How to Pray for Your Kids

The moment I became a mom, I fell in love with my little girl and immediately felt an overwhelming sense of responsibility. Even before she was born, my husband and I researched car seat safety and took classes to prepare. We knew all the latest information about how to keep our newborn safe. When we brought her home, I wanted so badly to protect her from anything that could bring her harm. I fulfilled all of her needs, responded to her cries, and comforted her anytime she felt even a little out of sorts. She was mine.

It has only been a year, but I can already feel her slipping away from me. The first time I felt her leaving my grasp was when I had to let someone else hold her. Since then, we have put her in the nursery at church and even let someone else care for her while we went on a date. She has started crawling and now walking. She has fallen and gotten hurt. She has been scared and uncomfortable. In this short time, I have realized that as much as I may not like it, I can not protect her from everything in this world. I have come to realize that she is not mine. She has been given to me for a time, but ultimately she is God’s.

Even now while she is so little and doesn’t go much beyond my reach, I want to be preparing her for the day that I won’t be there. I may her source of comfort now, but eventually I want her to recognize God as her ultimate comforter. I don’t want her to be afraid to act, I want her to be able to go into scary or uncomfortable situations and respond as a child of God.

One of the ways I can begin to prepare her for that day is by praying for her. When my daughter was born, I did not just become her mom, I became her biggest prayer warrior. I know I’m not alone in the desire to raise a courageous, Godly child, but it can be overwhelming to try to figure out how to pray for your kids. I have only been a mom for a year, so I am not an ‘expert’ parent. I haven’t always been very good at praying for my daughter. But I have listened to moms who are doing it well. I majored in Family Ministry in college, so I have read dozens of books about raising Godly children. More importantly, I have a desire to see a love of God grow in my daughter’s heart.

So, I have written a list of 5 Ways to Pray for Your Kids. If you have never prayed for your kids before, choose one thing from this list and spend a lot of time (maybe a week, a month, or even longer) praying for that one aspect of your child’s life. Prayer is like any other practice, the more you try the more comfortable you will become, so don’t be discouraged if it doesn’t come naturally to you in the beginning. Remember: Anything worthwhile takes time.

1. Pray Scripture over them

A great place to start in prayer is with God’s word. Some of my favorite verses to pray over my daughter are:

• Matthew 5:16 – In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
• Philippians 4:8 – Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
• Philippians 1:9-11 – And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

Some of these verses are included in 6 Bible Verses for Your Phone Wallpaper, which will make it a little easier to remember to pray those words over your kids.

2. Pray for their boldness and courage (instead of safety)

Sometimes we pray that God would do miracles in our lives, then we pray that He would keep us out of any situation that would require Him to act miraculously. Instead of praying for our children’s safety, pray for their courage in unsafe situations and their boldness to proclaim His name, even when it is uncomfortable.

3. Pray for their future spouse

If your children get married one day, that means that there are another set of parents somewhere in the world raising your child’s spouse. Pray for their family and that your child’s future spouse would love God. Pray that God would equip them to care for their family physically and spiritually. Pray for a legacy of Christ-likeness to continue through future generations.

4. Pray they would be receptive to God

Though we have a big influence in the lives of our children, ultimately they will need to make the decision to follow Christ. Eventually your children will come out from under the shelter of your faith, so pray that they would develop faith of their own. Pray that they would be receptive to God’s call on their life and that they would ultimate choose to make Him their Savior.

5. Pray that when the time comes, they will GO!

Pray that they will follow Jesus’ command in Matthew 28: 18-20: Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

How have you prayed for your children? Do you have a verse you love to pray over them? Do you have any encouragement for moms who are in the middle of the madness right now? Share in the comments below!

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