You Grow, Girl!

Stages of Growth: Oak of Righteousness

  

I recently heard the story of a woman who, before she died, willed her land to a three hundred year old oak tree which grew on her property.  The pride and joy of her county, this tree was a famous landmark and a breathtaking symbol of solidity and continuity.  To this day, the oak thrives on land from which it will never be uprooted.

If you've even seen an ancient oak tree, you know that it is a thing of beauty. And it is rare for a tree to grow to such a splendid size.  In fact, for every 10,000 seedlings planted, only 50 survive to become mature trees.  Your job as mother (and spiritual mother) to your daughter is to help her become one who perseveres in the faith, "an oak of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor" (Isaiah 61:3).  

How can you do that?  Understand that one of the elements that takes out a young tree long before it reaches maturity is storms.  High winds hit hard and trees are destroyed.  What strengthens a tree to stand in the midst of storms? Prayer preparation.  Here's how can you pray your daughter through to maturity:

Pray for deeper roots.  Continue to ask God to establish a deepening root system in your daughter's life. Pray that she will be nourished daily by studying God's Word and a growing prayer relationship with Him. Ask God to "root and establish" her in the love of Christ (Ephesians 3).  

Pray for godly response to storms.  When hard things happen in your daughter's life (and they will), ask God to use them to strengthen her, not break her.  Pray that in the midst of pain or disappointment, your daughter will not turn away from God, but turn into His arms.

Pray for God to strengthen her heart.  Another element of a mighty oak that keeps it strong is what scientists call the heartwood.  The heartwood is the very core of the tree's trunk.  Although once it was the living sapwood of the tree, over time the heartwood becomes hardened, dead xylem (or vessel) cells which form the backbone support of the tree. Just so, pray that God will build your daughter's core identity in Christ. From that place of solidity and support, she will be able to weather the fiercest of storms.

You may want to pray:

Lord, I ask you to help my daughter continue growing deep faith roots in Christ.  Please speak to her in your Word,  I ask you to allow only those storms which will bring about Christlikeness in her.  Teach her to depend and lean on you when life is hard or painful,  And Lord I ask you to establish my daughter's core identity in Christ alone (not appearance, accomplishment, or the approval of others).  Glorify Yourself through her life.  Grow her tall and strong, that she may truly be "an oak of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display" of Your splendor (Isaiah 61:3).

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Stages of Growth: Young Tree

 

The exciting thing about seeing your daughter enter the young tree stage of development is being able to witness the evidence of God's work in her life.  Yes, she is alive because of Him.  But more than that, she is starting actually to bear a "family resemblance" to her heavenly Father.  She's growing to care about the things that matter to God: His kingdom, other people, service.  In other words, she's starting to look like an Oak of Righteousness (Isaiah 61)!

Did you know that you can determine a tree's root depth by its height?  Think about it.  That means a stately elm which towers a hundred feet into the sky is supported by an equally deep root system delving deep into the earth's rich crust.  

Once again, God's physical creation points to a spiritual truth.  Do you long to see your daughter grow (tall) in grace in this stage of her growth?  Then help her grow deep roots.  

The apostle Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, put it this way:  "I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."

So how can we help our daughters grow up strong, able to make decisions out of strength, not brokenness?  We must ask God to "root" and "establish" them in the love of Christ.

Rooted -- Plants needs roots to survive.  Without these tendrils that reach deep into the soil, the plant above would never get fed.  Our daughters' spirits are a lot like roots: they must be nurtured.  Rest assured, they will be fed with something.  Will it be excessive amounts of time texting friends? Or wearing clothes that already advertise her sexuality?  Or learning that her value is based on the attention she gets form being an "A" student? To be rooted in this kind of soil is to be rooted in fear.  And the fruit of fear in your daughter's life will not be pretty.

That's why Paul prays that believers will be rooted in a very different kind of soil.  He prays we will be rooted "in love."  The fruit of this rooting will be healthy, life-giving, and glorious.

Established --  Far too seldom, I find myself out in a garden bed of my home, weeding.  Some weeds come out from the surrounding soil without a fight.  Others resist, requiring the loosening work of a trowel.  But there are still others which, despite my digging and tugging, just won't come forth.  Their secret?  They are what this passage in Ephesians calls "established."  

Likewise, I am asking God to establish my daughter in the love of Christ for her.  As God answers this prayer, she will not be moved.  Won't you join me in this prayer?  When life pushes, pulls, tugs, and threatens to undo our daughters, may God empower them to stay solidly connected to Jesus, their one Source of life, identity, and meaning.  Having consistently sought and found Jesus' love to satisfy their needs, they are protected from "looking for love in all the wrong places."  Jesus' love is the real deal.  Why go anywhere else?

Is your daughter approaching the sapling stage of growth?  Pray the "root prayer" on her behalf:

"Lord, I pray that out of Your glorious riches, you may strengthen my daughter with power through Your Spirit in her inner being.  I ask that You would do this so that Christ may dwell in her heart through faith.  Please develop her root system and establish my daughter in a daily experience of Your love, Lord Christ.  As You do so, may she be able, with the rest of your people, to experience how wide and long and high and deep Your love is.  Through this, please fill her with Your fullness, Lord.  And then, as she becomes rooted and established, may You grow her more and more into the mighty Oak of Righteousness You made her to be."

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Stages of Growth: Sapling

 

As a tree enters the sapling stage, it sets out beginning branches which will one day grow into thick, supportive branches.  A child's swing may hang on one large limb for years, but the limb's placement was determined years ago when the tree was just a sapling.

In your daughter's passage through the sapling stage, she is developing numerous branches.  But having too many branches will actually tax her young life.  Too many branches (or the wrong branches) will actually divert her from God's best for her and steal her future.  At this crucial point in her life, God may prune away branches that would otherwise distract her from becoming the person He's designed her to be. 

What does pruning look like?  It might take the form of loss: of a significant relationship, ability, or life dream.  Perhaps through this loss, God redirects the focus and direction of your daughter's life.  She puts her emphasis in a new place.  Her energy is distilled.  When God allows pruning in her life, she will have a crucial decision to make: fight the loss and believe God is against her for having brought it, or submit to the loss, and turn more passionately to God for help in walking through the loss and its effects.

Here's how you can help your daughter through the pruning process:

1.  Pray for her.  Pruning is painful, but necessary for future growth.  Thankfully, God is a wise and skilled Master Gardener.  He will remove only those parts of her life which need to go.  Ask Him to perform the spiritual surgery of pruning swiftly and cleanly.  Ask Him to bring healing to your daughter's spirit and new life from the pruning He's done.

2.  Teach your daughter how to submit to God's pruning.  Share with her times that you have experienced God's pruning.  Then tell her about the life that came out of death/ loss in your life.  Take her into Hebrews 12 and discuss the truth that pruning is a loving form of discipline from God.  It is not punishment (which Jesus took in our place on the cross so that we would never have to).  Here are encouraging promises from Hebrews 12:

" 'My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, 

      and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 

 because the Lord disciplines those he loves, 

      and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.'

 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."

3.  Pray for healing and new growth.  Ask the Lord to redirect your daughter's attention and focus in the direction of His will.  Watch Him prosper her growth in whole new areas which will shape the direction of her future.

Pray for your daughter in the sapling stage:

Lord, thank you for Your word's promises, which remind me that anything you allow in my daughter's life comes through Your fatherly heart of love.  I ask you to prune only that which must be removed to make her more like Jesus.  Please prune what steals her abundant life and future.  Then please heal her spirit so that she may rise up stronger and more able to live for You.  

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Stages of Growth: Transplanted Seedling

 

I remember working with my mother in the garden when I was a girl. We planned. We plotted. We planted seedlings.  Then the day came for us to transplant our seedlings into the rich, waiting soil.

My mother spoke about the rows of tomato seedlings as tender babies who had to be carefully extricated from their first soil and gingerly placed in the small holes we had dug in our garden.  Ask any gardener and she'll tell you that the most crucial time in a plant's life is when it is transplanted.

Just as seedlings outgrow the tiny space which served as their first home, there comes a time when our daughters need to be transplanted.  Our jobs as moms is to help our children transition from our full protection and feeding to a state in which they are completely independent of us. The road to independence is a long one, marked by many transitions.

How will you know when your daughter is ready to take that first step toward independence?  Listen to God as you observe shifts and changes in your daughter's spiritual growth.  When she begins to "own" her faith as her own and exhibit signs of a personal relationship with God, it will be time to transplant. She will be ready to move from the highly protected environment in which she began her spiritual life to an open space where her roots can grow unhindered and she can spread her branches.

What does transplantation look like in your daughter's life?  What can we moms learn from the steps master gardeners take when they transplant?

1.  Water in Prayer.  Before encouraging your daughter to take more responsibility for her spiritual life, cover her in prayer.  Ask God to "bring to completion the good work He has begun" in her (Phil. 1:3).

2.  Communicate Continuity.  Gardeners stress the importance of moving the plant's root ball intact.  The goal in the transplant process is to give our daughters "room to grow" in grace on their own but with as little trauma to their spirits as possible.  Their "roots" are their lifeline and connection to God.  Talk with your daughter about the ways you have seen her grow and show maturity.  Communicate your confidence that she is ready to develop her relationship with God not just in the context of your mother/daughter relationship, but on her own.  

3.  Prepare for New Growth.  As small plants are transplanted, gardeners place them roots down and fanned out into the waiting soil.  Similarly, we can position our daughters for ongoing spiritual growth by putting resources in their hands.  Consider letting your daughter pick out her own new Bible.  Perhaps she wants to start having her quiet time on her own.  If you haven't done the You Grow, Girl! study yet, consider studying it with her.  The study will train your daughter in the three steps of inductive Bible study; these skills will help her "feed herself" in the years ahead.

4.  Allow for Adjustment.  Just as plants take time to adjust to their new soil's PH and nutrient levels, so your daughter will need time to adjust to her new way of walking with the Lord independently. Watch for sings of "wilting" or "shock" spiritually.  Help her as God instructs you to.  She is in His wise hands and care.

5.  Water Again.  Plants need careful watering after they are transplanted.  The water connects tiny root hairs with nutrition in the surrounding soil.  Your faithful prayers will help connect your daughter's tender roots with the nutrients of God's word.

Be encouraged, mom.  Though sometimes painful, it is also exhilarating to watch your daughter move from the total protection of your arms and tutelage to a place where she begins to relate to God on her own!

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Stages of Growth: Seedling

 

 

When my kids were in late elementary school, we decided to start home schooling them.  I remember wanting to embark on a big spring project: planting a garden.  But spring planting requires early spring planning, we discovered.  Specifically, we had to figure out what we wanted to plant (carrots? lettuce? tomatoes? definitely, tomatoes).  Once we chose our seeds, we got to work on setting tiny seeds into black squares of rich potting soil. Finally, the kids fought over who got to water each tiny plot of earth with just enough moisture to encourage the seeds to grow.  Then we waited.  And waited.  And waited some more....

 

Days came and went.  When we had almost given up hope that the seeds would ever germinate, tiny green heads began to pop up from the black soil.  Life had begun, and we were now witnesses to it!

 

So it is with your daughter's spiritual growth.  In the acorn stage, we moms pray and wait, wait and pray, watching for evidence that God has sent His Holy Spirit to bring our daughters -- spiritually -- to life.  In His time and in His way, He does!  At that point we see the unmistakable beginnings of new life in Christ: awareness of sin, willingness to obey, desire to serve.  What a joyful sight that is for us moms!

 

What do brand new seedlings need to grow? 

 

• They require protection from the elements.
• They require consistent temperature from indirect sunlight.
• They require moisture, which connects tender young roots with nutrients in the soil.

Consistent Protection.  Similarly, girls in the seedling stage -- whatever their chronological age -- need to be covered and protected.  Watch your daughter's intake of popular culture.  Process with her what she watches and listens to.  Feed her regularly with nourishment from God's Word.

 

Consistent Temperature.  New seedlings need a constant temperature to thrive.  Your daughter needs a consistent environment of spiritual love and feeding.  Be consistent with your expectations re: chores and homework.  Find creative ways to express your and God's love to her throughout the day.

 

Consistent Moisture.  Seedlings will wither without careful watering, but pouring water around tiny stalks usually uproots them.  Misting works better than dousing with such tender plants.  Just so, surround your daughter in prayer.  Early morning intercession. Lunchtime grace.  Brief prayers with her for others.  Nighttime prayers of thanks at bedtime.  These will hydrate her soul and keep her connected to God, who is nurturing her new life on Christ.

 

Here's how to pray for your "seedling":

Lord, how I rejoice that You have brought new life to my daughter!  Now I ask you to nurture and enrich that new life.  As a new "branch," please keep her connected to the "True Vine" (John 15).  May she draw all her life form Jesus, her Source.  Give me wisdom, Lord, as I protect and guard her from the harsh conditions of thr world.  Show me how to encourage her growth day by day into the godly girl Jesus came to make her.  Amen.

 

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Stages of Growth: Acorn

I collect acorns.  They represent unborn life and potential to me.  I have real acorns, who have long since lost their textured caps, but my prize is a tiny silver acorn, about half an inch in length. It sits on my desk to remind me of the power of God to give us life.

When I pick up this acorn, I remember God's marvelous promise spoken through the prophet Zechariah: "Despise not the day of small beginnings."

The day I discovered I was pregnant with my daughter, my husband bought me a single pink rose. Long before I laid eyes on my baby girl, the beauty of that rose held the promise of what would come. Seventeen years later, I have the joy of seeing the promise of a lovely daughter fulfilled in my daughter's life. I look at her with wonder at all she has become.  I praise God for His great faithfulness of us both.

Perhaps your daughter is still in the "acorn stage," as my daughter was until age four, when she received Christ.  She may be a tiny baby, a toddler, a pre-schooler.  Or perhaps she is older, in elementary school or even middle school. Whatever her age, you do not yet see evidence that she is a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.  She is an acorn, full of promise, full of possibilities, but still without the eternal life only God can give.  So how do you help your daughter move from being an acorn to a seedling?  Trust and pray through truths God speaks in His Word.

1. "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the Prophets: 'They will all be taught by God.' Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me" (John 6:44-45).  Start by admitting that you cannot save your daughter.  Only God can. So resolve not to manipulate or push.

2.  "A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. Some fell on rock, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown" (Luke 8:5-8).   Ask the Lord to prepare the soil of your daughter's heart.  Only He can prepare it to receive the seed of truth.

3. "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God..." (John 1:12). Pray that your daughter will "receive and believe" in the Lord Jesus Christ.

If you are having conversations with your daughter about spiritual matters, pray in the midst of them for wisdom and for the Holy Spirit to direct your words.  If God leads you to offer your daughter the gospel, be sure to include the following elements.  Share with your daughter that receiving Jesus as Savior will cost her everything but giver her everything.  God has made the way as simple as A,B,C:

A.  Admit your sin and confess it to the Lord.

B.  Believe that Jesus Christ went to the cross for you. Receive by faith His mercy and righteousness.

C.  Commit your way to God.  If Jesus died for you, He deserves to also be your Lord.

If your daughter is older and still not a believer, ask God if there is some impediment keeping her from trusting Christ for her salvation.  Pride?  Self-dependence?  Misunderstanding who God is?  Fear of giving God control of her life?  The Holy Spirit can reveal to you how to pray, asking God to resolve these issues in His way and time.  Continue to pray faithfully, and watch God work!

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Praying Through the Stages in Your Daughter's Growth

 

Imagine the stages of a tiny plant's growth and you will be able to picture how God wants to grow your daughter in grace.  From acorn to mighty Oak of Righteousness, God wants to give your daughter His life and strength.  Your prayer will help her grow strong and tall in the Lord.

 

But where do you start?  How do you lift up your daughter in a way that will encourage her growth for a lifetime?  Below are some guidelines and specific prayers for each age and stage of your daughter's development.  (I have not included ages, since God's work to grow our daughters starts at a different age and progresses at a different rate in various girls.)

 

Acorn

If you've ever walked under a tall oak tree on a crisp fall day, you remember the sensation of your feet trampling on hard acorns underfoot.  An acorn, of course, is a seed.  And a seed, as you know, possesses the promise of new life.  But a seed remains inert and essentially dead until it germinates. In the same way, until the Lord gives us His life though the regenerating work of His Holy Spirit, our bodies are basically just houses for dead spirits. Whether she is 3, 13, or thirty, until your daughter receives new life in Christ, her growth into the woman God made her to be won't begin.

Pray: Lord, I ask You to send Your Spirit to open the eyes of my daughter's heart so that she may see her sin and Your Son, Jesus, as the only solution to her sin problem.  Give her the gift of repentance and humility to depend on you for salvation and for everything she needs to grow.  May the sun of Your love warm the soil in which the seed of her potential life waits.  May my prayers, as well as those of Jesus, who even now intercedes for her, bring germination to her seed.  O, Lord, give her eternal life in Himself!

 

Seedling

Once an acorn has germinated, it begins to send up a tender shoot above the ground which will become a stalk and, in time, leaves.  Its early growth depends upon the nutrients stored in the acorn, the warmth of the sun above, and the moisture in the soil around it.  In the same way, God will use all you have taught your daughter about Him before her conversion to strengthen and build her upnow that she is Christ.

Pray: Lord, thank You that You have done what only You can do: given my daughter new life. Now I ask You to turn all that she has learned about You into real experience of You.  Give her grace to depend on You not only for her salvation, but for everything she needs to live for You daily. Please build her up in truth and help her to be nourished by the truths of Your word.

 

Transplanted Seedling

If you have ever gardened, you know that in time tiny seedlings become gangly.  There comes a day when it's time to transplant them out of the nursery into the harsher conditions of the real world.  Great care and skill are needed in the gardener at this point in the plant's tender life.  Just so, cry out to God for help as you transition your daughter from depending just on you and the protection you and your home give her to depending more and more on God's protection to help her navigate the dangers of living in a fallen world.  As she grows, she will be more able to discern the deceptive messages the world speaks to girls every day.  Your prayers and God's keeping power will make all the difference between whether she withers or flourishes.

Pray:  Lord, this is such a crucial time in my daughter's life.  I ask you for wisdom and skill in helping her to walk faithfully during a time when she is growing in every part of her life: physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual.  Lord, I ask you to be her Shield and Protector as she goes into the world each day.  Silence the lies of the enemy and tune her heart to hear Your voice above the many voices that vie for her attention.  Lord, I thank You that You love my daughter far more than I ever can, and that You are at work in her life according to Your good purposes.

 

Sapling

By now a plant has made the successful transition from the nursery to being planted in the real world.  It begins to send down deeper roots which will support future growth.  The sapling begins to produce a protective covering of bark and even bears leaves.  In fact, at this stage, what was once a seedling now begins to resemble the tall oak tree it will one day become.  As you rear your daughter in the Lord, you should begin to see at this stage clear fruit from her relationship with Him.  Actively encourage and train your daughter in the promises of God, that she may be able to become deeply rooted and established in the truth God speaks to her.  Also, be on the watch for unhealthy or diseased branches which need to be pruned.  This essential work will shape her and prepare her for significant future growth.

Pray: Lord, I praise You for faithfully tended my daughter's growth toward maturity in Christ.  Now I ask You to "root and establish" her in the love of Christ.  May she become grounded in her identity IN HIM, not in appearance, performance, perfectionism, or the opinion of others.  Lord, make evident to her and to me any areas of her life that need pruning.  Remove what is not of You so that she will be able to grow unhindered.

 

Young Tree

What was once an acorn is now fully recognizable as an oak tree.  It has grown appreciably in height and its trunk is solid.  The young tree begins to develop a canopy of branches which support finer branches and leaves.  As your daughter becomes increasingly connected to the life of God in His Word, in prayer, and in fellowship with other believers, she can't help to but grow into a "planting of the Lord" which brings Him honor. Continue to nurture and encourage her growth daily.  Help her continue to prune what is not of God.

Pray: Lord, I see abundant evidence now of Your work to establish my daughter as Your unique creation.  I praise You for nurturing and preserving her life thus far.  Now I ask You to help her "keep on keepin' on," turning to You daily for sustenance from Your Word, lifting up her heart to You in prayer, and choosing Godly companions who will spur her on to future growth.

 

Oak of Righteousness

By now, your daughter's life shows much evidence of God's grace!  She is beginning to reflect His righteous nature.  With His help, she more and more chooses obedience over disobedience.  More and more, she seeks to serve rather than to be served.  She looks more like Jesus each day.  Continue to "pray her through" to full maturity.  Also, as her life grows more glorious, help her understand that her goal is not to adsorb that glory for herself, but to reflect it in praise to God.

Pray:  Lord, I give You honor and praise for Your faithfulness!  I stand in awe of Your great power in transforming a lifeless acorn into an Oak of Righteousness.  As my daughter continues to grow, please give my daughter wisdom to know how to live for Your glory -- not her own.  May people see her life and know that only You could have accomplished such a marvelous work!

 

"They will be called Oaks of Righteousness,

a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor." 

Isaiah 61:3

 

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A Mother's Weapons: Praying Scripture

What could be better than bringing your daughter into the truth of God's Word?  How about praying God's Word for her -- and with her.  To do so is to speak God's language, to lift back up to Him His very words and promises.

 

How do you begin?  Here are several strategies to use on your own or with your daughter:

Pray the Promises. Scour the scriptures for the promises God makes to us, His people.  Examine the passage's context to determine if the promise was made for one person in a specific situation.  If the promise is for all of God's people, receive it for yourself and your daughter.

 

Pray in accordance with God's commands.  Look in the Word for God's commands.  They are His protective covering for HIs people, and therefore meant not to "steal our fun" but to give us life.  As you and your daughters pray God's commands, you are inviting His richest blessing in your lives.

 

Pray in faith, knowing that God faitfully answers prayer.  Remember James' perspective on prayer in the fifth chapter of his letter: "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.  Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.  Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops." 

 

Here are three simple steps for turning your reading of God's Word into prayer to the Author of those words:

1.  Pray, asking God to guide you to the passages of His choosing.  Look for a passage that describes the inheritance God offers His people.

2.  To focus your prayer, ask the following questions of the passage:  Does this scripture contain a promise to claim?  A warning to hear?  A blessing to receive?  An instruction to heed?  A truth to believe?  A habit or attitude to adopt?

3.  Then take the promise, command, or instruction and shift the words into third person ("she")form, prayinf them for your daughter. 

 

If the original scripture was this:

"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes.  Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight"  

1 Peter 3:3-4

 

Your prayer might look like this:

Lord, I ask you to give my daughter freedom from the world's narrow definition of physical beauty.  Instead, please give her a desire to grow more beautiful in her character and spirit.  Grow in her an eternal beauty that will never fade.  In place of self, give her a gentle and quiet spirit.  May she delight and glorify You, O Lord, with her loveliness.

 

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A Mother's Weapons: Prayer

 

Paul finishes his tour in Ephesians 6 of the whole armor with this powerful command: "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."

 

One of the "saints" you pray for each day is your daughter.  And what better way to teach her the importance of the armor than to help her to pray it on each day.  As you introduce this idea to your daughter, it's important to help her avoid misunderstanding the purpose of God's armor. 

 

Simply put, the armor is a not a magical protective coating which allows us to go wherever we want and do whatever we please.  Instead, praying on God's armor is an act of faith in which we identify ourselves as being in union with Jesus Christ.  In that case, we are seeking to live as Jesus' lived, go where He would go, and live in truth as He did. Putting on the Lord Jesus Christ, we are truly protected from evil, which He soundly defeated at the cross. 

 

Here is a guide as you and your daughter put on the while armor in prayer:

The Belt of Truth:  Lord, You are truth.  I ask you to hold me together with the truth that You speak in Your word.  Help me to think truth, speak the truth in love, and act in a way that is true to my identity in You.

The Breastplate of Righteousness:  I praise you, Lord, that Your are my righteousness.  I reject any ability I have to stand before you based on my own merit and put on Your righteousness, Lord Jesus, as my own.  Thank you for protecting me from fatal blows and accusations from the enemy.

The Shoes of Peace:  Lord Jesus, You have made peace between the Father and me.  I rest in your peace and ask you to help me have beautiful feet which bring the good news of your peace ot others.

The Shield of Faith:  Lord, strengthen me to take up the shield of faith You have provided.  When the enemy's fiery darts come against me, help me to raise your shield.  Please build up my faith in all your have spoken to me.

The Helmet of Salvation:  Lord, help me to put on Your salvation as a shield to my thinking and attitude.  Please give me the mind of Christ as I walk today through a world of lies and compromises.

The Sword of the Spirit:  Now having put on all of the defensive weapons You have provided, I now take up your Word, the Sword of the Spirit.  As lies come against me, may I wield your sharp sword to cut through them and walk in thew freedom Jesus came to give me.

 Help me, Lord to lift up my spirit to You throughout this day in prayer.  Remind me through your Spirit of who to pray for and how to pray for them.

 

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A Mother's Weapons: the Shoes of Peace

 

One of the sweetest days of my life was the day I led my daughter to the Lord.

 

She was four years old, a marvelous little girl with a blonde bob and feisty spirit and artisitc ability.  But Anneka was also a sinner, separated from God and without Christ.  One night after supper, we talked about who God is, especially His holiness.  Anneka realized she was not holy, and wanted to know how she could ever be OK with God.  I grabbed a red pencil and drew a picture of the gulf between her and holy God.  Then I drew Jesus and the cross as a bridge from her to God.  The Holy Spirit worked; Anneka got it.  More than that, she wanted to receive the Lord Jesus as her Savior.

 

Being the human messenger of God's good news -- for my own daughter -- was an extraordinary privilege.  It required putting on special shoes: the Shoes of the Gospel of Peace.

 

Think for a moment about what shoes do for us.  They protect us.  They help us to stand our ground.  They take us where we're going. 

Protection -- The best protection for our spirits is being at perfect peace with God.  That's exactly what we have because of Jesus.  Paul reminds us in Romans 5:1 that "...since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Preparation --  Your daughter will face opposition and the effects of living in a fallen world.  The best preparation you can give her includes helping her put on the Shoes of the Gospel of Peace.  If she knows she has peace with God, she will be protected from needing everyone else's good opinion.

Proclamation --  Encourage your daughter to be ready to give a reason for the hope within her.  Pray with her, asking God to direct her steps each day into the lives of people who don't yet know Him.

 

Consider praying with your daughter this way:

Dear Lord, thank you for the gift of the Shoes of Peace.  I know they are mine because you have already given me your Son, Jesus, who is my peace (Ephesians 2:14).  Thank you that while I was your enemy, You died for me, and that You have reconciled me to Yourself.  May our relationship ground me and help me to stand strong under opposition.  Lord, guide me through this day, and please give me a chance to share your gospel of peace with others.

 

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