Being a single mom can be incredibly challenging. Parenting is demanding in any household, but when you’re a single parent carrying that weight on your own can feel especially heavy at times.
There may be moments when staying connected to everything happening in your child’s world feels exhausting and knowing how to respond to their needs can easily become overwhelming.
But as Christians, we weren’t meant to do it alone.
Rather than trying to do everything in your own strength, you can invite God into your parenting journey. Ask Him for wisdom, guidance, and support each day.
Here’s how you can partner with God as a single parent to raise a child who loves, honors and respects Him.
This article is #5 of a 10-part series published each month and designed to give single moms actionable tips to help you navigate single parenthood with more patience, gentleness and grace. If you missed the first article, you can read it here.
How to Partner with God
As Christian parents eager to raise kind, God-honoring children, our Father in heaven is best equipped to help us navigate the complexities that come with raising children.
In chapter 5 of the book, The 10 Best Decisions a Single Mom Can Make, the authors Pam Farrel and PeggySue Wells outline some of the different ways single parents can intentionally choose to partner with God.
This might sound challenging at first, but in reality, it’s quite simple. When we partner with God as a single parent, we align ourselves with His Word. Then, we make decisions for our family that drive our children toward becoming the godly men and women He created them to be.
We can do this by committing to a few biblical actions that will help our children mature and grow in the way of the Lord. These include:
- Committing to praying over your child. Our Savior hears a mother’s earnest prayers. Pray daily for your child’s protection, growth, and safety.
- Giving your child responsibilities. Children thrive when they feel part of a community. Give your son or daughter age-appropriate chores so they can be productive members of your household.
- Teaching your child important life skills. As parents, our job is to equip our child for life in adulthood. We can best do this by teaching them critical life skills, like knowing how to manage their own finances, staying on top of their grades, and advocating for themselves.
- Creating family contracts. In our Christian life, we have specific rules God has ordained for us to follow. They’re outlined in the Bible. Teach your child about the importance of adhering to rules by establishing family contracts around things like screen time, education, and church attendance.
When you start to commit to doing these things for your family, you move closer to being in alignment with God’s will for your household.
KEY TAKEAWAY
Being a partner with God as a single parent means committing to teaching your child the ways of the Lord from a young age.
ACTIVITY
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APPLICATION QUESTIONS
- How can you partner with God? Choose one strategy above and commit to implementing it in your household this week.
- How can you pray more intentionally for your children? Ask God to guide you through this important parenting step.
KEY VERSE
“Seek the Kingdom of God] above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” ~Matthew 6:33 (NLT)
PRAYER
Dear Lord, please show me more ways I can partner with you as a parent. I want my family to be in alignment with Your will. In Jesus’ name, amen.
