It's that time of year. Students preparing to leave their homes and families. Beginning college. For parents, pride in the achievement of their children is mixed with sadness at parting with them and worry over the new dangers and temptations that the students will face along with new experiences, opportunities and blessings. Dennis Rainey of Family Life Today has seen several children off on that journey and proposes Philippians 2: 12-16 as a parents prayer at parting.



Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in [our] presence but much more in [our] absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;

for God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.



Do all things without grumbling or questioning,

that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,



holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ [your mother and] I may be proud that [we] did not run in vain or labor in vain.