Last summer I shared with you how I pray through my home. Each room represents different subjects I pray on and one of them is my children’s bedrooms. I go to each of their rooms and I either stand at their doorway or sit on their bed and pray for them. I talk to God about my children and thank Him for the blessing they are to my life and my husband’s.
I’ve seen God work through those prayers, especially on the hard days. He softens my heart and fills me with peace. He comforts me and reminds me of how He is in control. He has spoken to my heart on ways to specifically raise my boys and shares with me ways I could change for their good.
I have a list of things I pray for over my son’s and I want to share them with you. My prayer is this list will not only be a practical guideline but encouraging to your momma’s heart.
10 Ways You Can Pray For Your Children
1. Faith in Christ: This should be of the utmost importance desire in your heart for your children. As parents, we have a way of wanting our children to live their lives the way we wish we had lived ours. We, of course, want what’s best for them and nothing tops them passionately loving and serving Jesus. They may make choices differently than you would have for them but, them serving Jesus should be the anthem of your prayers for your children. Especially, pray that your children’s testimony will be they saw the love of Jesus in their parents and they chose Jesus because of that!
Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”
2. Relationship With You (and your spouse): Pray for your relationship with your child. That they will honor you and listen as you guide them through the first part of their life. Pray for when they become an adult they will find a friend in you and they will know you will always support, encourage, love, and lead them. Even as your role in their life changes as they enter into adulthood, pray your children always find the value in your words and for your life to be an example to them.
Proverbs 1:8-9 says, “Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching, for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck.”
3. Relationship with Their Siblings: One of the sweetest gifts God gives us is the gift of siblings. Pray for your children to form a tight bond with one another. For their relationship to grow as they grow and for their childhood to be a time to remember with fondness. Siblings know each other in a way no one else does and sharing a childhood with someone is priceless. Pray for unity within your family and for children to see one another as teammates, not competition or strangers.
1 John 2:10 says, “The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him.”
4. Their Friendships: People can be very influential and everybody to some degree is influenced. Pray that their friends will point them to Christ. Pray for their friends specifically by name. When I pray over my oldest son and his friendships, I think about the young boys he has connected with. I pray for their hearts and for my son and them to have a God-honoring friendship.
Proverbs 12:26 “The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.”
5. Their future spouse: Pray for the little boy or girl who will love your son or daughter. Pray for them to know the Lord and for His protection over their life. I love my in-laws and unfortunately not many can say that. My in-laws are my friends and a second set of parents. They love me, support me, and my mother-in-law has held my leg during both deliveries coaching me while I birthed her grandsons. No matter what your relationship is like with your inlaws, pray for your relationship with your future children-in laws to be better. Pray for your child to desire a husband or wife who passionately loves the Lord and on how to guide them during the dating years.
2 Corinthians 6:14 says, “Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner to wickedness? How can light live with darkness?”
6. Character: While praying for my sons I pray through the fruit of the spirit. I spend time on each fruit and pray specifically for them over my child’s life. Your children are different from one another and one will struggle in areas the other doesn’t. One may need more developed in an area the other won’t need. Spend time praying for those fruit specifically in your child’s life and ask God to show you ways you can help develop them within them.
Galatians 5:22-23 says, “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!”
7. Career: As believers, we all have the same calling in life, which is to spread the Gospel and to make disciples. Pray they never lose sight of that in all seasons of life. No matter what career your child chooses, pray for them to be a hard worker, one who people want to hire and value as an asset to their company/organization. Pray for your child to hear from the Lord on what career path to take and encourage them along the way. Most importantly, pray that they will listen to the call on their life and GO.
Matthew 4:19-20 says, “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him.”
8. Protection: Pray for your child’s protection and for their discernment when they are not with you. As they grow they gain more independence and with that is more opportunities for them to make choices. As parents, we want to protect our children as much as possible but when we let them explore and we see them following the Lord, that is our true reward. Pray daily for your children to dwell under the wings of our Lord so they will forever be protected.
Psalm 91 says, “Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.”
9. Purity Over Their Lives: Pray daily for purity in the lives of your children. For them to see sin for what it is and not be conceived into thinking it’s attractive. Pray for your children to see the true beauty and freedom that exists within purity and to desire a pure life. Purity of their minds is a main prayer I speak over my children and I never shy away from the hard and uncomfortable questions. Sin that is hidden is kept in an ungodly safe place. When sin is exposed to light, your children will see the fifth that exists and can choose to follow Christ and flee from the temptation.
Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
10. Teachable and Wise: Pray for your children to be humble and teachable. That they will always have a heart towards learning and growing. When someone remains teachable they are also in a position to have true convictions over their sins and desire repentance. Pride is deeply damaging to the person and whoever has to deal with it. Hold your children accountable for their actions and decisions, teaching them gently how their choices weren’t wise and correct but also encourage them when they are.
1 Peter 5:6 says, ”Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.”
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