Praying for Your Kids
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My phone rang yesterday. It was our 22-year-old daughter, Susy, calling from California.
"Mom, what are you doing today? How can I be praying for you this week?" Susy asked.
"Pray for me to become a woman of gratitude. Too often I take God for granted. How about you?" I continued. "How can I pray for you?"
"Please pray for my job. My boss is leaving, so that impacts my duties. Oh, and thanks for praying for my daily devotions. I've had consistent quiet times this week."
Could it be that the most important thing we do as a parent is pray for our kids? Unfortunately, sometimes we're so busy trying to make it through the day that it's hard to make the time. Here are five suggestions to help you activate your prayer life for your children.
- Get Organized
I use a notebook that's divided into seven sections, one for each day of the week. Under each section I list my children, my husband, and myself. I have certain things I pray for each person on that particular weekday. For example, on Mondays I pray for my son Chris's study habits, his time alone with God, his friendships with three guy friends, and his ability to discern God's direction about his next step school-wise. On Tuesdays, I pray for different things for Chris. This way I don't feel as though I have to cover all my children's needs on any one day. As things come up, I simply add them to a day of the week.
My husband, John, has a similar notebook. He loves to glue photos of each person he's praying for next to their section. (I'm not that organized!) - Ask What Your Child Needs
It's all too easy to respond to your life randomly rather than intentionally. But the good thing about summer approaching is that it offers you a little more time with your kids, especially if they're young. So look at them with fresh eyes and ask yourself, What are my children's needs for this summer? Perhaps your elementary school-aged daughter's struggling to find friends or your teen's questioning his faith. Ask God in the weeks ahead to reveal specific things you should be praying about for each of your children.
then, mark a date on your calendar now for some time in August to discuss with your husband your family's needs and goals for the coming year. If you're a single parent, do this with another mom or couple, and agree to pray for each other's children over the next several months. - Use Prayers from Scripture
When I don't know how to pray specifically for one of my children, I head directly to God's Word, which contains wonderful prayers. For example, Ephesians 1:17-19 is a beautiful prayer. So is Philippians 1:9-11. Insert your child's name into the prayer wherever it says "you." My mom inserts her grandchildren's names into the Lord's Prayer to pray for them. Stormie Omartian's book, The Power of a Praying Parent (Harvest House), or author Jodie Berndt's Praying the Scripture for Your Children (Zondervan) are excellent resources, particularly for mothers of young children.
Originally published in: Today's Christian Woman, 2002, May/June, Vol. 24, Issue 3, Page 18
Related Topics:
Children, parenting, Prayer
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Average User Rating:
Karen Perry
I have a prayer list for friends, co-workers, church members, etc. But it never occurred to me to organize how I pray for my daughters (or my husband for that matter). I tend to try to pray for everything all at once. It may not be overwhelming to God, but it certainly can be for me! This is a very practical way to pray for my family!
Doris Williams
This is a good encouragement for all mothers like myself of two teenage daughters aged - 17 and 14. Normally i would ponder over things that they do and very much later on come to the realization that instead of worrying myself my duty is to pray for for. I had no set pattern to pray for them just did it randomly as things come to mind but now i am definitely going to organize myself in praying for my angels.
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