I’m thrilled to announce that today is the official kick-off of Marked by Prayer: A Parents’ Prayer Journal for the 2020–2021 School Year. On today’s podcast, we will begin praying our kids through this school year alongside my prayer journal.   Each Monday morning, I will release a short podcast that corresponds with the journal. The podcast will guide us in praying an attribute of faith over our kids. Simply subscribe to Pardon the Mess and you will receive a notification each time we release a new episode.   The idea of being “marked” surfaced from a realization that life leaves its mark on our kids as they face the inevitable bumps and bruises of being raised in a fallen world.   As parents, we’re constantly navigating the uncharted territory of raising kids in a culture inundated with technology, gender-identity issues, school shootings, social media, a pandemic, and more—all potentially marking our kids. But there’s really good news: God wants to mark them with a faith that transforms their lives from the inside out.    It seems fitting that we begin this school year by praying that our kids grow in the same areas that Jesus experienced: wisdom, stature, and in favor with God and man (Luke 2:52). This week we will focus on praying for God’s wisdom over our children.   The world so often values the wisdom found in history, art, literature, and music. As believers, we’re reminded that true wisdom comes only from God (Matthew 6:33). And while the world has many “wisdom counterfeits,” I want to encourage you to pray that our kids seek the only true source of wisdom: Jesus.    So glad you’re with me as we come before the Lord, praying for our kids each week. Don’t miss our podcast today and ever Monday morning, as we commit to doing the most important thing we can for our kids—Pray!   Grateful to be walking this road with you!