Praying for Your Sons

Are your boys rambunctious? Messy? Loud? Are they always falling off of their bikes? Wrestling with the neighbor kids? Forgetting the same instruction you’ve reminded them of a hundred … no, a thousand times?

Boys will be boys, but author Brooke McGlothlin says that her boys were so wild she was embarrassed. They were strong-willed from birth and their behavior grew wilder the older they became. Some days, her household felt like one big wrestling match.

And she felt like a failure. An educated woman, Brooke believed she was equipped to do anything God brought her way. Yet, her own children were pushing her to her limit. She remembers praying, “God, something needs to be different, but I don’t have the power to change myself or my kids’ hearts.”

As she prayed, the Lord brought a promise to her mind: Ezekiel 36:26 which says, “I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”

Nothing changed overnight, but God did start to move in the hearts of her boys. However, the biggest heart change of all came for Brooke herself. She realized that her pride had gotten in her way as a mother. She had been too concerned about how her children reflected on her. As a result, she had tried to force her boys to change. God helped Brooke discover how to influence her children to effect change.

Brooke encourages parents: “You can raise men of integrity, character and respect—and it all begins on your knees in prayer.”

How do you pray for your boys? How is God empowering you to grow as a mother or as a father? The Lord has given you tremendous influence in your children’s lives. Brooke McGlothlin is our guest on our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Praying for Your Sons” to explain the crucial role prayer has in raising sons to be men of godly character. She also offers practical help for how to do it. Listen on your local radio station, online, on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or on our free phone app.

Brooke and her husband live in Virginia with two energetic boys. She’s the co-founder of the MOB Society, which stands for Mothers of Boys. She’s written a book called Praying for Boys: Asking God for the Things They Need Most. I’d like to offer you a copy of it for a gift of any amount. When you help Focus on the Family today, your donation will be doubled for twice the impact in helping others through this ministry. Our thanks to generous donors who’ve made that possible. Visit our website for more information.

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