Valentine's Parent's Prayer Day 10: 10 Days of Valentine's

Today's verse and prayer for my children will take on even greater meaning, I expect, after today. We got to experience the Compassion International Experience that came to our town; to listen to the stories of children around the world in desperate need of teaching, food, necessities and hope through sponsorship. We took this very seriously, knowing this would be a long-term commitment and something we wanted our boys to take an active role in. I want to add the name and face of this little boy in South America to the prayers every day for my own two sons. My oldest asked if he could consider our sponsored boy like a brother. I hope this will help him grow in interest and compassion for the millions of faces that God would shine His great love upon.  

If you would like to learn more about this sponsorship check out:

http://www.compassion.com/

Parent's Prayer Day 10:

1 John 4: 9-10 - Father, Thank You that Your love is not kept reserved and far from us. What an extension of Yourself to send Your Son down to walk the dirt among us! Thank You for the new life that we may live through You. I pray for that life for my sons (here and around the world); a life of freedom, purpose, and hope, living in You. In Jesus' name, Amen.    

You can download and print the 10 Hearts 

to give to your loved ones each day here.    

“So we have come to know and believe the love that God has for us.”

-1 John 4:16

Valentine's Parent's Prayer Day 9: 10 Days of Valentine's

Welcome to Day 9!

Parent's Prayer Day 9:

1 John 4:11-12 - Lord, Please help me to understand just a little bit how much You love us and the world around us. How would understanding that love change how I could interact with those You have placed in my week? Give me opportunities to speak to open hearts and share what I know to be true of You, even if I can't see You. Thank You that You abide in us and perfect our flawed ideas of love. Help me to see the fruit of your abiding love in my children and bless them. In Jesus' name, Amen.    

You can download and print the 10 Hearts 

to give to your loved ones each day here.    

“So we have come to know and believe the love that God has for us.”

-1 John 4:16

Valentine's Parent's Prayer Day 8: 10 Days of Valentine's

Today's verse is an encouragement naturally. Imagine it spoken to you by our brother in Christ, John, linking himself to "us" as the Church. 1 John 4:7 - "Beloved (you), Let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God, and knows God."

Parent's Prayer Day 8:

1 John 4:7 - Lord, Show us today the overlooked ways that we do not love others fully. The times that we ignore, or pass by, or give no attention. The moments that we have not let Your love invade. The times that are too busy to show Your love inside of us. Forgive us for cutting short what Your love would do. By Your power, help us to change habits this weeks in small ways. Help us become aware of any bias or busyness or selfishness. Help my children and me to display that we have been born again of You with our generous and patient love. In Jesus' name, Amen.   

You can download and print the 10 Hearts 

to give to your loved ones each day here.    

“So we have come to know and believe the love that God has for us.”

-1 John 4:16

Valentine's Parent's Prayer Day 7: 10 Days of Valentine's

Today I am very thankful for a husband that follows up on and supports my ideas. He knows the boys well and prays for them. And uses words like Warts in his Valentine.



And last night in return they gave us Valentine's from church. I feel like we must be doing something right as parents to receive such understood kidding and love.





My youngest son was excited to give me this coloring sheet because the hearts are scalloped like my Verse Hearts here, and he made it "my color", which is notoriously turquoise.














And this was given to Dad by our oldest son. Admittedly, we change the words on most cards we buy to better fit our sentiment. (This was not found disrespectful.)   


"You're weird."



The word Swell was too easy of a set up.

























(Wow for recycling to the leaders that held onto these cards since the 90's and offered them to the kids to use!)

I love this verse because it is the John 3:16 of 1 John. It proclaims the love and sacrifice of Jesus for us but goes a step further to say we may be called to lay our lives down for our brothers.  

Parent's Prayer Day 7:

1 John 3:16 - Thank You, Father, that You taught us just what love is. My heart Knows love because it knows You. In a world of confusing messages about what pure love is, You defined it long ago by laying down Your life for us. Give us an understanding of this and love so intense for each other that we would be willing to lay our life down for another. May You be glorified in our life and our death. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Do your kids show their thoughtfulness in odd ways? Share it with us.



You can download and print the 10 Hearts 

to give to your loved ones each day here.    

“So we have come to know and believe the love that God has for us.”

-1 John 4:16

Valentine's Parent's Prayer Day 6: 10 Days of Valentine's

I guess I will have to wait until actual Valentine's Day to receive all they constructed yesterday, but by the paper evidence left on the floor of the "craft" room my VDay should be well decorated! Today's prayer is full of praise!
I would encourage you to read all of 1 John on this topic and share your thoughts.


Parent's Prayer Day 6:

1 John 3:1-3 - Father, Open our hearts to see more clearly what kind of love You give to us. You gather us from any circumstance and call us Your children! And if we believe in You we are adopted and receive all the rights of a son or daughter. I pray for my children to also accept this perfect love. This relationship will confuse some we know, but help us to share it and explain it compassionately. Holy Spirit, call more into Your family through our story of adoption. Thank You for Your perfect love that purifies us for a new future. Thank You that You offer this to all. In Jesus' name, Amen.


Have your children given any response to this project?
Share it with us below!  

You can download and print the 10 Hearts 

to give to your loved ones each day here.    

“So we have come to know and believe the love that God has for us.”

-1 John 4:16

Valentine's Parent's Prayer Day 5: 10 Days of Valentine's

I think my boys must be enjoying this idea because they have been locked in the guest room for almost an hour now and told me to, "Keep out! Valentine's purposes!" shrieking every time I pass the door. Even though we should probably be doing Math lessons I'm letting it wait for now because I love when they are working on the same team. They went from one moment -cunning, big brother trying to sneak a dollar out of my 6yo for getting a question (whatever that question was!?) wrong, to dashing into the room where the construction paper and markers were kept, all in whispers. When these good moments come I try to ride it out. They don't always get along but we stress in our house how Jesus uses "brother" as the greatest example of what love should look like and loving others has got to start in this relationship first. We practice on each other, who we know loves us, to learn how to love those who don't love us yet. Glad their love for me brought them together today, at least for this one hour. 

Parent's Prayer Day 5:

1 John 2:4-6 - Father, Let us be blessed to see true fruit from our children's belief in You. We humble ourselves to be changed by Your Word and example so it is evident we "know You." Help me to lead them in learning and keeping Your Word. I know Your love is truly perfected in the heart that keeps it. Lord, today I want to walk in the way You walked and lead my children in Your footsteps. Let Your love be alive in our household today. In Jesus' name, Amen.

You can download and print the 10 Hearts to give to your loved ones each day here.    

“So we have come to know and believe the love that God has for us.”

-1 John 4:16

Valentine's Parent's Prayer Day 4: 10 Days of Valentine's

     

Welcome to Day 4! You can download and print the 10 Hearts to give to your loved ones each day here.                

 

Parent's Prayer Day 4:

1 John 5:1 - Good Father, Open they eyes of my children to the evidences of You all around us that they may believe. My hearts' cry is that they would be born again of You and love You. It is a parent's greatest peace. If my children already believe, help me notice the love they have for others and help me display it too. I know the world will recognize we are Yours by our love. In Jesus' name, Amen.

“So we have come to know and
believe the love that God has for us.”

-1 John 4:16

Valentine's Parent's Prayer Day 3: 10 Days of Valentine's

The original link to download the 10 Heart Verse Valentine's are in the post on the right. Hope you are having a restful weekend. Be sure to post a picture to show your Hearts on display!


Parent's Prayer Day 3:

1 John 4:20-21 - Dear Lord, Thank You for Your great, true love toward us! Please help me and my children speak truth with our love today. Help us in those moments when we are tempted to treat those we love without love. Guide me to be a greater example in loving who I can see, training them for perhaps a greater challenge- loving One they cannot see. Love our family, friends, and schoolmates through us this week and help us grow in love toward the ones with whom our love has grown cold. In Jesus' name, Amen.  
 

“So we have come to know and believe the love that God has for us.”

-1 John 4:16

Valentine's Parent's Prayer Day 2: 10 Days of Valentine's

Welcome friends! If you are just starting today, it's a great day to start!

You can download and print the 10 Hearts to give to your loved one each day here.

I changed my mind about sticking the Hearts to their door and am going to hang a string across their doorway and clip one up each day so they can see my note written on the back. Hopefully it will be a good reminder as they walk through, but will likely become a Nerf target line!

I hope these written out prayers will benefit your thoughts toward your children this week. I used to be hesitant about prayers written down by someone else, not wanting to recite something that I was not learning or feeling myself. But "crafting" prayers have become an important part of my dwelling on a passage and thinking through its meaning. It sticks with me much better this way. Feel free to write and post your own! 

Parent's Prayer Day 2:

1 John 4:18-19 - Our Father, Thank You that Your love is so unconditional, patient, and forgiving that we can come to You without fear. When my children are afraid, help them to settle into this great love and give You their fears instead of carrying them and striving alone. Perfect our hearts each day as we grow to be more loving and more like You by dwelling on Your example and resting in Your love too. Thank you for loving my child even before they were born. Be near them and remind them of Your love while we are apart today in a meaningful way to them because You know them. In Jesus' name, Amen.

“So we have come to know and believe the love that God has for us.”

-1 John 4:16

10 Days of Scriptural Valentine's Day Notes! Day 1

A Free Printable gift from God’s Word for your children.

Intended for February 5 - 14

“So we have come to know and believe the love that God has for us.”

-1 John 4:16

Recently this verse struck a deep chord within me. A strong desire for my children not only to hear often about God’s love but to come to know and believe in it. That phrase has become part of my nightly prayer and blessing for them. How often we as adults struggle with trusting this idea and I deeply want to plant this in my children’s hearts and minds if possible.

One step toward this this year is to leave them a “love note” from a book rich with words about God’s love for us and how then we should love others- 1 John.

You can download and print the 10 Hearts to give to your loved ones each day here. You can write your own personal note on the back and decorate or attach candy (who wouldn’t love that!). I’m going to stick mine on their door each morning. The verses may also lead to a good dinner discussion on how we love others or deal with those who were unloving today. These moments will help to equip them for the tough challenges they face in their own little world. We want to train them to respond in sacrificial love out of an awareness that God loves them.  

I will also be posting Parent’s Prayers to match the verse and Valentine for each day. This is a good way to pray over your child or for your relationship with them. I love to pray over them while they are sleeping; when they are cute and still and all the troubles of the day are forgotten. Day 1 Parent's Prayer is given below. 

Don’t worry about what day you are starting- even the 10 days after Valentine’s Day would be a special surprise.


So, Mom's and Dad's,

*What ideas have you used to explain God's love to your kids?

*If you use these hearts, please share how!

Parent's Prayer Day 1:

1 John 4:16 – Lord, More than anything I want my children to come to know and believe the love

that You have for them. Help me today through my patience and kindness to display that love

You have for them. I want to dwell with You and in Your love and bless my children today by this

example. In Jesus' strength, Amen.