Morning Send Off

“Kind words are like honey—sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.” (Proverbs 16:24, NLT)

“Jesus said, “This is how you should pray: ‘Father, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. Give us each day the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation.’” (Luke 11:2-4, NLT)

Being self-confident sounds admirable, even attainable. The world praises self-made people. It cheers, “Find your inner strength! You can do it!”. But loving our kids means steering them toward truth. And here’s the truth: They can’t navigate life on their own. God never intended us to! No human has the wisdom, skill, maturity, or capacity to perfectly handle every situation they encounter in a given day—only God can. Relying solely on ourselves to manage all the demands and expectations of life is quite a heavy burden.

We, as parents, have an awesome opportunity to help lift this burden from our kids’ shoulders before their school day even begins. We can intentionally speak truth to them, reminding them that they don’t have to be selfsufficient. No one can be. God has their day!

But how do you help your children shift their focus from the world’s emptiness of self-confidence to surrendering to the peace of God-confidence, especially on a busy morning when you’re trying to get everyone out the door?

Prayer is the answer. Prayer helps our children be God-confident, not self-confident.

Three Morning Questions

Every school day morning, I would do my best to ask my boys three simple questions to focus us as we were spinning through the fast-paced morning, trying to not be late for school.

1. “Do you know that I love you and the way God made you so smart or funny [or name a quality]?” Words matter! Knowing you are loved actually sets the tone for the entire school day.
2. “What’s one thing you’re concerned or excited about today?” Giving kids a safe place to share what’s on their minds is priceless.
3. “Are you ready to pray over your day?” This is where I would look them in the eye, then put my cheek next to their cheek with my mouth at their ear. I would pray aloud directly in their ear for their day. Together, we took their concerns right to God to start off the day.

Jesus taught His disciples in the same way - by praying out loud. The best way to teach your children to pray and have God-confidence for their school day is modeling it.

So why not start a new morning routine of prayer? Maybe at breakfast or while they are brushing their teeth or on the way to school?

Lord, help me to be creative with my school morning send-off to make time for prayer with my children. Through you, may my children trade the pressure of self-confidence for the peace of God-confidence as they start their school day.