The time I spend on my knees is one of the most powerful parenting interventions I have ever found. For years, as my children left for school in the morning, I would hug them and send them off with “ Have a good day!” As I would close the door behind them I would whisper a prayer for them from my heart to God’s ears. Last year while teaching in England I had the honor of staying with an amazing family. The awesome mom would encircle each child in her warm embrace and pray out loud for their safety and wisdom throughout the day. She would thank the Lord for the child with her gentle loving voice spoken gently as if held as a treasure between mother and child and yet covering the child with God’s protective shield. Each little one or teen was then sent off with the sound of their mother’s prayer echoing in their heart as they skipped off to school. What a GREAT IDEA! What a powerful message the child gets each day to hear their mother cover them with God’s grace.

Research has shown that prayer works! Many of us believed without the scientific proof but for those “Doubting Thomas'” (no relation!) there are three books filled with the statistics and measurements Healing Words and Meaning & Medicine by Larry Dossey M.D., and Healing The Hardware Of The Soul by Daniel Amen M.D.

My favorite saying is, “ God gives free refills!” My cup gets empty many times as a parent of children with special needs. Talking to God is the best way I have ever found to recharge and renew! (The next best thing is a hug from my cowboy!)

The last thing I do at night before I close my eyes is pray. How many thousands of hours have I spent lifting my children up to Him?! The tally is immeasurable over the more than 45 years I have been praying. I had a family come to my home to study with me and learn better ways to help their disturbed child. I learn from every family I teach! The mother and father had a beautiful family tradition to all kneel together beside the child’s bed at night and pray together. What a GREAT IDEA! The child is sent off to sleep with the parents loving prayer filling their room and the power of God’s protection through the night. Children that have been traumatized must feel safe at night in order to have healthy sleep patterns. If they don’t sleep well they have a much harder time controlling their actions during the day.

We have a family tradition in our home to all hold hands around the table and have a different one of us lead the family in a prayer of thanks before meals. When we have a new child we do not have them lead the family in prayer. Most of the children I have had in my home have shared with me that before they arrived they; either did not believe in God, hated Him or worshiped the devil. They believed that destruction, rage and hatred are more powerful than love, forgiveness and creation. They were more drawn to the dark side away from the power of love and God. Until we set the example of God’s unconditional love by loving the child and Him unconditionally they don’t understand how amazing and powerful that love is!

“ Where there is hatred… let me sow love.” (St Francis)

What a GREAT IDEA!