”
What a powerful scripture of God’s protection over our children. How great is His love for us! There is nothing that we can do in our own strength that compares to the love and protection that our Father can give. Let’s not forget that God is where our help, as parents, comes from also. The school year is hard for all of us in many different ways. As we pray over our children, we must also take the time to pray for ourselves.
Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. – 1 Peter 5:7
We can begin today to prepare our hearts for what the first days of school and the rest of the year will bring. I want to invite you to try some things that I have found solace in.
- Journaling:
- There are times that I pray out loud, silently to myself, or I write my prayers out in my journal. I have found, for me, that journaling my prayers is my favorite way to pray. It helps me to get my prayer out of my heart and down on paper. Spilling out all the details that bubble at the surface. I use it to journal my thoughts and feelings, but my journal entry always ends in a prayer. If my journal isn’t near, I use the Notes app on my phone.
- Purchasing a prayer journal to follow:
- I have a prayer journal that a friend gave to me during a difficult time. It changed the way I viewed prayer, and it was the first time I had ever written out my prayers. The one I currently use is, The Daily Prayer Journal by Alexa Jean Brown. I am excited to use the prayer journal by Christian Parenting for the upcoming school year, Key Psalms to Pray Over Your Kids, and follow along on their podcast, Pardon the Mess, to pray over my kids each Monday.
- Listening to a podcast that helps us in our walk with the Lord as parents:
- As I mentioned above, Christian Parenting has a podcast that goes along with their prayer journal. Last year, I tuned in every Monday morning to pray over my children. I looked forward to those days to be guided in prayer, and I am so excited to tune in for the 2022-2023 school year with my prayer journal this time. The podcast also has a parenting related episode each Thursday.
- Carving out time to spend one on one with the Lord in His Word:
- The best time of the day to spend with the Lord is a time when you can fully be present with the Lord. As moms, that’s hard, but it is possible. I plan for time in the morning before my day starts or as soon as I can get everyone settled and I can settle into my favorite spot. He is where my strength and help comes from. His Word is the most important place we need to be growing from.
- Meditating on scripture daily:
Maybe you journal the same scripture daily for a week or longer. Maybe you journal a different scripture each day. Each time we meditate on scripture, we are hiding the Word of God in our heart. One day circumstances will arise, and we will have the Word of God hidden in our heart for the moment we need it.
REFLECTION
- What is weighing heavy on your heart about this upcoming school year? Where are you feeling out of control?
How can you share the power of prayer with your child for this upcoming school year?
Take time to sit with these questions, surrender it to God, get in His Word, make a plan for how you and your child can seek God’s help daily, and, most importantly, pray it over with God.
We are here for you, friend. We unite with you in praying over our children and ourselves as we journey into a new school year. God already sees the other side of this school year, and He is faithful to walk closely through this journey with us.
Laura Spurlin is a nurse who boxed up her scrubs to be a stay-at-home-mama to her two kiddos. In this season of motherhood, her anxiety hit a soaring peak and her depression hit a deep low. With this battle came a stronger, deeper, and more surrendering (on her end) relationship with Christ, and a love for writing what He places on her heart about mothering, marriage, and mental health.
Find her here on instagram