Your Monday Moment

YMM is a weekly prayer series for parents who need a moment. Sign up at gracebased.com/ymm to get these prayers in your inbox every Monday.

Praying Through Sibling Conflict Without Taking Sides 

Good Father, 

Thank you for my children. 

Thank you that they get to grow up together, 

close in age, sharing the same story, 

the same home, and the same family. 

There is so much potential here for friendship.

But right now, there is conflict.

They provoke each other. In the sighs, 

stiff hugs, and slammed doors, we all feel it. 

They struggle to see each other’s perspective. 

Their weaknesses collide, 

and even their strengths cut against one another. 

What could bring balance now creates pressure. 

What could build them up produces friction, sparks, and strain.

So I ask you to redeem that friction.

Like iron sharpening iron, form them through these tensions. 

Where there is pressure, bring refinement. 

Where there are sparks, bring warmth instead of harm.

Their minds are still forming, and this season is tender. 

Guard their hearts and steady their thoughts. 

Teach them to practice love here... 

Real 1 Corinthians 13* love:

Make them patient and kind with each other. 

Shut down comparison, pride, harsh words, eye rolls, 

and contempt before they take root. 

Teach them not to insist on their own way. 

Help them really listen and try to understand. 

When things break, lead them back to repair. 

Give them the courage to say what they need clearly. 

Keep them from being easily angered. Slow them down. 

Don’t let them hold onto hurts or replay them. 

Turn them toward what is good and true. 

Teach them to keep showing up for each other, 

to trust, to hope, and not give up.

Build in them a love that stays and endures. 

And Lord, work in me too.

Give me hope beyond my own experience of sibling rivalry. 

Help me see a future where they are friends in adulthood, 

shaped into better spouses, partners, and friends 

because of the love they learned in our home.

I can feel myself leaning toward one child over the other. 

My personality pulls me toward the one who responds more like I do, 

making it easy to agree with one and overlook the other. 

I yield that tendency to you. Teach me to see clearly and listen without bias. 

Help me hold space for both of them with steadiness and compassion.

Give me wisdom to guide them toward repair 

with justice, mercy, and love, without favoritism. 

Grow me alongside them, so that in this home, 

conflict becomes a place where love is practiced again and again.

Amen.

*1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Author: Cheree Hayes 

produced by: Dan Gummel 

Find us and more free resources at: 
www.gracebased.com

YMM is a weekly prayer series for parents who need a moment. Sign up at gracebased.com/ymm to get these prayers in your inbox every Monday.

A Mid-Summer Prayer for Tired Parents 

Heavenly Father,

At this point in the summer,

I admit, Lord, my patience is thin. 

I want to enjoy these routine-free days, 

but I often come to resent them. 

There are more dishes in the sink 

than I have podcasts to listen to.

More boredom and bickering,

messes and meltdowns,

and resorting to screentime 

than I would like to admit. 

Would you breathe your peace 

into our long days, Lord? 

When the chore chart goes out the window,

and the 2nd-grade summer worksheets go unused,

help me reach for grace instead of perfection,

for relationships over best-laid plans. 

Help me focus on what matters, Lord,

seeing our unstructured time as 

opportunities for connection and growth 

rather than space for me to control. 

Help me truly see my children, listening well

to their questions and ponderings,

and in their curiosity, may I see you, Father, 

shaping their tender hearts.

Help me meet my children where they are at,

rather than the other way around. 

Keep my fatigue and adult cares 

from getting in the way of their joy. 

I ask Lord, for the strength to 

guide them well through this 

never-again-summer they are 

tumbling through. 

Thank you for each of these days,

for each of these children. 

We depend on you, God, 

for all that we need. 

Amen.

Produced by: Dan Gummel
Written By: Alli Dalghren

Find us and more free resources at: 
www.gracebased.com

YMM is a weekly prayer series for parents who need a moment. Sign up at gracebased.com/ymm to get these prayers in your inbox every Monday.
---------

A Prayer For A Family Road Trip 

Lord of every language and landscape,

pilot of this vast and wonderful planet,

be our provision today as we set off on an adventure.

Leaving home for any length of time 

is an opportunity to shake up our routines 

and release the excess worries that stick to us like webs,

so that in our letting go,

we might become more free.

(you are invited to read this next section with palms turned upward)

May we begin this day with open hands, 

holding our plans loosely, 

since we know that some of life's best adventures 

unfold unexpectedly,

with memorable moments 

appearing all along the way 

to and from our destinations.

May we be quick to apologize and quick to forgive,

so that any rift or tension we encounter 

while traveling might become a shortcut 

to humility, curiosity, and growth.

Remind us with fresh eyes Lord: 

you are God of the rivers our roads swerve next to,

God of the stars sparkling between city lights,

you are seen in every strangers face,

heard in our laughter, our stories, our songs.

From dewy morning fog to dark shivering night, 

busy urban streets to dusty country roads, 

you are with us and surround us wherever we go.

May we sense your presence as we adventure,

and return from our travels softer and stronger,

with hearts full of gratitude

for the journey and the people 

we journeyed with,

for the opportunity to experience new things,

and for the great gift 

of returning home.

Amen 

-----------
Author: Alli R. Dahlgren
produced by: Dan Gummel
music by: blue.sessions

Find us and more free resources at: 
www.gracebased.com

YMM is a weekly prayer series for parents who need a moment. Sign up at gracebased.com/ymm to get these prayers in your inbox every Monday.
---------------------------------

A Prayer For A Lemonade Stand 

Lord God,

Thank you for the way your abundance

reveals itself every summer.

Fruit ripens, flowers bloom,

and children run barefoot 

down sidewalks and through fields,

dreaming and scheming and 

practically glowing with delight. 

What a gift to behold a childhood summer!

Lord, thank you that worldly awareness happens gradually,

and even children who go through terribly 

hard things seem to have an ability 

to hold joy and wonder alongside grief—

a life skill we struggle to remember as adults. 

Thank you that in the midst of such 

a broken and complicated world, our children 

write down “lemonade stand” at the top

of their summer bucket list, reminding us 

to take a deep breath and enjoy the small things.

The adult in me sees potential for disappointment, 

and I’m tempted to edit their ideas to shape the outcome.

So Father, help me instead see this as a safe

opportunity for them to learn things like

teamwork, stewardship, kindness to strangers,

and yes, even math.

Even if they only make five dollars, 

and even if they feel defeated at the end of the day,

this is a healthy way for them to fail or succeed,

to experiment and learn, to practice being older

than they are. 

I ask, Lord, for kind people to visit, 

for cars to notice their handwritten sign 

and turn around for a cup. 

I ask for the sun to shine down on this little venture,

for my children to experience the pride 

of putting in the work and following through. 

What a gift, these summer days! 

Thank you, Father, thank you. 

Amen.

-----------
Author: Alli R. Dahlgren
Produced by: Dan Gummel
music by: blue.sessions

Find us and more free resources at: 
www.gracebased.com 

YMM is a weekly prayer series for parents who need a moment. Sign up at gracebased.com/ymm to get these prayers in your inbox every Monday.

------------------------

A Prayer For Your Child's First Overnight Camp   

Father God,

You give us so much freedom 

to explore your created earth,

and who you have made each of us

to be within it. 

I pray that this week feels like that for my child. 

Though they are excited to go to camp, 

they are also nervous—

anxious about leaving their safe spaces

and home comforts. 

And I am anxious about letting them.

I have so many worries

about things I have absolutely no control over.

I cannot go along with them to make sure

everything is okay, but you can, Father,

you can. 

So I bring all my worries to you today,

trusting you with each one. 

Pause and take a moment to prayerfully list your specific worries for your child. Open your hands and imagine letting go of each worry as it comes to you. 

Lord, I know your love for my child is vast,

and I ask for this to be evident to them—

through caring and understanding counselors,

new friendships full of laughter 

and a sense of belonging. 

Speak to them in the 

star-filled skies and quiet mornings,

in the absence of screens and school,

with the space to simply be. 

This is also a chance for me to remember

my own sense of self apart from

being their parent, so I ask for your 

presence to surround me with 

peace as I trust in you. 

May we all reunite after this time apart

grateful for your love and 

for each other. 

Amen.

Author: Alli R. Dahlgren
Produced by: Dan Gummel. 
Music: Blue.sessions. 

Find us and more free resources at: 
www.gracebased.com

YMM is a weekly prayer series for parents who need a moment. Sign up at gracebased.com/ymm to get these prayers in your inbox every Monday.
----------------

A Prayer For Flying With Littles

Father God, 

Parenting small children comes with 

its share of absurdities,

and airplane travel with littles is 

certainly a recipe for chaos!

Lord, I am going to need your help 

to keep from losing my cool

somewhere on a moving walkway 

in middle America. 

Before we even leave for the airport, Lord,

would you fill us with patience and peace?

Would you help us be open-minded and adaptable? 

When someone has a bathroom emergency,

or spills their airplane beverage down their only shirt,

when I am forced to hold the oversized stuffed animal

they promised they would carry,

when someone is lagging behind and I’m worried 

we will miss family boarding,

when the sweets that kept them entertained 

cause a meltdown an hour later,

when a stranger comments (yet again)

that I have my hands full,

help me laugh at the absurdity of it all 

and remember that this day, and this phase,

will not last forever. 

One day I will look back fondly 

on the ridiculous outfits my kids chose to wear,

the silly and ill-timed comments,

the adorable lack of awareness,

the tiny hand holding mine in a crowd. 

It is a gift, after all, to be carrying

the common stressors of needy babies 

and trinket-laden toddlers. 

So help us reject the frantic hurry 

that often characterizes travel days,

and stay open to the gifts of 

the journey itself. 

May we laugh often and breathe deeply 

the joys of simply being together,

wherever we find ourselves. 

Amen.

FAMILY CONNECTION MOMENT 

There is no denying how helpful screens can be during a long travel day! Download some new puzzle or game apps that you can do with your kids on the plane. Let screens be a point of connection, rather than just a way for everyone to zone out. 

Author: Alli R. Dahlgren
Produced by: Dan Gummel 

Find us and more free resources at: 
www.gracebased.com

YMM is a weekly prayer series for parents who need a moment. Sign up at gracebased.com/ymm to get these prayers in your inbox every Monday.

-----------

A Prayer For When Their Faith Looks Different Than Expected

Lord, I remember when my son prayed to you. 

He closed his eyes, lifted his face, 

and spoke with his whole heart. 

Now I see him distracted, restless, 

reaching for anything that keeps him from being still. 

He no longer seems to know you as he once did. 

His desires pull him in other directions.

Still, I know his faith is present. 

He cannot shake the truth of the resurrection 

or forget the ways you have met him, 

answered him, and held him in love. 

Even now, something in him keeps reaching back to you.

So meet him where he is, God. 

Meet him in the ache, in the confusion, 

and in the places he avoids. 

Come close with real presence and understanding. 

Help him feel your heart of grace looking at him, finding him…

Where anger rises, 

listen and meet him with justice and mercy.

Where questions linger, 

speak to the deeper need behind them.

Where doubt clouds his vision, 

keep him grounded and help him see what’s true.

You are faithful in every season, 

in our devotion and in our wandering. 

So be everything that you are and 

let your goodness and mercy 

follow my son all the days of his life. 

I trust him to your care. 

Help me remain patient and mirror your grace.

Form in me a steady love that reflects your own.

Amen.

Author - Cheree Hayes 

produced by Dan Gummel
music by blue.sessions

Find us and more free resources at: 
www.gracebased.com

YMM is a weekly prayer series for parents who need a moment. Sign up at gracebased.com/ymm to get these prayers in your inbox every Monday.
---------------------

A Prayer For a New Puppy

Father God,

You have given us a world with countless creatures.

What a joy (and what a mess!) 

to care for some of them in our homes. 

Thank you, Father, for allowing our family 

the resources to take on a new puppy.

Scripture tells us you delight 

over us and long to give us good gifts,

and I feel the same way watching

my children's faces light up 

over this new addition. 

I know that dogs are not a replacement 

for human friendships, 

but I can’t deny the mysterious way they 

befriend us, especially on lonely days.

So I ask, Lord, for you to gift my kids 

this kind of connection—

for the uncomplicated love of this dog to

bring them a sense of companionship

throughout their childhood.  

May this pet also be a way for them 

to grow in responsibility, 

serving our family

and another of your creatures, Lord, 

with care. 

And on the days when this puppy 

feels more stress-ful than stress-relieving, 

and thoughts of regret or disdain cross my mind 

(which they almost certainly will at some point),

would you remind me of the simple

joy this animal has brought my children,

and give me the patience to 

do the hard work of caring for them. 

Thank you, God, that in a world desperate for peace,

you give us small comforts in the form of silly, adorable puppies. 

Amen. 

----------
written by Alli R. Dalghren

produced by Dan Gummel 

music by blue.sessions

Get more free family resources at www.gracebased.com

YMM is a weekly prayer series for parents who need a moment. Sign up at gracebased.com/ymm to get these prayers in your inbox every Monday.
--------------------------

For Working Moms Heading Into Summer 

Lord God, 

Being a working mother is uniquely complicated,

and summertime often brings 

some internal struggles freshly to the surface.

There are pressures and expectations 

coming from every direction, 

and I find myself feeling unsure about my choices, 

my motivations, my enoughness.

Lord, I need your grace to remember:

my identity is not in my work 

or my parenting,

but in You. 

Thank you for this truth.

If these feelings are pointing me 

to a different way of working or resting,

please give me wisdom and 

an openness to hear your voice. 

If these feelings are just part of my journey,

a path to a stronger faith 

and a softer heart,

walk with me in it, Father. 

Give me peace. 

May the days my children spend 

apart from me this summer

include new experiences that grow 

their understanding of others

and their faith in you, Lord. 

Give them open spaces to spread their wings, 

safe ways to practice independence,

and an innate knowledge of my love for them. 

May the time we spend as a family 

be full of joy, laughter, and new memories,

and help me be fully present to those moments. 

When I feel envious of someone 

else's circumstances, bring me quickly back

to a place of gratitude and perspective,

resting in your guidance and grace. 

Thank you, Father, for the gifts you’ve given me

and the ways I get to serve others 

and support my family. 

Lead me, Lord, as I trust in you. 

Amen. 

-------------------------

written by Alli R. Dalghren

produced by Dan Gummel 

music by blue.sessions

Get more free family resources at www.gracebased.com

YMM is a weekly prayer series for parents who need a moment. Sign up at gracebased.com/ymm to get these prayers in your inbox every Monday.

-----------------------
A Prayer for Healthy Self Care 

Father God,

Being an attentive parent

requires a level of selflessness

that does not come naturally.

This can be beautifully refining,

molding us in humility,

and bringing us closer 

to your heart. 

But sometimes, Lord, 

in the barrage of needs,

I lose sight of my own belovedness.

I start to believe the lie that to love

my children well means being unkind  

to myself. 

I need your wisdom, Father,

to find a healthy harmony between 

selfless love and self-care. 

Jesus, remind me of the example

you set when you walked on earth. 

You took naps, you retreated from crowds,

you accepted the limits of your humanity,

and trusted the Father in those limitations. 

May I do the same. 

Help me care for my soul

in ways that are truly life-giving 

rather than indulgent. 

Show me how to sabbath, Lord.

Help me stop long enough to breathe in 

your goodness, listen to your truth,

and recognize again my dependence 

on your provision. 

May my children grow to see me as 

more than “Mom” or “Dad,” 

but as an individual whose life orbits 

around your love, God, rather than their needs. 

I want my kids to grow into healthy adults,

so help me model what that looks like. 

I will never do this perfectly, Lord, 

but I ask for your Spirit to guide and sustain me

as I grow toward wholeness,

leaning always on your 

grace and truth. 

Amen 

----------------

written by Alli R. Dalghren

produced by Dan Gummel 

music by blue.sessions

Get more free family resources at www.gracebased.com