Praying for Boys with Brooke McGlothlin
Today my friend Brooke McGlothlin releases her new book Praying for Boys. Brooke is Co-founder of Raising Boys Media, where moms and dads come to discover delight in the chaos of raising boys. You can find her writing about fighting for the hearts of her sons at the MOB Society blog, or living a life in pursuit of Jesus at her personal blog www.brookemcglothlin.com. A normal day finds Brooke homeschooling her two boys, wrangling two large Labs, Toby and Siri, writing to bring hope to the messes of life (in the midst of her own messy life), and falling more and more in love with the man she’s had a crush on since the third grade (who just happens to be her husband).
Below is a short Q & A with Brooke about her fabulous book. I got a sneak peek at the manuscript and even the honor of endorsing the book! Here is what I had to say, “While our sons grow tall, wearing out the knees on their jeans from tumble and play, we mothers too find our fabric worn thin from kneeling in prayer for our soon-to-be men. Brooke’s practical book, full of vulnerable sharing and deeply rooted in God’s word, will become a useful tool as you seek to make prayer a priority and model for your boys just how to run hard after Jesus.”
Be sure to leave a comment on today’s post telling us about any boys you pray for. They can be sons, nephews or the rambunctious boys you teach in a class at school. One person will be chosen at random to receive a copy of Praying for Boys.
Brooke, what do you feel is the greatest obstacle moms must overcome in order to be women who make prayer for their boys a priority?
We give priority to the things we find most in important in life. For example, I’m pretty partial to eating. I get sick and grumpy very fast if I don’t eat when I’m hungry, so because of that, I tend to place a high priority on meal time. I make time for it. Some of my friends are dedicated to exercising, so they find time for it and let others things on their to-do list slide to a lesser priority status. So it is with prayer. When we know how powerful a praying life can be—not just because it allows us to join with God in shaping the hearts of our sons, but also because it keeps us connected to His heart, shaping us into the kind of parents HE wants us to be—we make time for it. So really, the greatest obstacle to overcome is how important, or unimportant, we believe prayer really is.
What has been the biggest answer to your own “mama prayers”?
I actually touched on this in Praying for Boys, although I didn’t refer to it as my big answer to prayer. We went through a very hard season with our boys during the first part of 2012. We homeschool, and my youngest son, then in Kindergarten, grew bored with his curriculum within about a month. What should have been a sweet, playful first year of school for him quickly turned into a nightmare. He would tantrum every single time I mentioned that it was time to start school. Every day was a battle, and in early November, after another horrible day, I sat down in my family room chair and told God I was giving up. I’m not sure I prayed anything more specific than, “God, what do I do? Will he EVER learn to obey? Will he EVER stop tantruming all the time?”
As I sat there, weeping and telling God, “I quit!” He dropped the memory of a Bible story into my heart. I opened my Bible, re-read the story, and God met me in a powerful way. I essentially felt like He was telling me that my boys needed someone to fight for them, and that He had chosen that person to be me. I heard Him whispering to my heart, “don’t give up on him. He needs you not to give up.” It wasn’t like God gave me a specific answer to a specific prayer. Nothing really changed about our situation. But my heart had changed. I was encouraged to keep going, and felt less like a failure and more like a fighter. That 30 minute prayer session has done more to energize me as a mom and child of God than anything else that’s happened to me since.
Praying for boys not only changes them, it changes moms too. How has it changed you?
Do you remember from grade school math that any time you change one part of an equation, it changes the answer? So for example, if you’re adding 2 + 3 and get 5, and then read the word problem again and realize you should’ve been adding 3 + 3, you can’t expect the answer to still be 5. Something changed. And when even just one thing changes, it affects everything else…changes everything else, even if just a little. Praying keeps me in the right place with God. Keeping my mind focused on the fact that He is God and I am not helps me put all of life in perspective, and it changes the way I live my days. Ultimately, spending time talking to God brings me closer to Him, and helps me know Him better. There’s no better way to be a better mom than to get to know God better, and listen to Him as He directs our paths. As we change, our families will change too.
Thanks Brooke for visiting with us today!
Now, to be entered in the giveaway, tell us about the boys you pray for.
Even though a new year has begun, the prayers for the boys in my life remain the same. I always pray for my eldest 25 year old son, who grew up never really having a relationship with his Father. God, keep him strong and guide me to guide him in becoming a man. My prayers for my youngest son who is 14, are to help me get through the difficult high school years and keep him happy and healthy. In addition, I pray for my triplet 10 year old nephews, who need a lot of direction and love. Thank you to everyone for your posts. Have a blessed 2014.
I pray for my 3 Grands, Hudson, Micah, and Camden….my 3 Great nephews, James, Sam, and Will…my Kdg. Sunday School boys…and my Bible Club boys….lots of boys in my life and I need God’s help!!
I pray earnestly for my two boys, ages 16 and 23. My 16 year old son loves the Lord and I pray he will continue to have a tender and open heart. My 23 year old son has lost his faith and doesn’t know what he believes and my heart is breaking. Daily I cry out to God to draw my son to Himself and let him know God is real and that He loves him. It is true…we have to fight for our sons…I am realizing this is what I am called to do! As believers in Christ we are all missionaries and our mission as moms starts right in our homes!
A 10 year old son and a slew of nephews. I like the comment about feeling like giving up but for me it was about my daughters at times. Your comment rejuvenated me. Can’t wait for the book!
I pray for my son. He’s only 20 months old, but he doesn’t listen and he’s a little daredevil, so he is constantly standing and jumping on things, then falling off and getting hurt. He has a black eye, from falling into a table, and a bruised cheek and 2 split lips from running, tripping, and landing on the tile floor. I feel like an awful mom, but there is nothing we can do except wrap him in bubble wrap (which is not too far off at this point). I pray for sanity as well as for God to wrap my son in bubble wrap and protect him. I will have a full head of gray before he turns 3. :-)
We have six sons, ages 7-17. The oldest graduates from our homeschool this year, following his four sisters. The ride with boys is certainly different. I pray for wisdom, the eagerness to work, humility, but mostly to know they are loved of GOd and to love Him with all their being. I pray that they will hear His voice and follow no matter what.
I pray for my son Nathan everyday. He is only 2 but I still pray that one day he will be used of God. Would love to have this book.
I pray for my two sons Jonah (14) and Christian (12) that they will choose to serve God and love their Savior. I pray that they are able to withstand the temptations of this world and be Godly men. I further pray for their future wives that they will cherish their purity and be Goldy wives and perhaps mothers.
Ian a mom of 3 boys ages 10, 21 and 25. My oldest is married and I continue to pray that heis the man god wants him to be now that he has his own family to lead. My 21 year old finished college and is working as a prison guard so I always pray for his personal safety and hope that he will use his faith to help someone there. My 10 year old is very sensitive and very competitive hockey player, he struggles to fit in with his peers and as a mother it is heartbreaking to see. I look forward to this book coming out!
I’m constantly in prayer for my boys. They are 11 and almost 7. I pray that will guard their hearts and draw them to Himself. They love each other very much but couldn’t more different. They are such a blessing!
I pray for my 6 month old son. As a new Mom, I can become quickly frustrated because I just don’t know how to help him especially when it comes to new things like starting solids.
watching out for people smaller than you, shows you where you can improve/ pray for yourself’/ decide to look to a more positive future than you insta-do..
Hopefully you find some people who can either help you if you need a hand, or you know, talk about these things and info share.
Enough said.
Love,
I pray for my three stepsons ages 10, 12 and 13. They are with their mom during the week and us on the weekends. We take them to church every Sunday but they don’t have that same influence on a daily basis. I pray that the Lord protects them, guards their hearts and opens their mind to His word.
I pray for my son!
I pray for my 3 boys, ages 8, 11 and 25. Our 25 year old went away to college in NC and is now back home working in a restaurant. At 25 I was done having all 5 kids and living on my own, I pray that he will find purpose in his life and that I will stop comparing the two of us.
Blessings To Brooke!
My dear son is 18 and a freshman in college..this sweet boy {6’4″} is a rough and tumble hockey playing man’s man and a tenderhearted lover of God and his Momma { :) } who blesses our family in oh so many ways…the Lord bless you today and always, my dear Joshua!
I pray for my two sons, ages 4 and 1. When I learned I was having a boy with my first pregnancy I was so scared! What would I do with a boy?! Now I see how blessed I am. What an honor that God chose our family for these two wonderful guys!
I pray for my 12-year old son who is struggling to fit in. He goes to a private school and the small group at church is filled with kids he doesn’t know, so after trying it once, he chooses to go to “big church” with us. He has one close friend from school and another boy whose parents both give them more freedom than we allow our son, so he feels “left out” of conversations at school. He is sensitive and competitive which is a hard combo to balance for a prepubescent boy! I also pray for my husband to be strong in his convictions to help guide our son down the right path..
I grew up in a house of girls but now have a 7 year old son… So looking forward to this book and learning how to raise a Godly young man! There are definitely days where I struggle to understand him and his needs and love that this will show me the how to pray for him!
I pray for my two sons, Michael who is 18 and a freshman in college and Matthew who is 17 and a senior in high school. I pray that God keeps them safe in all circumstances and that He reaches deep into to their hearts so that they can have a strong relationship with Him. I also pray for my husband, Anthony.
I pray for my fifteen year old son and his friends and teammates. I pray for their generation as they have so much to deal with that we never experienced as well as the crazy teenage things we went through.
I have 3 boys ages 13, 11 & 8. A few years ago it seemed that we couldn’t go anywhere without someone stopping me and saying, “Wow, THREE boys?! Where’s the girl?” At first it was flat out annoying, but then I realized that I am THE girl who gets the privilege of raising these 3 future men! And not a day goes by that I don’t thank God for blessing us with them. I pray for their purity spiritually, mentally and physically, and that they won’t be afraid to be Daniels in this Babylon world. And while there are days that I’d love to sit and watch Downton Abbey but they have the remote and are watching football, I just grab my tea and scones and watch with them. Because they’re my boys. :)
I pray for my 3 sons, Billy 7, Bo 5 and Bauer 3. I pray that God will keep allowing me to lead them with the direction they need and to keep the importance of their faith in them. I also pray for my biggest boy, my husband:)
I pray for my 9 year old boy who is more on sensetive side. I pray for good friends for him.
Pray for my 9 year old son
I pray for my 12 yr old son, my 5 nephews and the boys we help teach at church. Love all those boys!!!