Southland Blog

My name is Nate and my daughter is 1 years old.  As a family, each night before we go to bed, we read out of a Children's Bible and then pray.  Each prayer consists of wisdom as parents, our 1 year old to grow strong in the LORD, prepare her to be a great older sister, and the person she'll marry one day.  We also pray that our 1 year old will be a joy to those around her each day.

In light of Jon's message this week my wife and I are praying for this PEACE for REESE.

A scripture I've been praying over HER is Proverbs 2:10-11 "For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will fill you with joy. Wise choices will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe."

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My name is Will Briggs and my kids are 9 and 12 years old.  As a family we grab time in the evening before bed to pray together, read scripture, and share about our day.  We are constantly praying for God to unveil every aspect of the Fruit of the Spirit in our lives, at home and when we go out.  A scripture I've been praying over them or for them lately is Numbers 6:24-26, the priestly blessing,.

My name is Mike and my kids are 7 & 4 years old.  As a family we pray in the parking lot before school daily, read a devotion and one of the kids pray at meal time, and we pray nightly before bed.

In light of Jon's message this week my wife and I are praying for Joy for our 7 yr old and Self-Control for our 4 yr old.

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My name is Karen and my daughter is 3 years old.  As a family, we pray together before we eat and at bedtime. We also thank God during the day or pray for people we know.

In light of Jon's message this week my husband and I are praying for the Fruit of the Spirit of gentleness for Natalie.

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My name is Tyler.  My wife and I have two kids that are 3 and 7 years old.  As a family we make it a priority to pray together at meals and before bedtime.  We try to stay away from memorized or repetitive prayers and instead encourage our kids to just talk to God.  Most evenings our 3 year old simply recounts his favorite parts of the day, but he is talking with our God.

In light of the message this week, we are pray for self control for Emme, and peace for Riley, and we have been praying for them through Philippians 2:3...specifically the last part.  

"Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves."

We want them to constantly seek to serve and show love to others.

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Our names are Ked and Michelle and our kids are  10 and 8 years old.  As a family, we pray together around our kitchen table as we read the Word together at breakfast before school.  We also pray together before bed as we reflect on our day, pray for the needs of others, and share about concerns.  We journal prayers, we pray prayers, we sing prayers, and we record answers to prayers.

In light of Jon's message this week my wife and I are praying for this gentleness for Julianna and peace for Nathaniel       

We also memorize a piece of scripture every week as a family.  We write the scripture on a white board in their room.  Then we come up with creative ways to help them memorize it and apply it.  One of our verses over the last week has been:  Hebrews 4:16, “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

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My name is Mike and my son is almost 11 months old.  As a family, my wife and I ask each other every Sunday how we can pray for one another that week.  It’s an effective way for us to find out what is going on that week and how we can support one another through prayer and action.

In light of Jon's message this week my wife and I are praying for love for Jackson.

A scripture I've been praying over them or for them lately is the phrase “a life worthy of the Lord” from Colossians 1.

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My is Ernie and my grandkids are Cai (8) and Mason (10)  As a family---this is how we pray together:  "Lord, thank you for life, health, and family. Thank you for loving us.  Protect us from evil as we go to school and guide our words so that they will be encouraging to everyone and not hurtful. We ask that Cai sense real peace and Mason sense joy in everyday activities."

The scripture we have been praying over them is Phil. 4:4-8.

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My name is KJ  and my twins are 3 years old.  As a family, each night we do popcorn prayer.  We sit in a circle holding hands and each go around and thank God for anything we are thankful for.  Sometimes it's Mommy and Daddy, sometimes it's Mickey and Minnie or sometimes it's a sippy cup or little bear.

In light of Jon's message this week my wife and I are praying for patience for Riley and joy for Sophie.

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My name is Gordon and my grandkids are Tatum, 4; Nathaniel, 3 & Austin, 1 years old.  As a family we pray as life happens – short prayer in the moment.

A scripture I've been praying for them lately is John 15:4-5  "Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me."

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My name is Diana and I am the mother of a 7 year old, 5 year old and 6 month old.  Each night we read a verse out of Proverbs and talk about how that pertains to our lives, my husband and myself included.  We want to make sure we are showing them we are growing and learning just like them and God is still teaching us ways we can be a better mommy, daddy, husband, wife and friend.  We wrap up each night by saying something we are thankful for that day and say a simple prayer.

"Father, thank you for today.  Thank you for our family and friends. Thank you for your blessings on our family today, a house over our heads, food to eat and clothes to wear.  Help us to grow and be more like Jesus in all that we do.  Show us ways that we can do better, so we can be a light for You.  Thank you for being our Father and for loving us no matter what.  We love you.  Amen."

In light of Jon's message this week my husband and I are praying for peace for our oldest, patience for our second, and joy for our littlest.

Since we are talking through the Proverbs, I have also been lead to James 1:5.  "If you need wisdom, ask our generous God and he will give it to you...."  Not only do I want this for my kids, but as a parent I need wisdom in my parenting.  I have been entrusted with such precious gifts that only through the wisdom of God will I be able to parent each child in the way that they need.  They are God's children first, then mine.  

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My name is Jason and my kids are 3 and 6 years old.  My six year old and I pray about her day every morning in the car on the way to school.  Then at night our whole family prays together at bedtime using the theme of our nightly kids’ devotional.  First I pray for the kids, then I have them pray a short, simple prayer with me.  My wife specifically prays the fruits of the Spirit over our 3 year old as she lays her down in bed.

A scripture I've been praying over them or for them lately is Mark 12:30, that they would grow up to love the Lord with all their heart, all their soul, all their mind and all their strength.

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My name is Brandon and my wife and I have a two year old daughter named Eva, and a baby on the way!  As a family we read books together just before Eva goes to bed and then we end with a Bible Story and pray over her.  It's simple and straightforward - yet models for her at a young age our heart and priorities.  In light of Jon's message this week my wife and I are praying for JOY in Eva's life.

We love hearing this stuff. Let me know what's happening in your house right now as you embrace the truths of God's message to our church this weekend. Email me and let me know.

Nate Head, Age Level Pastor

My name is Adaryll.  I am blessed with 2 children, ages 9 and 5, and one on-the-way. Not unlike most people, we consider ourselves a fairly busy family.  We made a decision that if we did not train ourselves to pray continuously, inside and out of our homes, we would likely fail altogether. As a result, we try to initiate several moments daily as times for family prayer.  Most consistently, we pray before, during, and/or after we travel; at our daily family meal time; and at naps and bedtimes.

As a family, we believe the Fruit of the Spirit is just that – 1 Fruit, 9 parts. We pray all 9 parts as one, believing no part to be less important than another.  As husband and wife it is not unusual to correct our children by asking, “Does (child’s attitude) display (a part of the Fruit)?  We used church program materials to help all of us remember what the Fruit is and, as soon as the children knew how to talk, taught them about the Fruit in song, enforcing their (and our) learning of the Fruit of the Spirit’s importance in our daily lives. Jon’s message was empowering to my wife and I as parents. His message was something we could use to show our children that we were under the authority of God and that our pastor was reminding us of that today in “big Church.”

I don’t have one specific Scripture I pray over my children. I am a monthly reader of the Books of Psalms & Proverbs (you may remember Jon encouraging our church to read the Proverbs). While reading, I note verses to pray over my family and do so each time Scripture is opened.  This helps me feel I am investing in them regularly and bringing them before the Lord in prayer, once again, continuously.

School, sports, video games, and the like have great influence on the youth in our society. With all the struggles and temptations of this world, how can we lead our kids well? Truthfully, the answer is simple. We must pray.

Adaryll Jordan, Family Ministry Leader

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My name is Tobi. I am married, and have three children, Tristan, Caleb, and Abigail. We are fully committed to raising kids who love Jesus and love others. Some days it seems as though we are fighting a battle that is too tiresome to overcome. Busyness creeps in, and before we know it the day is over, the kid's bedtime has passed, and we haven't made time for God. That issue is a tension to be managed.  Jon's messages over the past few weeks have been a wonderful recharge for our family. We reinstated a scheduled family prayer-time every night - no exceptions. It's something that we have all made a priority and has resulted in closer relationships.

To assist us in staying intentional we chose a scripture to focus on. Giving our best effort is a character trait that we value, so we memorized Colossians 3:23 which says, Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men. I have seen noticeable differences in them as we continue to unpack what that looks like in action. Additionally, we have decided that each of us would identify a fruit of the Spirit that we feel like God is wanting to produce in us from Galatians 5:22 and pray that for each other each night.

Making the time for family prayer may not seem natural or comfortable at first, but you will find the more you make it a priority, the more you will understand that it is not only natural but necessary.

Tobi Florence, Children's Team

We'd love to hear some stories from you. How has Expression 2 worked it's way through your home this week? Email me and let me know.

Nate Head, Age Level Pastor