As a homeschool mom there is one thing I need to do more of in both preparation for school and throughout the school year. Homeschooling is not an easy journey, it requires a level of commitment and persistence which you probably won’t find elsewhere. Praying truly is the most important tool for the homeschooling mom.

Praying is an act of stilling time, speaking to God our Father. What could be more important to a mom than praying for direction, strength and persistence to the teaching of her children, that which God blessed her with? Taking time and asking God to give her wisdom as to which curriculum, how much to teach, what to focus on, etc. Are these questions from a devoted mom’s heart to minute for God to answer?

1 John 5:14-15 says, “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.”

God’s word clearly tells us that so long as what we’re asking goes along with His will for our lives that we will receive that for which we ask. As homeschoolers, we have chosen to keep our children home for one reason or another. God desires parents to raise their children in wisdom, instruction and in the ways of the Lord.

Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

Ephesians 6:4 states, “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”

Deuteronomy 6:6-9 tells us, “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.”

When our prayers fall under that which God has instructed us, then He will give us that which we seek! We must go to the Lord asking and fully believing that He will give us direction for our homeschooling.

Prayer is not meant to be a one time request to receive an answer. While God does at times answer quickly, sometimes we must earnestly and diligently seek Him. We need to get alone in the quiet, uninterrupted part of our days to seek His will. It can be difficult to find these times throughout our days, but if we take advantage of times when we’re washing dishes, folding laundry, watering plants, etc. these moments tend to be quiet.

Psalm 6:9 says, “The Lord hath heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer.”

Psalm 145:18 states, “The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.”

Philippians 4:6 tells us, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”

We must learn to be constant in prayer throughout our homeschooling journey. The struggle of selecting the right studies for our children will not be the only difficulty along the way. The more grounded we are in our relationship and conversations with God, the more we will be at peace and the less lost we will feel throughout the year. The homeschooling mom who constantly whispers in the ear of God will find the direction and calm spirit she desires…so long as she seeks to raise her children in the Lord and His ways.

So, how do we train ourselves to pray more, to look for the quiet moments in which we diligently seek the Lord?

• First, we must recognize that we will fail at times, but we must keep on. Pick ourselves up and start again. One day of missing prayer doesn’t mean we don’t try again.
• Next, we must start before rising from bed. A short prayer of thanks for the new day filled with new mercies and grace.
• Then, we must keep our eyes, ears and hearts open for the quiet places throughout the day.
• Finally, we must close our day with a thanksgiving prayer for the day, the gifts throughout it and the strength given us to push through it all.

Prayer must become a homeschooling mom’s way of life. She will need direct lines to strength, grace, love and mercy ready at any given moment. This will be given her at the mere whisper upon God’s ears. May we grow to love the conversations we have with the Lord so much that prayer becomes second nature to us. May our prayer life leave a mark on our children’s lives and leave a legacy that passes from generation to generation.