Raising a Daughter Who Loves Jesus.

As most of you know, I am a mother to four beautiful children—three teenagers and one toddler. My teenagers are 19, 18, and soon to be 17. The two oldest are boys and the next is my girl. Raising my two boys was definitely a lot different than it is with my girl team. Not in a bad way, but in a way that feels special.

As a Christian mother, one of my biggest prayers is that my children love the Lord and have a desire to learn more about Him. With my daughter, I see her fire for Jesus, and it warms my heart so much. But at the same time, my heart hurts for her too. I am her mother, and I know the enemy is busy attacking her from time to time.

My friend Christina, myself, and Kati started a Friday night group with Ameena and a few of her friends. We named it “The Titus Group,” after the verses in Titus 2 that tell older believers to be examples for the next generation, and the next generation to learn from those who are walking in faith before them.

We are trying to teach these girls how to lead, how to study the Word, how to grow closer to God, and how to pray. All of these things advance the Kingdom—and that is something the enemy does not like.

I told my daughter at a young age to be the light in others’ lives and to live the life that Jesus has placed inside of her. She has held on tightly to that calling, and Satan can see that.

There have been a few weeks after group where I could see she was just bearing the weight of the world. Thankfully, I am blessed to have a child who feels comfortable coming to me and sharing what is going on. As a mom who has a close relationship with the Lord, I could tell that what she was experiencing was spiritual warfare.

Nothing hurts more than seeing your child in pain and knowing you cannot physically take that pain away from them. In those moments, I have to remember that I need to lean on Christ too. I ask Him to give me the strength and wisdom to guide my daughter, and to remind her that she must rely on the Lord for the strength that she needs.

I am so blessed to have a relationship with the Lord. I am so blessed to have a relationship with my daughter. And I am so blessed that my daughter has a relationship with the Lord.

I have taught her that we are not meant to carry the weight of this world alone. When times are heavy, we go to the cross. We give it to Jesus. We talk to Him about the burdens that are not ours to bear, and we trust that He can take them—and He will.

Being a child of God and bringing others into the Kingdom will not always be easy. Days will be hard and nights will be tough. But God is our strength.

Seeing my daughter on fire for Christ and growing so close to Him at such a young age is one of the greatest blessings of my life. My prayer is that through every adversity she faces, she remembers that Christ is always right there—with open arms—ready to hold her, ready to listen, and ready to give her whatever it is she needs.

And I pray this not only for my daughter, but for this entire next generation.

I also pray this for anyone who may not yet know the Lord—that they would come to know His love, His strength, and His grace.

God’s Love and Mine,

Carrie