Use Scripture to Pray for Your Children

Whitney Hopler

You know how important it is to pray for your children, and you try to do so regularly. But sometimes you don't seem very inspired when you pray; perhaps your prayers have become just one more thing to check off your daily list of things to do.

Drawing upon the Bible's help when you pray for your children can help you pray more powerfully and effectively.

Here are some ways you can use Scripture to pray for your children:

• Personalize Bible verses for your children by inserting their names into the verses and paraphrasing them aloud in the form of prayers. Ask God to reveal specific promises from His Word that you can focus on for your children.
• Choose some biblical characters whose stories inspire you, and use them as a basis to pray for your children. Consider what strengths the characters demonstrate that you would like God to develop in your children, such as courage or compassion. Consider what your children can learn from the characters' mistakes, and the ways in which God helped them overcome their weaknesses.
• As often as you can, pray with another parent or a group of parents for all your children to multiply the power of your prayers.
• Keep a prayer journal in which you can record God's answers to your prayers.
• Ask God to use your prayer time to bless not only your children and others for whom you pray, but you as well. Ask Him to use your prayers to strengthen your faith.
• Be diligent with your prayers, but trust God for the results. Realize that no one is a perfect parent, and rely on His grace as the ultimate source of provision for your children.
• Be specific when you pray. Think about what's currently going on in your children's lives, ask your children for prayer requests, and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal ways in which you should pray for them. Consider addressing some of these areas for your children: salvation, love of the Bible, gifts and talents, willingness to promote God's kingdom, wisdom and discernment, a servant's heart, kindness and compassion, self-control, diligence, self-discipline, physical health and safety, spiritual protection, emotional well-being, crisis responses, friends, siblings, teachers, coaches, relationship with you, purpose in life, future marriage, time management, money management, and eventually leaving home.
  

Adapted from Praying the Scriptures for Your Children, copyright 2001 by Jodie Berndt. Published by Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Mich., www.zondervan.com, 1-800-727-3480.

Jodie Berndt is the author of several books. Her background also includes television writing and production for The 700 Club. She and her husband, Robbie, have four children. They live in Coronado, Ca., where Jodie leads a weekly prayer group for mothers.

How do you currently pray for your children, and why? How has God recently answered a prayer you prayed for your children? What encouragement would you like to offer to other parents about praying for their children? Visit Crosswalk's forums to discuss this topic by clicking on the link below.