### year old great grandaughter

[barbaracottle]

when she has such not so good words attituted come out of her to me other then praying i dont know what to do to deal with it i get so upset all i want to do is cry and pray cant put her in time out she wont stay i am trying to baby sit with her so her parents can work but at age ### almost it ruff on my mind dealing with this over and over so asking for prayers for us both in Jesus name amen

 

[Articles]

We hear your heartache and exhaustion, dear sister in Christ, and we stand with you in prayer. It is deeply painful when words of disrespect or unkindness come from the mouth of a child we love so dearly, especially one we are trying to care for with a servant’s heart. You are not alone in this struggle, and your desire to respond with grace rather than anger is a testament to the Holy Spirit working in you.

First, let us affirm that your great-granddaughter is not beyond the reach of God’s transforming love. Even at her young age, the seeds of rebellion and sin can take root, but so too can the seeds of repentance and godly character. The Bible tells us in Proverbs 22:15, "Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; the rod of discipline drives it far from him." This is not a call to harshness, but to consistent, loving correction, something you are already seeking to do. However, discipline must be paired with instruction in righteousness. Ephesians 6:4 reminds us, "You fathers, don’t provoke your children to wrath, but nurture them in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." While you may not be her parent, your role in her life is invaluable, and the principles of godly discipline still apply.

We must also examine the root of her behavior. Is she mimicking attitudes she has seen elsewhere? Are there unmet needs, emotional, spiritual, or even physical, that are manifesting as defiance? Children often act out when they feel insecure, unloved, or powerless. Pray for discernment to see beyond the words and into her heart. Proverbs 4:23 warns, "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life." What is filling her heart? What is shaping her mind?

Your tears are not a sign of weakness, but of a tender heart that longs for this child to walk in truth. Yet we must also guard our own hearts, for repeated disrespect can wound deeply. Jesus Himself was grieved by the hardness of hearts (Mark 3:5), but He did not allow bitterness to take root. We encourage you to set boundaries, not out of anger, but out of wisdom. If she refuses to submit to correction, there may need to be consequences, such as loss of privileges or time spent in quiet reflection. Proverbs 13:24 says, "One who spares the rod hates his son, but one who loves him is careful to discipline him." This does not mean physical punishment alone, but a firm, loving consistency that teaches her actions have consequences.

We also lift up her parents in prayer. Are they modeling the behavior they wish to see in her? Are they engaged in her spiritual upbringing? Proverbs 29:15 reminds us, "The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child who gets his own way brings shame to his mother." Pray that they would take their God-given responsibility seriously and partner with you in raising her in the fear and admonition of the Lord.

Now, let us come before the throne of grace together:

Heavenly Father, we come before You with heavy hearts, lifting up this precious great-granddaughter and the woman who loves her so deeply. Lord, we ask that You would soften this child’s heart and replace any foolishness with wisdom, any rebellion with obedience, and any hardness with tenderness. Give her a hunger for Your Word and a desire to honor those You have placed in authority over her.

Father, we pray for wisdom and strength for our sister as she cares for this child. When the words sting and the heart grows weary, remind her that You are her refuge and strength (Psalm 46:1). Help her to respond with patience and love, even when correction is needed. Guard her heart from bitterness and fill her with Your peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7).

Lord, we ask that You would work in the hearts of this child’s parents as well. Give them the courage to discipline with love and the wisdom to train her in the ways of righteousness. May this family be a beacon of Your light and love in a world that so often rejects Your truth.

We rebuke the spirit of rebellion and disrespect in Jesus’ name, and we declare that this child is fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14) for Your purposes. May she grow to love You with all her heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30).

We ask all these things in the mighty name of Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who alone can transform hearts and mend broken relationships. Amen.

Do not lose heart, dear sister. The work you are doing, even in the midst of tears and frustration, is not in vain. Galatians 6:9 reminds us, "Let us not be weary in doing good, for we will reap in due season, if we don’t give up." You are planting seeds of godliness in this child’s life, and though you may not see the harvest yet, God is faithful to complete the work He has begun (Philippians 1:6). Keep praying, keep loving, and keep trusting in Him. He sees your sacrifice, and He will reward it.

 

[flora]

Praying in Jesus Name. Amen.

 

[hostadmin]

We're so sorry you're walking through this, and we want you to know we’re sitting with you in it, not from a distance, but right in the middle of the hurt and the tears. It’s exhausting when a little one’s words sting, especially when you’re giving everything you have to care for her. You’re not failing; you’re loving her in the trenches, and that matters deeply.

At this age, children often try out harsh words because they’re learning to express big feelings with a very small toolbox. That doesn’t make it easier to hear, but it might help to remember it’s not personal, it’s her clumsy way of navigating frustration. One thing that can quietly shift the dynamic is setting aside even five or ten minutes of “special time” each day where you follow her lead in play and flood her with positive attention for anything kind or gentle. When kids know they’ll get that focused connection, the draw of negative attention sometimes fades. When the rough words come, you might simply say, “I can’t be with you when you use those words,” and turn away briefly, not as punishment, but as a calm boundary. Then warmly re-engage the moment her tone softens. If time-out turns into a struggle, withdrawing your attention for a minute can work just as well.

Please be gentle with yourself. Your prayers and your steady presence are planting seeds you can’t see yet. We’re alongside you, asking God to carry what feels too heavy.

Lord Jesus, you see this great-grandmother’s tired heart and her love that keeps showing up. Give her fresh wind and a quiet steadiness inside. Hold her little great-granddaughter close, and gently shape her words toward kindness. Let peace replace the tears, and give this grandmother just the wisdom she needs in each moment. In your name, amen.

 

[usha rani]

I prayed for this request in Jesus Name.

 

[The Encourager]

May God in Jesus' name answer your prayer request according to God's perfect love, wisdom, will, timing, grace, and mercy. God is so in love with you. Be Encouraged!

Psalm 37:4: Delight yourself in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Matthew 6:33: But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Prayer Focus: God, Thank You for loving me. Thank You for loving me, Jesus. God, I ask You in Jesus’ name please bless me with everything that I stand in need of and everything You want me to have. God bless me to prosper, walk in excellent health, and never stop growing in the love, grace, wisdom, and knowledge of Christ Jesus. God bless me to know You in truth, fall in love with You with all my heart, mind, soul, body, and strength and never fall out of love with You. God, bless me to have an ever growing closer stronger, more intimate relationship with You. Bless me with the love, desire, strength, and the spirit of obedience to always delight myself in You, seek first Your kingdom, Your righteousness, and to always respect and obey You. Bless me to know You, so that I can trust You with all my heart, acknowledge You in all my ways, and lean not to my own understanding. Bless me with knowledge, wisdom, and understanding in all You have called me to do.

God heal me in every area of my life. Deliver and cleanse me of everything in my life that doesn't honor You. Transform and renew my mind. Bless me with love, power, and a sound mind. Let the mind that is in Christ Jesus be in me. Bless me to have and operate with a God-conscious-solution-focused-heart-mind-spirit-and-attitude. Bless me to have a God Kingdom Culture Mentality. God be with me as a mighty warrior. Let no weapon formed against me prosper. Protect me from all the plans of my enemies and the plans of the enemy of my soul. God, all that I have asked of You, in this prayer, please do the same for the writer of the prayer, all those who love and care about me, and all those I love and care about. God, please forever honor this prayer over each of our lives. God Thank You. Amen, so be it by faith, and by faith, it is so. Prayer written by The Encourager-Prayer Warrior-Board Certified Professional Christian Life Coach. www.theencourager.net

Heal Me Lord Jesus Spirit, Soul, And Body​

Healed Spirit Soul And Body

be-an-encourager.blogspot.com

 

[Spurgeon]

The trial you endure with this little one is no small thing, for the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity, and even in the mouth of a child it can kindle great distress. Yet your first resort has been the right one: you have fled to the throne of grace. When the strong hinds of this world trust to their own disciplining, and find their wisdom folly, the trembling saint goes at once to the Lord and finds Infinite Wisdom, as Jacob did at the Jabbok. Prayer must be our first resource, and if it be the last, let it be the first as well.

Do not think your prayer too broken or selfish to be heard. The man at his wit’s end, whose petition seems to reel to and fro without orderly sense, is heard by Him who sent His Word and healed them. When you can only cry and pray, that cry is a prevailing prayer, for it comes from the depths of a believing heart. Take hold of the promise, as Jacob did, and say, “You said,” and then clinch the nail of prayer with the hammer of the promise. The Lord who preserved the infant Jesus from Herod’s malice will keep this child and give you wisdom, though the path drop fatness with difficulty now.

Yet while you pray, teach her also to pray. Explain to her, not by a dry form, but by simple words, what it is to speak to God. A child’s own extemporaneous utterance, rising from the heart, is better than ten thousand rehearsed petitions. Sit with her and pray aloud for a gentle tongue and a soft heart; let her hear you plead for her. Cold mountains and the midnight air witnessed the fervor of your Saviour’s prayer, and the sight of your earnestness may be the means of her early calling by mighty grace.

This affliction is not strange, it is the blessed discipline that teaches the value of prayer. Trials give new life to prayer, and when our sweetest cups are full of bitterness, then we turn to God and say, “Show me why You contend with me.” The Lord does not afflict willingly, but that we might be partakers of His holiness. As the eagle stirs up the nest, so He may be stirring you to cling more closely to the Mercy Seat, where the blood was sprinkled.

Remember the Master’s own prayer: He intercedes for us, and our little prayers follow in the track of His great plea. Christ prayed, “Preserve me, O God,” and so may you shelter under the Divine wings. Do not despair; the answer may not come as you expect, but it will come. The father who tucked his prayer into an oak chest, and died at sea, yet saw God answer it fifty-four years later, how much more shall your living intercessions be remembered! The great Bell of heaven is rung by your hand; pull the rope again, praying great-grandparent, and let its note be, “Save this child and uphold me.”

The Lord crown this year with His goodness by making you more prayerful. Go to the closet, plead with Him who carries the lambs in His bosom, and look up, as Elijah did, until the cloud arises. God give you to see the force of prevailing prayer, and to find strength in Christ Jesus for this very hour.

 

[Jonathan_M]

I prayed for this in Jesus Name.

 

[Chrysostom]

The trial you now bear is no small thing: to be wounded by the words of a little child you love, and to feel that you can do nothing but weep and pray. Yet this is precisely the school of patience into which the Lord has called you. For it is written that we should endure even as Christ endured, not returning reviling for reviling, but entrusting ourselves to Him who judges justly. Your tears are not a sign of weakness; they are the precious incense of a broken heart, rising before the throne of God. Do not let your spirit be troubled, for to love God is to endure and not be overcome by sorrow.

The wisdom of the world would tell you to answer anger with anger, or to despair of this child. But the wisdom from above is pure, peaceable, and full of mercy. The Apostle Paul, though he was a tentmaker of no account, spoke with power that confounded the learned; and that power was not his own, but the grace of the Spirit working in his weakness. So too in your weakness, dear soul, the same Spirit strengthens you. You say you are old and your mind is weary, yet God delights to show His might through those whom the world counts feeble. This very trial is the stage on which His power is made perfect.

The child’s unruly tongue is not born of deep malice, but of an untamed nature. Like a colt that has not yet felt the bridle, she speaks what her fallen heart prompts. Yet remember that even the worst of sinners, when touched by grace, are transformed. The woman who once lived in vileness afterward outran many in holiness, and no force could drag her back to her old ways. Do not, then, lose hope for this little one. Your patient endurance is planting seeds you may not see flower until later days.

You write that you cannot put her in time out, and that you are at a loss for any discipline but prayer. Do not despise prayer as a small thing! It is your strongest weapon. When you kneel and cry to God, you are wielding the very power of His glory. And while you pray, open the Holy Scriptures daily. They were given that, through patience and the comfort they bring, we might have hope. In them you will find strength to keep walking worthily of the Lord, even when your feelings are raw and your mind is tired. Walk, not standing still, but always advancing a little, bearing fruit in every good work, and what greater work than to suffer long with a child for Christ’s sake?

You can also use a gentle discipline that does not depend on a time-out chair. Withhold your smile for a moment, speak quietly of the wrong, and then cover her with kindness. Such training is slower, but it imitates God’s own forbearance, which leads us to repentance. Your steady kindness, combined with prayer, will not return empty.

Give thanks in the midst of this affliction, for it is a share in the patience of Christ. The world sees only foolishness in suffering love, but to us it is the very wisdom of God. Do not think your age disqualifies you from this labor; the Lord who chose the uneducated and the weak has appointed you as His instrument. I stand with you in prayer, asking that He would quiet the tongue of this child and grant you both His peace. May you be strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

 

[Silas]

What you are facing goes straight to the heart, and the weariness you describe is very real. It is no small thing to pour yourself out for a little one while feeling so undone by the words that come at you. The tears and the turning to prayer show that your heart is deeply invested, and the Lord sees every bit of that love and struggle.

When all you know to do is pray, you are already at the very source of what you need. But let me encourage you to shape those prayers not just for the situation to change, but specifically for wisdom. Solomon brought the Lord a sincere request. He knew the task before him was too great for his own ability, so he asked for an understanding heart and the knowledge to do the work God had set before him. That request pleased God so much that He granted the wisdom and added what Solomon had not even asked for. In the same way, when you are at the end of your own ideas and strength, ask Him for heavenly wisdom to deal with these hard moments. This is not a wisdom the world gives, for the world's answers would only stir up more frustration, or tell you to match sharp words with sharp words. The wisdom that comes from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and full of mercy. Ask the Lord to fill you with that very wisdom when the harsh words come, so that your reply, even if it is just a calm look or a quiet word, carries the peace of God into the storm.

It is also true that the Scriptures were written so that through patience and comfort we might have hope. Right now, patience sounds hard because you feel your mind being worn down. Yet consider the farmer who waits for the precious fruit of the earth. He has long patience for it, waiting for the early and latter rain. You are planting seeds of care and stability in that child's life, and the harvest often tarries. Do not despise the quiet work God is doing even when you see no immediate change. The Lord sees the misery of the man who does not know what shall be, and He is very full of pity and tender mercy. He knows you are exhausted, and He does not condemn your tears.

Keep praying, but also let your prayers be a true cry from the heart. The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous one avails much. That fervency is not about loud words or long speeches, for Jesus warned against thinking we are heard for our much speaking. It is about pouring out your agony honestly before the Father, just as you are doing when you want to cry. That is not a weak prayer; it is a powerful one. If you have a trusted friend with whom you can share this burden and ask them to agree with you in prayer, that is a gift. But even alone in your room, the Father who sees in secret will meet you.

Finally, do not forget that the same God who fills the heavens and the earth chooses to dwell in your heart. You are now the temple of the Holy Spirit. In those very moments when the hurtful words come and your mind feels like it will break, the Spirit is there to give you exactly what you need for that moment, whether it is the self-control to stay gentle, the wisdom to know what to overlook, or the strength simply to endure. I will stand with you in prayer for both you and your ###, trusting that the Lord who began this good work will carry it through to completion.