Five Ways to Pray God’s Purposes for Your Children
By Rick Warren

“I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours” (John 17:9 NIV).

Jesus reflected the father heart of God when he prayed for the disciples. As a father or mother, you can pray that your children will focus on the five purposes of God.

God’s five purposes for your children are the same as God’s five purposes for your life. Jesus prayed for all five purposes in the lives of those he was leading: “I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours” (John 17:9 NIV).

We can pray that our children will live for Christ joyfully: “I say these things while I’m still in the world so that they will have the same joy that I have” (John 17:13b GW).

We can pray that our children will grow strong spiritually: “I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one” (John 17:15 NLT, second edition).

We can pray that our children will serve Christ effectively: “Make them ready for your service through your truth; your teaching is truth” (John 17:17 NCV).

We can pray that our children will experience fellowship personally: “My prayer . . . is that they will be of one heart and mind, just as you and I are, Father . . . and the world will believe you sent me” (John 17:21 TLB).

We can pray that our children will bring others to Christ regularly: “I pray not only for them, but also for those who believe in me because of their message” (John 17:20 GNT).

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Talk It Over

• What are specific prayers you can pray for your children to live for Christ? Grow strong? Serve Christ? Experience fellowship? Bring others to Christ?
• How are you modeling these qualities in your own life?
• What action steps can you take to help your children grow in the five purposes?

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This devotional © 2017 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

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