Praying for Your Children

Something for parents today.... some specific ways to pray for your children. I encourage you to take one of these each day of the week and look up the Scripture passages listed, and pray through these Scripture passages for your children. I'm not promising overnight miracles, but I will assure you that we have a faithful and loving God (who by the way, loves your children more than you do!) and He will continue to work in your children's lives.  I have been praying for my children daily for 21+ years (my son is 21 1/2 and my daughter is 20 1/2) and I continue to see God's hand on their lives, molding and shaping them into who He wants them to be.  I have gathered these Prayer Points from various places over the years and combined them to make a list that applies to my family.  You can do the same! (By the way, there are MANY more verses on these topics in addition to the ones I have listed.  By using a topical Bible or an internet search on a website such as www.Biblegateway.com, you can find MANY more verses on each subject for further study.)

1.  Pray that your child would love God with all their heart, mind, soul and strength. (Matthew 22:37)

2. Pray that your child will, early in life, come to know Jesus as Savior and Lord. (I Tim. 3:15; Psalm 63:1)

3. Pray that your child will hate sin. (Psalm 97:10)
4. Pray that your child will be caught when guilty and have a heart that is quick to repent. (Psalm 119:17)
5. Pray that your child will be protected from evil and the evil one in every area of life including the spiritual, emotional, and physical realms. (John 17:15) 
6. Pray that your child will be totally submissive to God and will actively resist the evil one in all things. (James 4:7)
7. Pray that your child will be single-hearted, focused on Jesus. (Romans 12:1-2)
8. Pray that your child will desire the right kind of relationships and friendships and be protected from wrong associations. (Proverbs 1:10-11)
9. Pray that your child will have wisdom and responsibility in all relationships. (Daniel 6:3)
10. Pray that your child will respect authority and those in authority over him, including his parents. (Romans 13:1; Ephesians 6:2)
11.  Pray that your child will be led to the mate God has chosen for him/ her and be kept pure for that one. (II Corinthians 6:14-17)
12. Pray for your child's future mate to be kept pure for their marriage. (I Corinthians 6:18-20)
13. Pray that your child would be hedged in and protected in all things. (Hosea 2:6)
14. Pray that your child would love God's Word and that he/ she would become dependent on the Word for guidance. (Psalm 119:9)
15. Pray that pride would be removed from your child's heart and life. (James 4:6b)
16.  Pray that your child would develop a heart of gratitude and contentment. (I Thessalonians 5:18)
17. Pray that your child would discover the joy in serving Jesus and His body the church. (Ephesians 4:11-13)
18. Pray that your child would have a heart for the lost world. (John 3:16, Psalm 96:3)
19.  Pray that your child would have a strong work ethic, a desire to work heartily for the Lord without a lazy spirit. (II Thessalonians 3:7-13)
20.  Pray that your child would have a generous heart and a desire to give cheerfully and joyfully to the needs of others. (II Corinthians 7:6-8)
21. Pray that your child will find and fulfill God's purpose for their lives. (Psalms 138:8)
22.  Pray that your child would be an example to his friends around him, in the areas of speech, life, love, faith, and purity. (I Timothy 4:12)
23. Pray that your child would develop of life of perseverance in all they do. (Hebrews 12:1)
24. Pray that your child would be clothed with compassion, love and kindness to everyone around them, including those less fortunate. (Colossians 3:12, I Thessalonians 5:15)
25. Pray that your child would be marked by a life of prayer. (Ephesians 6:18)
26.  Pray that your child would realize how much he is loved by God, and would develop a strong self-esteem, rooted in knowing he is created in the image of God. (Ephesians 2:10, Psalm 139:14)
27. Pray that your child would have wisdom with his/ her finances and develop Biblical principles for that area of his/ her life. (Proverbs 22:7, Malachi 3:10)
28. Pray that your child would put others before himself. (Philippians 2:4)
29. Pray that your child would work toward unity in his/ her relationships and discover how to be at peace with others throughout his/ her life. (Ephesians 4:3)
30. Pray that your child would turn to Jesus in times of trials and suffering instead of turning to the world around him.
31. Pray that your child's life would glorify the Lord. (Psalm 86:12)

Pam Forster, in her book "For Instructions in Righteousness" (Doorposts, 1993) reminds us that "God's word has the answers to our questions.  Dr. Spock doesn't. Psychologists don't. Politicians don't.  A brief glance at our society is proof enough that man's answers, divorced from God's law, are merely roads toward confusion, destruction and hell."  I urge you to commit YOURSELF first and foremost to pressing in close to God's Word and then asking Him to show you the encouragement, promises, and protection He has there for your children. God Bless!