I don’t know much about raising boys. I like glitter and fairies and cutting my sandwiches into whimsical shapes. My boys prefer roughhousing and seeing who can toot at the best comedic moment. I like crisp, clean linens. They like dirt and sweat. I like to dance and sing. They like playing sports. Whenever my oldest asks me to play basketball outside in the 300% South Florida humidity, I mostly say how about I be the announcer who stays inside that little glass box that is air-conditioned (i.e. the living room)?
But the Lord gave me two incredible young men and I am so proud to be their mama.
I do my best to point them in the right direction and the only way I know how to do that (without getting too much dirt on my good white pants) is by reading God’s Word and praying my little heart out!
And I feel even more equipped as a boy mama when I combine the two and pray Scripture-based prayers for them.
One of my favorite Scriptures that I pray for my boys is from Matthew 22:37-40. In this passage someone had just asked Jesus which commandment was the most important. Here is how Jesus responded:
“‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”
I love how Jesus breaks the very long and seemingly complicated Book of the Law down into two very simple commands –
1. Love God and
2. Love Others
I tell my boys that any question they have about how they should act, speak, think, and live can be answered in Matthew 22:37-40. Absolutely every other command from Jesus falls under these two very special instructions.
In our house we like to refer to this as “The Big Two.”
My boys and I have a little song that we sing about it (while using our best southern accents):
“The greatest thing that you can do
Is spend your days living The Big Two
Love God and Love One Another
Get over here and hug me brother!”
(Proceed with lots of enthusiastic hugging)
When my boys were toddlers, they liked to snatch toys out of one another’s hands (wait, that hasn’t completely stopped yet). When that happens, I remind them that they have an opportunity to love one another by sharing. (Hebrews 14:16)
When my boys want to keep their eyes open or make goofy noises during prayer times, I remind them that we show our love and respect for God when we give Him all of our heart, soul, and mind (which translates into eyeballs and voice boxes and focus).
When my boys are upset because someone wasn’t nice to them at school I say, “Well, one way we can love others, even when they’re not kind to us, is to pray for them.” (Matthew 5:44)
When my boys pout about having to run an errand or do a household chore, I get to remind them that when they serve with a happy heart they are showing love to our family. And when they do that, then they are also showing love to God! (Philippians 2:14-16)
My boys are still young, but I know that this verse will still apply through the changing seasons of their lives.
When my boys grow up and face lustful temptations, I pray that the Holy Spirit would quickly call to mind His Word—that out of love for Him they might resolve, “I will set before my eyes no vile thing.” (Psalm 101:3)
When my boys have jobs I pray they will love God by doing their work with diligence for Him and not merely for the praise of man. (Colossians 3:23)
When one day they start their own families, I pray they will love God’s vision and purposes in their home, even before their own. (Matthew 6:33)
And on and on the list could go …
So when I pray for my boys, I pray that they will live out “The Big Two.”
I ask the Lord to give them His Spirit so that they may love Him above all else, and love others, in a way that lights up this dark world and is such a pleasant aroma that it entices others to wish to live out “The Big Two” also.
And I guess one way that I can live out “The Big Two” is by choosing to join my boy on the basketball court, whatever the sacrifice (like facing the 100-degree, 300% humidity, hair-frizzing environment—even if I’m wearing my nice white pants). ☺
Joyfully,
Julie
Resources: (affiliate links)
Praying for Boys: Asking God for the Things They Need Most by Brooke McGlothlin
Praying God’s Word For Your Kids – Prayer prompts, scriptures, and family activities.
Wise Words for Moms by Ginger Hubbard – A calendar chart for parenting your children with Scripture.
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