May His Strong Will Cultivate an Even Stronger Faith

Our Keepsake Journal is Here! 🎉

Dear Lord,

At the end of an exhausting and emotional day with my strong-willed child, I just need you. I’ve cried and prayed and cried and prayed, and I need your intervention.

He isn’t responding to me the way he used to. He’s distant, moody, down, and in his own world it seems. His body is changing along with his emotions. He’s maturing before my eyes, and it’s blowing my mind.

RELATED: To the Mom of a Difficult Child, What if You’re Raising a Peter?

I don’t know how to reach his heart right now.

I know this doesn’t surprise you at all. You’ve known him since the day I gave birth to his sweet 7-pound frame on that sunny October day. You’ve watched all his first milestones, and You’ve been there with me navigating all his developmental changes—physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

You’ve been with him in the hallways of his elementary school, on the playground, and in his sports activities. You’ve never lost sight of him. Even when I doubted, You were with us as mama and son.

You have great plans for his life and put me in his life for a reason.

RELATED: Dear Son as You Walk Away

Channel his pride, energy, intelligence, creativity, determination, and leadership in the right direction. Keep him away from the wide path that brings harm, hurt, and destruction. Hold his hand on the narrow road that’s full of joy, blessing, and peace.

Help him to better respect his authority and teachers You’ve placed in his life. At home, give him the strength to lead his siblings well and set a good example.

Bring the right friends that will influence him positively and help shape who he’ll be in the future.

Give him friends in our church body who’ll mentor and love him unconditionally, seeing the potential inside him.

RELATED: Dear Teen Son, God’s Not Done With You Yet

Teach me how to release control and trust you in the process—without growing resentful or angry when he struggles. Open his eyes to the truth.

Humble him so he can be a servant for You no matter how young. Teach him more about Your love and goodness.

Make my strong-willed child a man of faith, I pray, Lord.

Most of all, help me live out of my faith as I wait upon your timing.

In Your Name I pray,
Amen

So God Made a Mother book by Leslie Means

If you liked this, you'll love our book, SO GOD MADE A MOTHER available now!

Order Now

Check out our new Keepsake Companion Journal that pairs with our So God Made a Mother book!

Order Now

So God Made a Mother's Story Keepsake Journal

Her View Shop

Samantha Krieger

Samantha Krieger is wife to Jeremiah and mama to 2 boys & 2 girls- 15 and under. She's passionate about encouraging women in their faith, relationships, and real life. She's the author of Quiet Time: A 30-day Devotional Retreat for Moms in the Trenches. Her work has been featured on the Today Show online, Love What Matters, and Cafe Mom. She enjoys connecting with readers on her personal blog, Facebook and Instagram.

Jesus Meets Me in the Pew

In: Faith

I entered the church sanctuary a woman with a hurting and heavy heart. Too many worries on my mind, some unkind words spoken at home, and not enough love wrapped around my shoulders were getting the best of me. What I longed to find was Jesus in a rocking chair, extending His arms to me, welcoming me into his lap, and inviting me to exhaust myself into Him. I sought out an empty pew where I could hide in anonymity, where I could read my bulletin if I didn’t feel like listening to the announcements, sing if I felt up...

Keep Reading

The Day My Mother Died I Thought My Faith Did Too

In: Faith, Grief, Loss

She left this world with an endless faith while mine became broken and shattered. She taught me to believe in God’s love and his faithfulness. But in losing her, I couldn’t feel it so I believed it to be nonexistent. I felt alone in ways like I’d never known before. I felt helpless and hopeless. I felt like He had abandoned my mother and betrayed me by taking her too soon. He didn’t feel near the brokenhearted. He felt invisible and unreal. The day my mother died I felt alone and faithless while still clinging to her belief of heaven....

Keep Reading

Can I Still Trust Jesus after Losing My Child?

In: Faith, Grief, Loss

Everyone knows there is a time to be born and a time to die. We expect both of those unavoidable events in our lives, but we don’t expect them to come just 1342 days apart. For my baby daughter, cancer decided that the number of her days would be so many fewer than the hopeful expectation my heart held as her mama. I had dreams that began the moment the two pink lines faintly appeared on the early morning pregnancy test. I had hopes that grew with every sneak peek provided during my many routine ultrasounds. I had formed a...

Keep Reading

5 Kids in the Bible Who Will Inspire Yours

In: Faith, Kids

Gathering my kids for morning Bible study has become our family’s cornerstone, a time not just for spiritual growth but for real, hearty conversations about life, courage, and making a difference. It’s not perfect, but it’s ours. My oldest, who’s 11, is at that age where he’s just beginning to understand the weight of his actions and decisions. He’s eager, yet unsure, about his ability to influence his world. It’s a big deal for him, and frankly, for me too. I want him to know, deeply know, that his choices matter, that he can be a force for good, just...

Keep Reading

Mad Martha, Mary, Mom, and Me

In: Faith, Living

Woman wrapped in a blanket standing by water

As a brand-new, born-again, un-churched Christian fresh in my new faith with zero knowledge of the Bible, I am steaming, hissing mad when I first read these words from Luke 10:38-42: “Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell...

Keep Reading

I Can’t Pray away My Anxiety But I Can Trust God to Hold Me through It

In: Faith, Living

I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t afraid. I was scared of people, of speaking, and even of being looked at. As I got older, I worried about everything. I was aware of the physical impact that stress and worry have on our bodies and our mental health, but I couldn’t break the cycle. I declined invitations and stuck with what I knew. Then we had a child who knew no fear. The person I needed to protect and nurture was vulnerable. There was danger in everything. It got worse. He grew older and more independent. He became a...

Keep Reading

Your Kids Don’t Need More Things, They Need More You

In: Faith, Kids, Motherhood

Mother and young girl smiling together at home

He reached for my hand and then looked up. His sweet smile and lingering gaze flooded my weary heart with much-needed peace. “Thank you for taking me to the library, Mommy! It’s like we’re on a date! I like it when it’s just the two of us.” We entered the library, hand in hand, and headed toward the LEGO table. As I began gathering books nearby, I was surprised to feel my son’s arms around me. He gave me a quick squeeze and a kiss with an “I love you, Mommy” before returning to his LEGO—three separate times. My typically...

Keep Reading

Mom, Will You Pray With Me?

In: Faith, Motherhood

“Will you pray with me?” This is a question I hear daily from my 9-year-old. Her worried heart at times grips her, making it difficult for her to fall asleep or nervous to try something new. Her first instinct is to pray with Mom. Perhaps this is because of how many times her Dad and I have told her that God is with her, that she is never alone, and that she can always come to Him in prayer and He will answer. Perhaps it is because she has seen her Dad and I lean on the Lord in times...

Keep Reading

My Aunt Is the Woman I Want to Become

In: Faith, Living

It’s something she may not hear enough, but my aunt is truly amazing. Anyone who knows her recognizes her as one-of-a-kind in the best way possible. It’s not just her playful jokes that bring a smile to my face, her soul is genuinely the sweetest I know. I hope she knows that I see her, appreciate her, and acknowledge all the effort she puts in every day, wholeheartedly giving of herself to everyone around her. When I look back on my childhood, I see my aunt as a really important part of it. We have shared so much time together,...

Keep Reading

A Big Family Can Mean Big Feelings

In: Faith, Kids, Motherhood

Family with many kids holding hands on beach

I’m a mother of six. Some are biological, and some are adopted. I homeschool most of them. I’m a “trauma momma” with my own mental health struggles. My husband and I together are raising children who have their own mental illnesses and special needs. Not all of them, but many of them. I battle thoughts of anxiety and OCD daily. I exercise, eat decently, take meds and supplements, yet I still have to go to battle. The new year has started slow and steady. Our younger kids who are going to public school are doing great in their classes and...

Keep Reading

I'm Doing My Best Right Now—And Believe Me, That's Enough

Motherhood

I'm Doing My Best Right Now—And Believe Me, That's Enough

The Struggle You Don't See in a Special Needs Family

Kids

May His Strong Will Cultivate an Even Stronger Faith

I don’t know how to reach his heart right now.

You have great plans for his life and put me in his life for a reason.

Make my strong-willed child a man of faith, I pray, Lord.

If you liked this, you'll love our book, SO GOD MADE A MOTHER available now!

Check out our new Keepsake Companion Journal that pairs with our So God Made a Mother book!

Her View Shop

Jesus Meets Me in the Pew

The Day My Mother Died I Thought My Faith Did Too

Can I Still Trust Jesus after Losing My Child?

5 Kids in the Bible Who Will Inspire Yours

Mad Martha, Mary, Mom, and Me

I Can’t Pray away My Anxiety But I Can Trust God to Hold Me through It

Your Kids Don’t Need More Things, They Need More You

Mom, Will You Pray With Me?

My Aunt Is the Woman I Want to Become

A Big Family Can Mean Big Feelings

Previous Post

Next Post

You May Also Like