Perseverance in Prayer and Practice: A 3-Day Parenting Plan

Scriptures: 1 Timothy 4:16, Psalms 40:1, Matthew 13:23

Kids and Cockleburs

“Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them.” (1 Timothy 4:16)

Have you ever had the experience of walking through an open field in late summer and feeling the sting of cockleburs in your shoes and around your ankles? Those thin, brown weeds are armed with dozens of sharp spines that grab your socks and eventually work their way into the skin. They’re terribly annoying. 

Cockleburs are remarkable in another way, however. Inside their prickly seedpods are not just one, but several seeds, and they germinate in different years. If the first seed fails to sprout one year due to poor conditions, the second is still waiting in the ground. When the next season rolls around, it begins to open and grow. And if that one doesn’t take root, there is still a third seed waiting for the year after that. 

Cockleburs can tell us something about parenting. When the “seeds” of your diligent instruction on life and faith fail to germinate, the effort seems in vain. Yet if you persist in your teaching and in setting a godly example, your endeavors are likely to be rewarded (1 Timothy 4:16). Like a cocklebur seed that lies dormant for a decade or more, the lessons you plant now may one day break through and blossom in the hearts and minds of your children. 

Questions for Today . . .

• Have you seen examples in your kids of lessons that blossomed years after they were planted? 
• What “seeds” are you planting in your children today? 
• How can you help each other to be patient as you wait for your seeds to sprout? 

Prayer . . .

Father, we need Your strength to “keep on keeping on.” Lift our hearts when we become discouraged. Help us to persevere in sowing good seeds in the lives of our children, leaving the results—and the harvest—to You. Amen.

(Excerpted from Dr. James and Shirley Dobson’s book, Night Light for Parents. Used with permission.)

Bonus Content: Patience Through Your Child’s Stages of Growth

Parents, don’t let the stress of your child’s developmental years overwhelm you. This turbulent period will pass quickly.

Scriptures: John 16:24, Matthew 7:7-8, Luke 18:1

Praying for Keeps

“Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.” (John 16:24)

My (Dr. Dobson) grandmother prayed for her six children throughout their formative years, but her youngest son—my father—was a particularly headstrong young man. For seven years following his high school graduation, he rejected the teachings of the church. Yet my grandmother never stopped praying. 

One evening my Uncle Willis, who loved Jesus passionately, went looking for my dad (who was visiting his parents’ home) as the family prepared to go to church. “Jim,” he said, “aren’t you going with us to the service tonight?” “No, Willis,” my dad said. “I’m through with all of that. I don’t plan to ever go back again.” Willis said nothing. But as my father sat looking at the floor, he saw big tears splashing on his brother’s shoes. I’ll go, my dad thought, just because it means that much to him.

At the service that evening, James Dobson Sr. invited Jesus Christ into his heart—a decision he never wavered from the rest of his life. God answered the prayers of my grandmother by placing a key person at a critical crossroads. If you pray with persistence and confidence, He will do as much for your children, too. 

Questions for Today . . .

• Do you pray for your kids with persistence and confidence?
• How have your prayers already changed the lives of your children?

Prayer . . .

Lord Jesus, You have taught to “pray always and not give up.” Strengthen me, Lord, to do this for my children. As long as You give us breath, help me to pray for the special lives You have entrusted me with, and to never give up or let up until we are all together in Your presence. Amen.

(Excerpted from Dr. James and Shirley Dobson’s book, Night Light for Parents. Used with permission.)

Bonus Content: Power for Generations

When a child of God prays, Scripture tells us it’s “powerful and effective.” This is especially meaningful when we pray for our children. Brenen and Morgan Beeler encourage you to make prayer the first and greatest priority in your day. By doing so, you open the door for you and your children to thoroughly enjoy an intimate relationship with God.

Scriptures: James 5:11, 1 Corinthians 9:24, Philippians 3:13-14

If at First You Don’t Succeed . . .

“We consider blessed those who have persevered.” (James 5:11)

Whether we ultimately fail or succeed sometimes depends on our own tenacity. We’ve all heard stories about people who beat the odds and achieved where others tried and failed. But we seldom stop to think about the many times those same people fell flat on their faces before realizing their goals. 

Thomas Edison, for instance, reportedly built and tested more than one thousand lightbulbs before finally getting one to work. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school varsity basketball team. Louis L’Amour received several hundred rejection slips before his first short story was published. After Elvis Presley’s first performance at the Grand Ole Opry, the manager advised the young singer to go back to truck driving. 

Satan wants us to give up after a defeat. That’s why the author of Hebrews urged Jewish Christians to “throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us” (Hebrews 12:1). That’s a valuable lesson for your children…and a good one for mom and dad to remember, too. 

Questions for Today . . .

• What have you accomplished that required great perseverance? 
• How can you encourage persistence in your children? 
• Do you believe that success can follow repeated failure? 

Prayer . . .

Lord Jesus, it’s difficult for us to get beyond our defeats and failures. Help us to get back on the right path and to keep putting one foot in front of another. We’re so thankful that even when this business of parenting seems over our heads, You still walk right beside us. Amen.