When I became a mother, I knew one thing I had to do even before giving birth. I knew I should pray for my children. I was prayed for by my mother, Father, grandparents, family and my church family long before I could understand the power of prayer.

What I should pray for my children was the challenging part. At times the words to pray would not come, and I would say Lord remember my child, calling them by name.
Our God is so merciful and loving. He understands our groans and our prayers of few words.

Christian parenting is a lifelong journey from the heart in an open relationship with God. We are not given manuals to follow, but we need only trust the one who saw us fit to be parents.

He has all the answers for our children and for us, past, present and future. Our God is all-knowing, and we have been given the privilege to approach Him in prayer boldly.
We live in a fallen world, and only Jesus has the blueprints of what we were meant to be and what our children are meant to be. He will reveal His will to us through our comforter, the Holy Spirit.

On the journey of parenting, there are times of laughter and joy. Sometimes you will be at a bend, unsure of what awaits around the corner. We like to know how things will turn out, so we become anxious.
For the parents feeling anxious today, remember you have been commanded to pray.

Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, 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.

Ephesians 6:18
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

1 John 5:14-15
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

As Christian parents, it is our duty to be praying the will of God over our children because when we became parents, we were entrusted with souls. 

Where do we find the will of God?

The will of God for our children is in His words!

We might not know what our children will be in this earthly realm, but one thing we know is that all Christians must love the Lord.

Mark 12:30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’

When our children love the Lord, it will impact their entire being positively.

It is our responsibility to ensure that our children see Christ in us!

Mathew 5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Our children need to know we love the Lord and that we are praying for them so they will learn to Love Him, pray about anything they face and, when the time is right, pray for their children if the Lord tarries.

We are our children’s first glimpse of the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of an individual here on earth. We know the Holy Spirit is the only one that can change a heart, but as parents, we are the first tools that will be used by the Holy Spirit to reach our children.

The most potent weapon we have been given as parents is the powerful weapon of prayer, which is mighty in God for pulling down strongholds. God did not leave us empty-handed!
We need to be using the powerful weapon of prayer daily to fight for our children. I say this a lot, whether we stand with our hands folded or put on the full armour of God, we are in the battle of the ages. I do not want to stand with my hands folded because if I fight or don’t fight, I am still a target. The good news for us as Christians is that we are in a battle we already know the outcome of!

We are victorious because of what Jesus did on the cross. Friend, we are not praying from a place of defeat but from a place of victory.
Until our children understand the things of the Spirit and that they, too, are in the battle of the ages, we Should be praying for them. We should be dressed in the full armour of God!

When I started praying for my children and up to recent times, I found that my prayers on a daily basis were very similar and were centred around living and being functional here on earth! I realized that as my children grew and the world changed, I needed to be intentional with speaking to God about their future and His words concerning them. I know that with how the world is, they need a supernatural advantage.

I would pray for God to watch over my children, protect them from evil, keep them safe, help them with their studies and help them to choose the right friends.

There is nothing wrong with being functional on earth, but I was so caught up with wanting my children to be successful in earthly things I forgot to pray prayers that line up with seeking the kingdom of God. Prayers that would follow them from this realm into eternity! According to the word that we live by, if we seek first the kingdom of God, all other things will be added! So I started seeking God about what it is I should be praying for.

That’s after I could see how this world that we live in will try everything to influence my children, teaching them everything except Godly principles, and so I came to the understanding that God wants me to pray The Living Word over my children’s souls.

Words that are sharper than any two-edged sword! Cutting through bone and marrow. Words that shift the spirit realm and, in turn, affect the natural one we live in in a positive manner. God told me not to focus on what is happening in the natural but to deal with the issues faced from a spiritual vantage point.

I want to share a prayer the Lord has laid on my heart with seventeen powerful scriptures I am praying over my children’s lives so you, too, can begin praying the words of God over your children.

A Prayer For My Children

Lord, help me to keep eternity forever in my sight as I parent these four souls you have entrusted me with.

Help me, Lord, to daily be a reflection of you. So they may see you in me. May they see how loving, faithful and trustworthy you are through my actions and in the ways you choose to answer and deliver us when we pray.

I am far from perfect, Lord, but I know I am a prime candidate because of my imperfections to show forth your glory. Lord, thank you that when I fail as a parent, my heart is forever open to your words of corrections and wisdom.

Help me to love my children without measure, help me to not focus on what this earthly life has to offer and forget to invest where it really matters as guardians of their souls. I know only you can change hearts. Only you can remove scales from their eyes. Lord, I pray that my children will hunger and thirst after righteousness. I pray that you will forever be the focus of their hearts, mind and souls. Keep eternity forever in their minds and hearts. Lord, let them seek to live a life that is pleasing to you.

Lord, teach me to pray prayers for my children that shift the spiritual atmosphere around their lives. Teach me to pray prayers over their lives that align with your God-given purposes for their lives. 

Ephesians 3:16-17 (NIV) “I pray that out of your glorious riches, you may strengthen them with power through your Spirit in their inner being so that you may dwell in their hearts through faith.”

1 Thes. 3:13 (NIV) “May you strengthen their hearts so that they will be blameless and holy in your presence God.”

Eph. 1:17 (NIV) “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give them the Spirit of wisdom and revelation so that they may know Him better….”

Col. 1:9-10 “I pray that they may walk in a manner worthy of you, Lord and increasing in the knowledge of you.”

Col. 1:9 “I pray for them and ask that they may be filled with the knowledge of your will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.”

Eph. 3:17b-19 (NIV) “And I pray that they, being rooted and established in love, may have power…to grasp how wide and long and high and deep your love is for them, and to know your love that surpasses knowledge….”

Eph. 1:18 “I pray that the eyes of their heart may be enlightened, so that they may know what is the hope of your calling….”

Rom. 15:13 “I pray that you will fill them with hope, with all joy and peace in believing, that they may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Eph. 3:17b-19 (NIV) “And I pray that they may have power…to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that they may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of You Lord.”

Romans 12:12 I pray that they will be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

May you Lord, our God of hope, fill them with all joy and peace as they trust in you so that they may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

1 Thessalonians 5:23–24 May You yourself, the God of peace, sanctify them through and through. May their whole Spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of you, our Lord Jesus Christ. You are the one who calls them, and you are faithful, and you will do it.

I constantly pray for them that you, our God, may count them worthy of your calling and that by your power, you may fulfil every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by their faith. I pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in them, and they in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Psalm 143:10 Teach them to do your will, for you are their God. May your gracious Spirit lead them forward on a firm footing.”

1 Chronicle 4:10 “Oh, that you would bless them and enlarge their territory! Let your hand be with them, and keep them from harm so that they will be free from pain.

“I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.”

Lord, plant a hunger in their hearts for you. Help them to see their life as an opportunity to worship you in Spirit and in truth.
Lord, help me to pray and leave them in your hands daily because you are competent and capable.

You are omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent, and I trust you, God.

Amen

The Bible is filled with so many Bible verses we can pray over our children, and as I find them friends, I will be sharing them with you.

Are there any you would add to this list? Please share them in the comments.

You know I love hearing from you. Feel free to send me a message at any time.

Thinking out loud because life is better shared.

Kimberlee

PS. Here is a song my grandmother loved and sang as she worked around her home. She is no longer with us, but the song is stored with my memories of her. It still has so much meaning to it for me today, and I cannot help but wonder how my children will remember me. I remember her as a woman of prayer, and my mother is now a praying woman.

Song: I Remember Mama Shirley Caesar