Today has not been a great day in the Trumpower toddler twin household. No one did anything crazy, like setting the curtains on fire or flushing their twin down the toilet.
But they were loud. And demanding. Impatient. Antagonistic. Oblivious. Throwing things that shouldn’t be thrown and causing trouble just to see what would happen.I barked a lot of orders today: “Stop that.” “Put that down.” “Come here now.” “I told you to wait.” “Is that how you talk to mommy?”
Our Most Important Job
Quiet time finally arrived (thank the Lord) and I sat down in silence to look over my newest book purchase, Raising Prayerful Kids by Steph Thurling and Sarah Holmstrom (affiliate). I read the intro and promptly burst into tears.
(Thanks for that, Steph and Sarah.)
Their opening stories made me feel seen. The stresses, shortcomings, and total fails they have experienced ring true with my own.
The truth is parenting a child (whether you have one, twins, or a wide assortment of ages like the authors) is HARD.
As Sarah says in the first chapter, I had no idea how much I needed Jesus every hour of every day until I had children. And although I definitely forget this on many days, my most important job is not teaching them to control their hands (Jayce) or stop antagonizing their sibling (Justine).
My most important job…is to do everything I can to help them find, follow, and love Jesus.
Prayer is a huge part of that. It is the “relation” part of “relationship.” It’s talking to God. Sharing our feelings, praising Him for who He is, making requests, and hearing His direction.
It’s also the thing that scares a lot of Christians (myself included) because it feels like there is a right way and a wrong way to do it. That fear will greatly hinder our ability to pass on quality prayer habits to our kids if we don’t arm ourselves with tools to help us get over it.
Which brings me to Raising Prayerful Kids.
Raising Prayerful Kids
Raising Prayerful Kids is an encyclopedia of sorts that turns prayer into an experience that is pressure-less, easy, and fun for everyone–including those squirrely littles.
After a few pages of orientation, the book breaks intself into three sections: Prayer Games and Activities; Focused Prayers; and Contemplative Prayers.
Each section has about eight brief chapters offering a wide variety of prayer methods that you can mix and match to meet your family’s needs.
As a mom of three-year-old twins, I’m especially excited about the Prayer Games section because these ideas are incredibly friendly to short attention spans.
Here’s just a few titles to catch your interest:
- ABC Grateful Game
- Fall Asleep Grateful Game
- Nature Prayer Walk
- Please Prayers
…and a lot more!
Teaching At Your Pace
Unlike a devotional or a teaching book, this is not something you have to commit to reading 15 min per day/week.
Rather, this is a handbook that should sit on any Christian parent’s shelf. Pull it down when you want to spice up your prayer life. Apply for as long as you want, then pull it down again to learn something new.
This book is ready to help you at the pace YOU want…whether that is all twenty-four chapters of prayer inspiration now, or a few here and there spread throughout the weeks as you have time.I cannot recomend this enough. Grab one today (affiliate) for yourself and another family…it would be the PERFECT Easter present!
About the Authors
Steph Thurling
Steph Thurling lives in Excelsior with her husband and three kids.
She co-runs a ministry with her friend, Sarah Holmstrom, called Raising Prayerful Kids. She has her Master’s in Youth Family and Culture from Fuller Theological Seminary and worked in youth ministry for several years deciding to stay home with her kids.
Steph loves pilates, almond milk lattes, deep friendships, and beagles.
Sarah Holmstrom
Sarah Holmstrom is the co-founder of Raising Prayerful Kids, a ministry that equips parents to pray with their kids in fun, engaging, and meaningful ways. She earned her Masters in Education from Azusa Pacific University and has worked as an elementary and high school teacher.
Additionally, Sarah has worked in kids ministry in multiple local churches for most of her adult life.Currently she homeschools her four kids and serves as the elementary creative director at Purpose Church. She is passionate about telling God’s story to kids and grown-ups.
Learn more at www.raisingprayerfulkids.com.