19 Promises of God for Modern Parents
God makes a ton of promises that could be applicable to parents!
I was overwhelmed when I first decided to write a post about the promises of God for parents. Then I started reading and researching in the Bible, and now I have so many promises that I want to share with you…and I’m still overwhelmed. LOL!
So in an effort to make this post as relevant and easy to digest as possible, I am going to highlight the promises that speak more to the modern parent than the others.
Contents
God’s Word is Alive
Some of you may be thinking, “The Bible was written thousands of years ago. How could there be promises for the modern parent in there?”
God's Word is everlasting (2 Tim. 2:9) and alive (Heb. 4:12), and as such, it is just as relevant today as it was way back when it was written. Click To TweetBut I do believe that parenting today has unique challenges that might not have been as prevalent back then, so I’m going to focus on areas of concern that our particular generation deals with to encourage us to keep fighting the good fight for the next generation of believers.
God’s Promises for Peace
Peace is hard to come by these days. It seems the only news we hear is bad news. Good news comes along so infrequently it often gets drowned out, overlooked, or dismissed. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the current political climate of our nation parents are more worried than ever about their kids. We worry about their safety, their physical health, their mental health, if they’re doing ok in school, if they’re getting too much screen time, if they’re using their screens the right way, how they’re being affected by our own stress…the list could go on forever.
But here’s some good news for you. We don’t have to worry!
God is in control. All we have to do is trust Him. Click To TweetThen He will take care of everything. I know trusting God is challenging sometimes, and I’m going to address that in a different post soon. In the meantime, here are some of his promises to set your mind at ease when you might not be feeling as chill as you’d like to be.
“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast because they trust in You.” Isaiah 26:3
Perfect peace. PERFECT peace. Not just plain old run-of-the-mill peace. All we have to do is trust.
Yes, I know. Trust is a hard-won prize today. It seems like the people we are supposed to be able to trust let us down on a daily basis and that businesses and individuals are constantly manipulating us in an effort to “win” our trust.
God is not a person and won't ever let us down or play games with us. Praise! Click To TweetLearning to trust God is a journey – one definitely worth taking. Once we are able to fully trust God, we will never be truly worried about anything because we know He’s got our backs no matter what.
“My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest“. Isaiah 32:18
Maybe it’s only my family affected by this, but the combination of the fast pace of life and our overstimulated/undernourished brains make my house a pretty chaotic place sometimes (if you can relate, you might check out this post about controlling kid chaos).
This verse is talking about allowing God’s righteousness to permeate our lives (by making Godly choices), which in turn leads to peace.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
We are so busy these days and so distracted that having a complete thought without interruption twice in one day rarely happens. But God doesn’t care if our prayers are interrupted. So just do it. Pray hard, pray often. And ask others to pray with you, “for where two or three are gathered in [Jesus’] name, there [he is] among them.”
Bonus scripture: “…The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” James 5:16
Scriptures for Wayward Children
Today’s children are receiving so many messages that are contrary to our Christian values, it’s, sadly, no surprise when one of them wanders off God’s path.
Luckily, it's not over until it's over, and it's not over till Jesus comes back! There is always hope that the wayward child will return home to us and to God, and there are scriptures to prove it. Click To Tweet
“But now this is what the Lord says: ‘Do not weep any longer, for I will reward you,’ says the Lord. ‘Your children will come back to you from the distant land of the enemy. There is hope for your future,’ says the Lord. ‘Your children will come again to their own land.'” Jeremiah 31:16-17
“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.'” Jeremiah 29:11
So often we look to this verse when we need hope for our own future. We can forget that it applies to others, too, including our kids! God loves them and has good plans for them, even when they seem to have strayed far from Him.
“For with God, nothing will be impossible.” Luke 1:37 (NKJV)
Kids can appear to be too far gone for help sometimes. But we must remember that the Lord knows their hearts and minds better than even they do, and He can speak to them in a way that they can understand better than anyone else. We must remember that anything is possible when God is in control.
Promises for When You Want to Give Up
As parents today, we are pulled in so many directions. And there are so many distractions for us and our children that it is easy to become exhausted and lose focus on what’s important.
Here are some promises that tell us it’s ok to rest sometimes and to encourage us to keep on going even when the going gets a little rough.
WARNING: This section is long. I guess it’s because I want to give up FREQUENTLY. Don’t judge… 😉
“They will not labor in vain, nor will they bear children doomed to misfortune; for they will be a people blessed by the Lord, they and their descendants with them.” Isaiah 65:23
For a time when we have so many modern conveniences, it sure seems that we labor awfully hard. Granted, our labor is less physical than the labor of the past, but I almost think mental labor is more exhausting and less rewarding.
Combine the mental energy we expend on working, managing our families’ time and other resources, attempting to speak the various love languages of our family members, disciplining each appropriately, and the like with the endless physical tasks we are asked to do on a daily basis, and it’s a recipe for burnout for sure!
But, look, you guys! Isaiah 65:23 says we will be blessed by the Lord and our children will be also! So take a deep breath and repeat after me, “We will be blessed, we will be blessed.” Then keep on truckin’!
This is one of my favorites in this group. Show of hands…who wants to be lifted up (some translations say “exalted”) by God?
Yes, please!
Great news! All we have to do to be exalted is admit to God that we don't know what we're doing and that we need His help (James 4:10). Click To TweetDone and done. Exalted!!!
“Praise the Lord. Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in his commands. Their children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.” Psalms 112:1-2
“Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for their children it will be a refuge.” Proverbs 14:26
In those last two verses, it says to “fear” the Lord. In case that’s confusing to you, let me clarify. To fear the Lord doesn’t mean that we should be afraid of him (although sometimes I kind of am, like when I read the Old Testament, LOL). It simply means to have a healthy respect for Him and to acknowledge that His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:9). Then we must put that belief into action by doing our very best to seek His will and follow Him. Does he expect us to be perfect? Naw, he knows we’re not. He will go before us and make our paths straight if we simply do our best.
Anyway, knowing that my hard work following Him in my parenting will lead to my children being “mighty in the land” and in a secure fortress refuge makes it A LOT easier to keep on going.
“So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”
To dig a little deeper, the harvest of blessing for a Godly parent is comprised of peace of mind and a glad heart (Prov. 29:17) and joy and pleasure (Prov. 23:24). Sounds good to me, how about you?
The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14
I LOVE this verse! Sometimes it feels like I’ve got nothing left. No energy, no wisdom, no patience, no fight. It is so comforting to know that God will fight for me during those moments when somebody needs to fight, but I. JUST. CAN’T.
Scriptures for Wisdom
With the inventions of the internet and Google, information is easier than ever to obtain. However, it isn’t the quantity of information in question, but rather it is the quality of information we need to be wary of.
Lucky for us, we can get our information and wisdom straight from the One who created all of creation. Happiest of dances!
“If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.” James 1:5
“Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.” Proverbs 3:6
According to these scriptures, all we have to do is seek Him and ask Him, and God will give us all the knowledge and wisdom we need. There is a plethora of verses in the Bible about how valuable wisdom is.
On the flip side, there are also many verses that tell us how foolish it is to reject wisdom. I’m glad God makes it easy to obtain real wisdom and that we can trust the source, unlike much of the information on the internet.
God’s Promises for Provision
With so many people experiencing uncertainty in their finances right now, some of us might need some reassurance in the area of provision. Once again, no need to fear. It’s apparent in scripture that God will provide for all our needs.
“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” Matthew 6:33
What exactly does it mean to live righteously? It means to live a life that is morally correct or virtuous, following God’s commands wholeheartedly. We can’t just pick and choose the commands of God that we like or are easy, follow those and expect Him to take care of us, unfortunately.
But, luckily, if we try our hardest to follow the greatest commands of love God and love people, all the others pretty much fall into place. We can thank Jesus for that one. Before Him, there were A LOT more commands to follow; so many, in fact, that most people found it impossible. Thank you, Jesus!
“So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.” Matthew 6:31-32
He knows and He will provide.
Sometimes, though, the line between what we need and what we want gets a little blurry, for me at least. In times when finances are tough, my family talks about this a lot. It can be easy to fall into an attitude of discontent when we’re having to sacrifice the things we want.
But if we make sure to remember that we have all we need and that we have more than some people around the world even imagine having, we will foster an attitude of gratitude and contentment. (I do wish sometimes, though, that this verse included ‘What shall we decorate our homes with?’ LOL!)
“‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them.'” Ezekiel 34:11
This verse has some great imagery embedded within it. Can’t you just imagine a helpless little sheep, lost and separated from its flock? Then picture the shepherd searching tirelessly until, at last, they are reunited and the shepherd can tend to its every need and comfort it until it feels safe once again.
You and I are that sheep! And God is our shepherd! He searches for us when we are lost and wants to provide for us and comfort us, so we don’t need to strive until we are exhausted to get what we need. What a relief!
Promises for Protection
Things are so crazy in the world right now. People are becoming more and more selfish all the time. And as people stop caring about how their actions affect others, they become more and more dangerous.
I know I’m not alone in saying that I struggle with feeling like I and my children are not safe a lot of the time. But I also know that God does have angels watching over us. It has been evident in how many close calls we have had that could’ve been catastrophic, but weren’t.
These scriptures further emphasize the fact that He protects us.
“For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go.” Psalms 91:11
“The Lord says, ‘I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name.'” Psalms 91:14
Looking back at all those close calls He helped us out of helps me trust in His name, which in turn leads to more protection. It’s a lovely cycle and something that I like to dwell upon regularly.
“The name of the Lord is a strong fortress; the godly run to Him and are safe.” Proverbs 18:10
How often do we find ourselves running? Even if we’re not running physically, but mentally or emotionally, we can run to Him and be safe within the strong fortress of His name.
I hope you were encouraged by these promises of God and will find them helpful as a parent in these challenging times. Comment below and let us know which one you needed to hear most today!
Catch ya later,
One Comment
Pingback: