I kissed my boys goodbye this morning as I left on a trip, and couldn’t help but realize they’ll leave me someday.
I know I won’t always be the one woman in their life, and that their kisses won’t always be just for me. Not that they won’t love me still. But I am not naive enough to know that one day, what we now have, will be changed.
And as I sit on the airplane missing them, thinking about all my heart longs for them when they’re grown, the young woman next to me is reading one of the Fifty Shades trilogy books.
And my heart sinks with the realization of what could lie ahead for my boys.
I’ve tried to stay out of the craze of this erotic romance trilogy, but as much as I try to guard my heart and mind, these books seem to be everywhere I turn.
The girls at work are riveted by them.
People are blogging about them.
Bookstores are filled with them.
And now, even the woman sitting next to me on this 3-hour flight is reading them.
And I’m compelled to pray–to pray for the future of my sons. That they will one day find wives who have guarded their hearts. Women who have protected their minds. Who’ve developed a healthy view of themselves, their femininity, their virtue, and their dignity.
I pray my future daughters-in-law know the value of an honorable man.
That they won’t be too selfish to recognize the honor it is to be led and cared for by a man who loves God.
That they’ll honor the value of a monogamous lifelong partnership,
And be women who long for the beauty of an intimacy that serves instead of takes.
I pray the future mothers of my grandchildren will not have spent time corrupting their minds with the twisted way the world sees love, but instead, be eager to learn the wholeness of the way God meant marriage to be … full of respect and honor, dignity and virtue, integrity and honesty.
As a momma of boys, I’m praying harder than ever…
Will you join me in praying?
For the character of our boys and the heart-health of their future wives?
And as we pray, I’m giving thanks that God in His faithfulness, will answer each and every one of them.
Do you pray for your son’s future wife?
What qualities in a future daughter-in-law do you value most?
Yes, I pray for my son (who is 2) for his wife. I pray that God will prepare their hearts for each other.
keltrinswife´s last [type] ..Letter to Declan
For a preparation of their hearts for each other…so beautiful!
Jacque Watkins @ Mercy Found Me´s last [type] ..Why We Need to Pray for Our Boys and Their Future Wives
Yes, yes, yes! I pray for my sons’ future wives. I have 6 boys, and 2 of them are teenagers, becoming interested in girls. One of the things that I pray for most in my future-daughter-inlaws is that they love Jesus more than anything or anyone…if they love Him, I know that they will love and honor my sons. They will also have a healthy love and respect for themselves. Purity is almost extinct in our world, today. May my sons keep themselves pure for their future wives!!
Amen to that! That they may love Him is the foundation for it all, thanks for sharing Cyndi!
Jacque Watkins @ Mercy Found Me´s last [type] ..Why We Need to Pray for Our Boys and Their Future Wives
This post brought to mind a book I have on my bedstand that I’ve been meaning to read for 5 years, Preparing Him for the Other Woman by Sheri Rose Shepherd.
Thank you for sharing that resource with us
Jacque Watkins @ Mercy Found Me´s last [type] ..Why We Need to Pray for Our Boys and Their Future Wives
I value honesty and faith. I’d love to see her very different from myself – patient, calm, graceful (those being her qualities, not my own). If she hasn’t guarded her heart (as I didn’t when I was younger), I’d love for her to be shown her depravity in the face of our loving Lord. And then strive to live as He.
Randi´s last [type] ..adjusting
Yes! I try and pray every day for my 3 boys’ purity and their future wives. I pray that my boys’ would date and marry in the faith and that the #1 thing that would draw them to any potential girl would be her love for Jesus. I pray that my future daughter-in-laws (what a strange thing to type since my boys are 7, 6, and 1!) would have a passion to know Jesus and make Him known; that they would want to have families where they disciple their kids according to the Bible; and they would be amazing helpmates, best friends, and supporters of my sons. And while to do pray that they would also remain pure, I also lift up the idea that my sons’ might get the chance to be Boaz – to redeem a girl who has been broken and God has made her into a new creation. I know that would be hard, but I pray my boys would have the strength and faith to love her with the forgiving, uplifting love of Jesus. I also pray that they would be fun, love to eat, and want to go on roller coasters with me
Rollercoasters!! I love them too
Jacque Watkins @ Mercy Found Me´s last [type] ..Why We Need to Pray for Our Boys and Their Future Wives
Yes, I do pray for my sons (both of them) future wives.
There is an old Wayne Watson song called “Somewhere in the World” that is about this very topic. As the Mothers of boys, I promise it will bring tears to your eyes! I love it!
I remember that song Mary…and you’re right, it is so moving!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NzjZLHHiqk&playnext=1&list=PL4D50FE93774B555F&feature=results_main
Jacque Watkins @ Mercy Found Me´s last [type] ..Why We Need to Pray for Our Boys and Their Future Wives
I know I need to pray for their unknown future wives. Thank you for giving me some specifics for how to pray.
Jacque, Thank you for new specifics!
I do pray for my boys future brides (they are 9 and 11 and girls are still “icky”, unless they are catching crawdads and climbing trees with them!)
I pray for my Abba to prepare my sons to be men who walk in integrity and love for God and people, for them to be world changers; I pray for the women He has for my guys to be grace filled and life sustainers, women who love God with all their hearts and chase after Him rather than the world. Women who know the amazing power of their role in family, and aren’t afraid to live that role unashamed of the One who called them.
Amen to that, Shelly!
Jacque Watkins´s last [type] ..Why We Need to Pray for Our Boys and Their Future Wives
Thanks for this great reminder… We have felt convicted to pray regularly for our little guy’s future wife…. and have let it slip, I think… But it is oh, so urgent and important that we do. Desperately important. Thank you so much for writing this.
yes we do. you can never pray too soon. i have 3 sons and 2 daughters. (from ages 8-2) i pray for their spouse all the time. i also pray that GOD would protect our children and keep them for the ones he has chosen. A little testimony that goes back 18 years ago. I was an assistant to our youth leader and there was this one teen who prayed for her future spouse. (at the time she wasn’t dating anyone) but she had the desire to marry the one God had chosen. many times the youth would get together and every time Meg would pray for her spouse that where ever he was that God would protect him. And that at His perfect timing she would know who he was. we went as a youth group to a local church for a teen night and at this one church there was this drummer boy, i will never forget the excitement in her voice when she came to me and said, “he’s the one, one day we will get married” as one of the leaders, i told her, just keep praying that GOd will protect your heart and his. she new with a doubt that they would get married, fast forward 5 years,they were both out of youth group. they began to date with both parents blessings. today they are married with 2 little boys! She had a praying mom who taught her daughter how to pray and how to wait. i’ve been married 10 years now and every since we new were were having our first child, this has been on my heart and in my prayer life. it’s is so worth it to pray for them.