Sometimes you just need a reset button.
When your phone or device freezes, you know what to do: reset. Turn it off, wait 30 seconds, and turn it back on. Presto. The app resets, and you have a fresh start.
Wouldn’t it be nice if you could do that in parenting, too?
Seasons of parenting can make us feel stuck. Maybe you’ve got an active three-year old who seems to have made his goal in life pitting his will against yours. Maybe you’ve got a daughter who rolls her eyes at every word you say. Maybe your kids are struggling with something and your momma heart aches at not being able to fix it for them. Maybe you just want to inject some vigor back into prayers for your family that have started to feel a little stale and routine.
Praise can be our reset button.
God inhabits the praises of his people. I’ve found that praise can be one of the surest ways to change the atmosphere of our home. There are those days when nothing seems like it’s going right–including my attitude. But if I pause to turn on my praise and worship playlist it doesn’t take long before the atmosphere seems to lift. I sing a little, the kids start singing along, and suddenly we remember that we really all do like each other. Praise gets our eyes off our situation and puts them on God. Sometimes that perspective shift is all we need.
That atmosphere-changing quality of praise is what Becky Harling helps us explore in The 30-Day Praise Challenge for Parents
The 30 Day Praise Challenge is just that: a guided challenge to spend twenty minutes a day for thirty days praising God for the work he is doing in your child’s life. The first fifteen days focus on us as parents, and the second fifteen days focus on our children. Each day’s praise guide includes an invitation to praise, scriptures to meditate on, a list of a few songs to listen to, a guided prayer, and a journaling prompt. An index provides a list of songs to download, or you can access them through the author’s Spotify or YouTube playlists.
In addition to the 30 Day Praise Guide, the last section of the book has suggestions for taking it further. There are some great lists of ways to praise God using his qualities and names. There are also some solid sections on special concerns such as praising God in the midst of grief, praising God when you and your spouse disagree over parenting issues, and lifting up a mantle of praise over children whose parents are in ministry, adopted children, and children of divorce. I’ve really enjoyed this book and I’d recommend it to any parent who wants to find a fresh way of praying for their children.
And guess what? I’ve got a giveaway copy for ya:
I received a free copy of this book through The Blog Spot. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not guaranteed to give a positive review.
8 comments
what a great idea this soudns like! 😀
Praise is a beautiful solution to days when we are stuck or sad or discouraged as parents! No matter what is going on , it’s always a blessing.
Absolutely. Praise reminds us of God’s unchanging faithfulness, no matter what’s going on in our lives. And some days that’s all we need.
My son sleeps to KLOVE. He wakes up joyful. During the day when life is overwhelming, I start to sing or play a praise and worship song on my phone. One morning both my husband and son were cranky. I played Shake by Mercy Me. We are all dancing around and enjoying the morning.
I love that song! Great way to hit the reset button on your morning!
This sounds like a wonderful book! I’m going to recommend it to lots of parents I know.
This sounds like a wonderful book! I’ve been doing a devotional on the Bible App on parenting. I would love to have this book – and I subscribed!
I am not a parent yet, but I can appreciate what you said about singing some praise music and everyone calms down. This sounds like a great book! Praising God is a healing balm to the soul.
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