Prayers for Parents

Day 11: Discipline = Love

“For the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.”
—Proverbs 3:12

When we disobey God, there are consequences. These consequences, no matter how painful, are part of God’s grace-based discipline for the children He loves. His discipline helps us to grow and mature; it also corrects our behavior and restores our joy. If God didn’t discipline us, it would communicate that He doesn’t care about us. Can you imagine what life would be like without His discipline?

Just as God disciplines His children because He loves us and wants the best for us, we should discipline our children with the same purpose. We want them to be safe, to learn from their mistakes, to grow, mature, and make right choices—to live a life that honors God. To fail to discipline is to fall short in love.

But it’s not only the “why” of discipline that’s important, but also the “how.” Follow God’s lead, and let your discipline bring a measured amount of pain, delivered with love and grace for the purpose of correction, rather than with anger or retaliation. Then you can say to your child with confidence and truth, “I discipline you because I love you.”

Prayers for parents
  • Thank God for loving you enough to discipline you and lead you back to Him when you have disobeyed Him.
  • Pray for the wisdom and courage to follow God’s example to discipline your children out of love when they have disobeyed you.
  • Ask God to help you discipline your child in a way that is effective for correction, but that is seasoned with love and grace.
  • Pray that even in times when your child’s disobedience brings you to the point of anger, you will handle anger honorably, administering discipline in love and giving the blessing of forgiveness.