How to Thank God for Your Kids’ Misbehavior

When kids misbehave, often our default is to pray for patience or even for the misbehavior to go away.

But have you ever thought about thanking God for your kids’ misbehavior?

Check out the powerful way this mom of three looked for the gifts behind her kids’ misbehavior, and then thanked God for it!

Bella likes to be in charge. Mikayla is a tantrum thrower if she doesn’t get her way or if things are not fair. Jonah is a WILD MAN!

After working to find the gifts behind their misbehavior, I really wanted to find a way to thank God for their gifts and to help them understand how these gifts are part of how God made them to bless the world. So now, we pray these prayers together:

Prayers:
Thank you, God, for Bella. For her thoughtfulness and desire to keep order and follow rules. You made her wonderfully and exactly how you want her. Thank you that she is a great biggest sister and that she sets an example for her brother and sister. We ask that she would use these things to glorify you and point the world to Jesus. That her rule following would lead her to honor you. That it would play out as obedience in following what you are preparing her for.

We thank you for Mikayla, our middle. How fun to be a big AND a little sister. Thank you for her passion. That she loves with all of her heart and that she doesn’t tolerate injustice. We pray that you would use the passion you placed in Mikayla to hate injustice all over our world. That her desire to see things be fair would glorify you.

You have created Jonah just as you desire him to be. Thank you for his endless energy and wonderful sense of humor. That he laughs all the time and helps us to keep life lighthearted. Use Jonah’s busy body to work hard and tirelessly for your Kingdom. May his laughter be one of your joy, so that he may share your love with others.

We know that you are always working on us, in us and through us and we want to offer our gifts back to you. Please use them for your glory, that others will see you in us. May your Holy Spirit prompt us when it is glorifying to you to be passionate, energetic and fair. Teach us, Lord. Grow us.

Apply It Now:

• What are some of your child(ren)’s most persistent misbehaviors?
• What are some gifts behind those misbehaviors? (If you’re having trouble, check out our list of ideas to get you started.)
• Share what you see about these gifts with your child(ren) and pray together to thank God for creating them just the way they are!

Frustrated by constant discipline challenges? Take 15 minutes to read our free ebook 4 Messages All Children Long to Hear: A Discipline That Connects Overview.