Praying Like Crazy for Your Kids
Sometimes book titles are so ambiguous that a subtitle is necessary to explain what the book is really about. Sometimes the curious shopper and potential reader will have to turn to the back of the book in order to get a real feel for what lies between the covers. Not so with this book. The title is simple and the contents deliver exactly what was promised. Personally, I believe that Praying Like Crazy for Your Kids by Tamyra Horst is one of the most important books a parent or concerned adult could read.
Parents probably worry about their children more than anything. We start worrying before they are born, and it seems we never stop. Yet the author, in the opening section of the book, reminds us of Philippians 4:6, 7: “Be [anxious] for nothing [not even your kids]; but in every thing [including parenting] by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
No doubt you have heard the text before and have probably attempted to apply it in various life situations. Yet when it comes to the children it seems as if worry continues to creep in even though we pray.
Praying Like Crazy for Your Kids is no perfect cure-all for worriers—some of us have taken up worrying about our children as a second career. However, the book does help parents to focus their prayers effectively, and cover all aspects of their children’s lives with prayer.
Although the book is short, it is best described as a program to be “worked,” versus just a book to be sped through and placed back on the shelf or in that heap beside your bed. So let me give you five reasons that every parent should read this book.
Reason One: The book is very easy to read in two ways: First, there are no pious platitudes. The author’s approach is that of one parent to another. Second, the book is laid out in such a way that, I believe, once you read the first three sections (approximately 20 pages), you can really skip to any other section in the book.
Reason Two: The book has a notes/journaling section on each page. In my opinion, that catapults the book from just another book on parenting or prayer to a useful and necessary “tool.” As one who believes that I haven’t read a book until I’ve underlined, highlighted, and written in the margins, I really appreciated the space provided. It gave me the opportunity to get started formulating and planning my prayers.
Reason Three: While she does provide some excellent suggestions regarding the broad areas to cover while praying for your children, as well as excellent suggestions regarding the efficacy of praying scripture, fasting, and what to do when it feels like God is not responding, the book is not a book of formulas and special words or actions that are necessary to get God to respond.
Reason Four: One of my favorite concepts in this book and one that I have not seen in other books of this ilk is the idea of praying not just for, but with your children. Consider this quote from page 17 of the book: “There’s something special about hearing someone pray for you. Hearing them pray specifically for the things that are important to you. Hearing them thank God for you. It gives you a glimpse of their heart toward you. It strengthens you. . . .” She asserts that it’s true of our children, as well, and when they hear us pray for them, versus just hearing about us praying for them, “it assures them that someone is on their side. That someone cares about the things that matter to them. That someone loves them.” Just a quick word of caution: don’t diminish (or destroy) the power of praying with your children by using it as an opportunity to browbeat them or preach to them via your prayer.
Reason Five: The earth is trembling and the signs of the times declare that Jesus is coming soon. Our children are on loan to us from God. They are His first, and we are going to have to explain our choices for them. Our prayers do make a difference. Horst reminds us that we might not know the full impact of our prayers until we get to heaven. “One day, God may set us down in heaven—and show us the behind-the-scenes footage that we can’t see now—then we’ll know that praying like crazy for our kids was really our most important earthly work.”
Please get this book, read it, work it, and reap the earthly and eternal benefits of Praying Like Crazy for Your Kids.
LORETTA SPIVEY writes from her media room in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. From there she reads, listens to, and writes about all things note.wor.thy. E-mail: l.spivey@comcast.net.
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