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 Being on the Losing Team

Good Father,

Thank you for the simple joy

of watching our kids play games and sports—

their growing bodies learning to

sprint toward a goal,

scuffle for a ball,

pass to a friend,

and be a part of a team.

Sports are often their first taste of winning

and, for my child in this season… losing.

I know this experience will open

the door to character building

that would not happen otherwise.

Losing can cultivate persistence and grit,

resilience and empathy toward others.

However, this sort of heart stretching

can be hard to watch

and even harder for my child to learn.

Would you help me meet

them in their disappointment

with wisdom and care?

Help me know when to encourage

them and when to stay silent,

letting lessons reveal themselves

naturally to my child rather than turning

every loss into a lecture

about hard work or character growth.

I ask, Lord, for your gentleness to

permeate their thoughts.

Let them be kind to themselves,

graceful to their teammates,

and respectful toward coaches and opponents.

And when their frustration spills over

into a bad attitude, sadness, or anger,

give me your grace-filled patience to gently

guide them back to humility and confidence.

Redirect my thoughts as well, Lord,

when I am tempted to see my own worth

through my child’s successes and failures.

May I always care more about their heart

and my relationship with them

than about performance or appearances.

And in your love, Lord, I ask for

some wins to come their way, so they

can feel the satisfaction of working toward a goal,

of bonding together with teammates,

of celebrating something fun with friends.

Regardless of outcomes,

I give thanks for this experience,

for the great gift of sport,

of play, of teamwork.

Amen.

Written by Alli 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 My Child’s Friendships

Good Father,

You see my child as she learns to navigate

the fragile ecosystem of friendship.

You see the unseen pressures,

the confusion,

and the ache to fit in.

You see the temptations—

to mock what she actually loves,

to pretend she enjoys what she does not,

to minimize what matters,

to magnify what earns applause,

to trade honesty for belonging.

You know how quickly the approval of others

can become a compass.

Kids rarely sprint away from themselves.

They drift, one tiny adjustment at a time.

So please, Lord,

give my child courage to choose truth

even when it costs her social applause.

Fill her with strength to be

compassionate without compromise.

Anchor her in your wisdom

so she is always on course.

Root her deeply in your love

so she knows she belongs wherever she goes.

And secure her in integrity so she remains

herself no matter what’s trending.

Preserve the gentle friendships,

the steady ones, the kind ones,

especially if they are not popular.

Let those friendships grow and flourish.

And when rejection does come,

because of course it will, encourage her.

When she gets left out, hold her hand.

When she is misunderstood, steady her mind.

When she feels alone, remind her you are right there.

Keep her close to you, close to the truth,

and close to the people who love her well.

Good Father, be her friend.

Her closest friend.

Amen.

written by 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 Prayer for Cultivating Adult Friendships

Father God,

Raising children can be a lonely job,

and I often find myself at the end of a long day

wishing I had more friends to lean on.

You created us to need each other, Lord,

yet here in America, we have worshiped

individualism, ignoring our ingrained longing

for connection.

Forgive us, Father,

for our foolish self-reliance.

Help us find our way back to

each other.

Friends keep us grounded,

make our marriages stronger,

and give our kids support

beyond what we alone can offer them.

I know I am a better parent

when I have others to journey with.

Even still, I confess to spending more time

cultivating my child's friendships

than my own, neglecting the very

people you have put in my life.

So Lord, in your wisdom and strength,

would you help me deepen

the relationships I already have,

reconnect with old friends,

and recognize opportunities

to make new ones?

Help me be vulnerable in reaching out,

consistent in following through,

and dependable for others to lean on.

May I recognize the season I am in,

with healthy expectations for myself and others:

supporting my friends in love,

and asking for help when I need it.

Forgive us, Father,

for our foolish self-reliance.

Help us find our way back to

each other.

May our dependence be a sign,

not of weakness, but of strength,

as all of us are better together

than alone.

Thank you, Lord, for the gift

of friendship.

Amen.

written by Alli Dahlgren
produced by Dan Gummel

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