Praying for Your Children and Loved Ones

By:  Donna Martin

One of the most powerful parenting tools is prayer.  When it comes to being a parent we need all the help we can get, and our heavenly Father is just waiting to help us if we only ask.  The Bible tells us to pray without ceasing.   We can pray for our children all through the day and night. 

A powerful way to pray for your child is to pray using Bible verses.  When we pray this way we are actually speaking God’s words back to him.  The Bible is full of God’s promises, and it is very effective to pray these promises over our children, grandchildren, spouse, or anyone for whom we are praying.  When our children were at home I wrote Bible verses on papers and posted them on my bathroom mirror and above the sink in the kitchen.  I prayed these verses over my children.  When I say that I prayed these verses over my children it does not mean that I stood over them and prayed, it just means that I incorporated these verses into my prayers.  Sometimes I did pray them aloud when we had family devotional time, but the majority of the time they were prayed during my quiet time or as I went about my day.  As you read the Bible look for verses that would be good to pray over your children or loved ones.  Below are some examples of verses that you can pray, but there are many more.

                a. Pray for wisdom – James 1:5-6
b. Pray for God’s protection over your child – Psalm 18:30
c. Pray that your child will grow to know the Lord – Luke 2:52
d. Pray that your child will come to know Jesus as his savior – 1Timothy 2:3-4
e. Pray that your child will imitate Christ – Ephesians 5:1-4.
f. Pray that your child will not yield to temptation – 1 Corinthians 10:13
g. Pray that your child will have a pure heart. 2 Timothy 2:22
h. Pray that your child will memorize Bible verses. Psalm 119:11

Insert your loved one’s name into the verse.  For example, for Ephesians 5:1-4 you could pray something like this.  “Dear God, I pray that (person’s name) will imitate you.  Please do not let there be even a hint of sexual immorality, or any kind of impurity or greed in his life.  Please do not let any obscenity, vulgar talk or unclean jokes come out of (person’s name) mouth, but instead let his words be filled with praises and thanksgiving to you.  Let (person’s name) live a life that pleases you.”

At first you may not have the verse you want to pray memorized, but that is all right.  You can write out your prayer using the words from the verse to form your prayer.  Teach your children to pray in this way.  Even when they are young, they can begin to pray short verses such as Ephesians 4:32, “Jesus, help me to be kind to others.” Or Psalm 56: 3, “Dear God, when I am afraid I will trust in you.”

There is power in prayer.  Instead of worrying about your kids, pray for them using God’s words. Remember Philippians 4: 6-7, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

The Martins currently present “Happy Together” Marriage Enrichment Events for churches and organizations.  To schedule an event call Michael at 940-735-1515. They are certified “Prepare/Enrich” Facilitators and are available to work with couples on an individual basis using the “Prepare/Enrich Assessment.”  They publish a weekly “Happy Together” Blog about family and marriage issues.  You can order copies of their new books Dancing With Death and 366 Tidbits We Have Learned in 14,610 Days of Marriage, read, and subscribe to their “Happy Together” Blog by logging onto the Martin’s website at www.happytogethermarriages.com.