YMM is a weekly prayer series for parents who need a moment. Sign up at gracebased.com/ymm to get these prayers in your inbox every Monday.

A Prayer for Cultivating Adult Friendships

Father God,

Raising children can be a lonely job,

and I often find myself at the end of a long day

wishing I had more friends to lean on.

You created us to need each other, Lord,

yet here in America, we have worshiped

individualism, ignoring our ingrained longing

for connection.

Forgive us, Father,

for our foolish self-reliance.

Help us find our way back to

each other.

Friends keep us grounded,

make our marriages stronger,

and give our kids support

beyond what we alone can offer them.

I know I am a better parent

when I have others to journey with.

Even still, I confess to spending more time

cultivating my child's friendships

than my own, neglecting the very

people you have put in my life.

So Lord, in your wisdom and strength,

would you help me deepen

the relationships I already have,

reconnect with old friends,

and recognize opportunities

to make new ones?

Help me be vulnerable in reaching out,

consistent in following through,

and dependable for others to lean on.

May I recognize the season I am in,

with healthy expectations for myself and others:

supporting my friends in love,

and asking for help when I need it.

Forgive us, Father,

for our foolish self-reliance.

Help us find our way back to

each other.

May our dependence be a sign,

not of weakness, but of strength,

as all of us are better together

than alone.

Thank you, Lord, for the gift

of friendship.

Amen.

written by Alli Dahlgren
produced by Dan Gummel

Find us and more free resources at:
www.gracebased.com

YMM is a weekly prayer series for parents who need a moment. Sign up at gracebased.com/ymm to get these prayers in your inbox every Monday.

A Prayer for Embodied Love in an Automated World

Father God,

Our modern world can be overwhelming,

and we come to you today in need of

your grounding presence.

Our children are growing up with

information overload, automated everything,

artificial intelligence threatening to dilute their

tender curiosity and imagination.

As parents, it is hard to find the balance

between protecting them from the chaos surrounding us,

and preparing them to one day live on their own.

We don’t want to hide from culture,

nor embrace the latest advancement

without discernment,

so we are here again,

asking for your wisdom.

We are not gods.

We do not have the answers.

But you—our Creator and Sustainer—do.

You created all of us to be an image of your heart,

your love, your grace.

We remember this best through

the person of Jesus: God made man,

the story of redemption through flesh and blood:

embodied love.

The smartest technology in the world

will never have the capacity to love

and be loved the way your image-bearers do.

Help us remember this when we are

lured by the ease of machines.

May we remember the simple comfort of

a back scratch before bed,

a hug after a long day,

a hand to hold in a crowd.

This irreplaceable human touch is itself

an act of hope—

an incarnation of Christ's love,

a resistance against the temptation to disconnect,

and a healing balm for our weary souls.

May we truly be present for our children,

showing them that love is not just an abstract idea,

but the very essence of life,

and a taste of your eternal kingdom to come.

Amen.

written by Alli Dahlgren
produced by Dan Gummel

Find us and more free resources at:
www.gracebased.com

YMM is a weekly prayer series for parents who need a moment. Sign up at gracebased.com/ymm to get these prayers in your inbox every Monday.

A Prayer for When Your Teenager Doesn’t Talk to You

Merciful God,

You know the details of my teenager’s day.

You know who she ate lunch with and what jokes were told.

You know what classes are hard,

and what teachers she likes and doesn’t like.

You know “the tea”, the cliques,

who likes who, and who is a good friend.

You know what was seen on the internet,

what was sent in texts and shared in messages.

Help her to know that you see her,

that you care about every moment,

and that you are with her.

Make me a trustworthy place for her

to come when she has questions or problems,

and help her to know I care and can be trusted

with the vulnerable and fragile places in her heart.

Give me wisdom to know when to intervene

and when to let her figure things out on her own.

Help me learn what love looks like in this season

so I can lean in and listen well.

Please grow my trust in your care for her

when I am tempted to be controlling or overbearing.

Give me humility to seek and hear feedback

from her about how she experiences me.

Help me confess my failures, seek restoration,

and repair when I have acted hurtfully.

Strengthen and protect our relationship

so that in the years to come we can share joys and sorrows

and walk together as a family that cares and supports

one another appropriately for each season of life we will encounter.

Thank you that you haven’t left us on our own

to figure out this complicated thing that is parenting,

but you go before us as we trust

in your wisdom and faithful guidance.

Amen.

written by Loraena Tuttle

produced by Dan Gummel

Find us and more free resources at:
www.gracebased.com