Title: Parenting On Your Knees: Prayers and Practical Guidance for the Preschool Years
Author: Vicki Tiede
Book Information:
- Publisher: Pix-N-Pens
- ISBN: 9781938092299
- Page Count: 190
How did I get this book: A complimentary review copy was provided to me by Cross Focused Reviews (A Service of Cross Focused Media, LLC). I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.
Review:
"Arise [from your bed], cry out in the night, at the beginning of the watches; pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord. Lift up your hands toward Him for the lives of your young children, who faint from hunger at the head of every street."
~Lamentations 2:19
"And He took them [the children up one by one] in His arms and [fervently invoked a] blessing, placing His hands upon them." ~Mark 10:16
Children are sweet blessings. Raising them can seem like the best of times and the worst of times. There are many moments where you feel overwhelmed or like you can't make it, but then that one unexpected moment happens that makes it all worth it. This cycle could be repeated several times a day. It is important to remember in those times of need or being stretched beyond what we thought our limits were, that we are never alone. Children are sweet blessings from the Lord, and He longs for is to share everything with Him, lean on Him when needed, and take everything to Him in prayer.
"For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted my petition made to Him. Therefore I have given him to the Lord; as long as he lives he is given to the Lord. And they worshiped the Lord there." 1 Samuel 1:27-29
"Arise [from your bed], cry out in the night, at the beginning of the watches; pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord. Lift up your hands toward Him for the lives of your young children, who faint from hunger at the head of every street."
~Lamentations 2:19
"And He took them [the children up one by one] in His arms and [fervently invoked a] blessing, placing His hands upon them." ~Mark 10:16
Children are sweet blessings. Raising them can seem like the best of times and the worst of times. There are many moments where you feel overwhelmed or like you can't make it, but then that one unexpected moment happens that makes it all worth it. This cycle could be repeated several times a day. It is important to remember in those times of need or being stretched beyond what we thought our limits were, that we are never alone. Children are sweet blessings from the Lord, and He longs for is to share everything with Him, lean on Him when needed, and take everything to Him in prayer.
- "God has blessed you with this little one, to love and care for, but He wants to share in the joys, hopes, worries, and fears for this child. He doesn't expect you to travel this road solo. Going to God on behalf of your child helps you remember you are not parenting alone." ~pg.3
- "...parenting is a process, not an event. It's a journey, not a destination...[when we parent on our knees, we are] eye-to-eye with our children and looking up at Jesus, who wants to co-parent with us." ~pg.5
"For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted my petition made to Him. Therefore I have given him to the Lord; as long as he lives he is given to the Lord. And they worshiped the Lord there." 1 Samuel 1:27-29
God desires to spend time with you and to help you through this, and it is okay if that happens in creative and unexpected ways. Your prayer time may not look like anyone else's but that's okay. The goal is to connect with God in whatever way fits your current place on this ride called life.
- "Time with God is not about academic study or getting through a certain amount of Scripture or any of that. It's about connecting with God. We've got to keep those lines of communication open, so use whatever helps. Sometimes I'll listen to music, other times I'll read, Scripture or a passage from a book; often I will journal; maybe I'll go for a run; then there are days when all I need is silence and solitude and the rising sun. The point is to simply do whatever brings me back to my heart and the heart of God." ~pgs.9-10
- "When you pay your electric bills, pray that your children will know Jesus as the Light of the world. When you see a school bus, pray that your children will learn new skills and strive toward greater achievements. When you water your plants, pray that your children will grow healthy and strong." ~pg.10
- "As parents of little ones, you can do things such as: listen to worship music while you play with your children, pray in the car or shower, read Bible stories with your tots, listen to God in the middle of the night when you are up for a feeding." ~pg.11
When praying for the character of your little ones, you can also pray that the Lord would help them to persevere.
"And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint." ~Galatians 6:9
There are many creative ways to integrate the prayer life that you desire with your current life of madness that seems to frequently knock you to your knees. Above is just a taste of some of the wonderful wisdom and knowledge you can find in this gem of a book. 'Parenting On Your Knees' by Vicki Tiede is packed full of quick and helpful tips, refreshing honesty, and tons of humor. This is a book that the parent with absolutely no time will be able to find time to read, and they will be pleasantly surprised to find more than they bargained for.
'Parenting On Your Knees' by Vicki Tiede also contains actual prayers that you can pray with blanks to fill in for your applicable person and situation. In addition to this, there are even places to write your personal prayers, places to write how God answered your prayers, and also parenting resources sprinkled throughout this delightful work in case you desire to read additional material on a certain topic.
I enthusiastically recommend this book and urge you to grab a copy for yourself as soon as you possibly can. Sometimes parenting may knock us to our knees, but after becoming equipped with the knowledge in this book, you will have knee pads to land on, as well as the tools to intersperse parts of the changes you desire to see, into the life that you already have. This difficult and rewarding time won't overcome you, the storm won't last, and God is waiting and ready to help you make the most out of Parenting On Your Knees.
About the Author: Vicki Tiede, MEd, MMin, is a Bible teacher; conference speaker; author of When Your Husband is Addicted to Pornography: Healing Your Wounded Heart (2012) and Plug Me In and Let Me Charge Overnight (2009). Her passion is to share God’s grace and faithfulness with women through the Scriptures. Vicki transparently relates life experiences that resonate and draw others into a lifelong pursuit of knowing God. Living in Rochester, Minnesota, Vicki is also a wife, homeschooling mom, and women’s ministries coordinator at her local church. You can learn more about Vicki Tiede and her writing at www.vickitiede.com.
Sarah,
ReplyDeleteThanks for contributing to the Parenting on Your Knees blog tour. I'm so glad you enjoyed the book.
Shaun Tabatt
Cross Focused Reviews