Praying for Coby { + Giveaway}

Nate & I have prayed for Coby before he was ever in existence, and we continue to pray for him daily.  In fact, one of my favorite moments as a family was just a few short minutes after Jacoby was born.  While Coby was laying on my chest, Nate & I prayed right then and there for our sweet boy.

We have tried our best to be diligent in praying nightly for him.  He generally eats and then before we put him down, we say a short prayer for him.  We have been doing this ever since he was born.  While I LOVE doing this, we both felt like we wanted more direction on how to pray for him.  

What are ways, we, as parents can pray for Coby?

What are our dreams/hopes for Coby?

How can we be sure to daily surrender Coby to God?

There are hundreds of questions that go through my head when it comes to praying for Coby's future.

A couple weeks after Coby was born, one of the outreach members from our church, River Valley, came over and told us about the children's programs, what to expect, and gave us a book called "While they are Sleeping: 12 character traits for the children you love" by Anne Arkins & Gary Harrell. 

I love that they thought it so important to pray for our child, that they gifted us this book to go through. Honestly though? We put it aside for a couple weeks. whoops! Probably because we were busy being new parents and waking up every 3 hours all night long, haha!

A couple weeks ago, Nate pulled the book out and said-- we should go through this book!  LOVE my man and his desire to raise Coby to be man of God!

We are still going through the book-- but I am obsessed with it!  It helps you pray for 12 character traits for your child/children:

1. Kindness

2. Humility

3. Teachability

4. Forgiveness

5. Obedience

6. Discernment

7. Purity

8. Responsibility 

9. Courage

10. Servanthood

11. Contentment

12. Endurance

This book has helped me think harder about the child I am raising.  How am I fostering these traits as I raise him?  It pushes me to be a better person.  How am I an example of these traits?  Does Coby see these in me, or am I more talk and no walk?

Nate and I read one of these each night (minus the weekends).  There are 5 days for each character trait.  Each day there is a bible verse that it relates to, a couple of prayers that you insert your child's name into, and then usually another bible verse or 2.  At the bottom of each day, there is a quote about that specific trait as well.  For example, one of my favorite days so far has been:

Kindness- Day 5

"In the last days, people will love only themselves and their money; they will be proud and boastful, sneering at God, disobedient to their parents ungrateful to them, and thoroughly bad.  They will be hardheaded and never give in to others" - 1 Timothy 3:2-3 (TLB)

Prayer Focus

O Lord, guard the heart of my child from the error of selfishness.  I earnestly pray that Jacoby would not be caught up in thinking only of himself and his needs.  Keep Jacoby from being proud and boastful, disregarding You, disobeying those You've placed in authority over him, and being ungrateful.  Cause Jacoby to recognize selfishness in his life and confess it to You, exchanging it for kindness.

"Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."  Luke 14:11 (NASB)

Prayer Focus

Father, deliver Jacoby from any attitude of self-exaltation.  Grant a willingness and eagerness to be humble before You and others.  Refocus the vision of Jacoby's selfishness so that he can see the needs of others and discern what's best for them.

Personal Prayer

Pray for protection, awareness, and deliverance from specific temptations your child is facing with selfishness and pride.

"Selfishness attends only to one's own needs and interests; kindness acts with regard for the needs and interests of others".

At the end of the week, there is a "You and Me Time", where you work together with your child/children to focus on that trait (such as reading parts of the bible that talk about that characteristic, or having your children encourage each other by writing down each other's good characteristics).

There is also a "Live It Out" section at the end of the week, that gives you different ways to practically develop that trait together {which works well for children who are older than Coby is right now :)}.  I hope to go through this book again for each of our children and then again with them together as a whole when they are all old enough to understand and participate.  It doesn't matter the age of your child/children...it's general as far as age and gender are concerned.

Another great part of this book? The fact that we can {easily} do it daily.  It even gives you the weekends off, but helps you Monday-Friday.  It's simple, to the point, but extremely helpful in knowing how to pray for your child.

Because I love this book so much, I am giving one copy to a reader of mine!  Just comment below and the winner will be selected at random and announced on this coming Friday, April 24! 

Praying for our children is such a crucial part of being a parent, and something that I believe God takes seriously.  Feel free to shoot me an email if you have any questions or don't have the money to buy this book but really want it-- I'll be happy to find a way to get you a copy! 

Enter below, ya'll!  

xox,

Naomi