It is no small task, with busy schedules, to be diligent in parenting. But it will pay off for us! Our teens and children can be young, “on purpose”. I am believing that they will not wait until tomorrow to make a difference. They will be an example now, today and they will begin to change their own worlds. God is alive and active in them and when we realize that the Holy Spirit of God lives in us, there is nothing that is impossible!

I want to encourage you to help your teens maintain spiritual habits they start. After youth camp or a spiritual mountain top our kids do a great job of memorizing scripture and doing their journals. Let’s encourage them to maintain good habits. There is no trick to this. The entire Word of God is valuable and useful to us. Any scripture is a good one to memorize. Any passage provides an opportunity to journal or jot down a prayer to God. Once they develop the habit encourage them to keep going! Their relationship and intimacy with the Father is the goal, and that will continue to grow and develop as long as they are diligent!

I would like to close with a prayer for your teen, and you can rest assured that many mornings in my office I will be offering a prayer much like this one for that sweet child as well!

“Oh Lord, I am so proud of all that our teens can and have accomplished! I know that if I beam with pride, your face must ache from so much grinning! Lord, we love you with everything that we have and everything that we are. I believe that this generation of kids is going to blow all of our minds. This will be the generation who turns the tide and sees the great harvest. I pray that these young people would believe you, that they would take you at your word and that their passion for you would be an encouragement to the rest of us, Lord. Make them strong, make them compassionate, make them faithful and, Lord, make them bold. I pray that you show them favor and influence and that they will be mighty warriors in your Kingdom.

It is my great pleasure to serve you, Father. I do remember from whence you saved me. I could never thank you enough. Thank you for not leaving me on the sidelines. I want to be in the game!

I love you, Lord! Amen!”

Okay, my sweet friend…carry on! It’s going to be worth it!

Love you,