Parent Equipping Blog- Praying for Your Kids

When it comes to praying for your children, kids may be the best example to follow. Your kids, especially if you have younger kids, probably tell you about everything that is going on in their lives. They tell you when they are happy, and they tell you when they are upset. They tell you what their fears are and what their needs are. They come to you with complete confidence that you are there for them, that you love them, and that you can take care of their problems.  When it comes to prayer, Jesus taught us that we should communicate with God as a child communicates with a loving parent.

How to Pray

1. Pray Boldly

Your children probably ask you for a thousand things a day. Children ask questions at all hours and all times of the day knowing that you are the person that they can depend on.  Jesus taught us that we should approach prayer in the same way.

In Luke 11:5-6, just after Jesus taught his disciples the Lord’s prayer, Jesus shared the parable of the friend at midnight. The friend approaches the house of another long after it was polite to do so to ask his friend for some loaves of bread. This would be just as rude then as it would be now, but this is also how Jesus said we should approach prayer.

Jesus was teaching his disciples to pray boldly. As a parent, your prayers for your kids do not have to sound like eloquent prayers you hear at church. You do not need to add flowery language to make God happy. Instead, when you pray for your children, your requests should be as bold and as straightforward as your child coming into your room at midnight to ask you for a glass of water.

2. Pray Persistently

There has probably been a time where your child wanted something so bad that they asked you for it over and over and over and over again until you finally broke down and gave them what they wanted. Times like this can be a pain in your life, but once again this is how Jesus instructs us to pray.

In Luke 18:1-8, when once again teaching his disciples about prayer, Jesus tells the parable of the persistent widow. The widow was able to make an unrighteous judge give her justice merely by coming to him every single day with the same request. Eventually, the judge was so worn down that he gave the widow what she wanted just so he could have some peace and quiet.

If an unrighteous judge who did not care for the widow can be moved by persistence, how much more will your Father in heaven—who loves you and wants what is best for you—be moved by persistent prayers?! There will be times when your prayer requests for your children seem like they are not being answered. In addition, your children will need prayer no matter how old they grow. In both cases, Jesus encourages you to pray with all the persistence your children have when they ceaselessly beg you for something they really want!

3. Pray Expectantly

When your child comes to you with a request, your natural reaction is to do the best you can to make your child happy. You may not give them everything they request for various reasons because you have the overall well-being of your child and family in mind, but there is still an underlying desire to make your child happy.

Jesus says the same is true of our heavenly Father. In Luke chapter 11, verses 9-13, Jesus mentions that our Father loves to give good gifts to His children. God wants to answer your prayers and wants you to be fully expectant that He will answer your prayers.

However, just like when you answer your children’s requests, the answer may not always be yes, or may not always come the way you want it. God seeks what is best for us and will give us what is best. In the meantime, it is your job to pray good prayers for your children with the same expectation that God will answer them as your children have the same expectation when they request something from you.

Challenge

Set aside a time each day to pray for your children. Pray boldly, pray persistently, and pray expectantly. Let the Lord know everything that is in your heart for your children. Share your fears and your hopes and lay them all at the Lord’s feet. If you do not know what else to say pray that the words of Luke 2:52 will come true in the lives of your children. ^“And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” Luke 2:52

For those of you who are interested in a monthly scripture prayer calendar for your kids, please click HERE to find a calendar created by Richard Ross, Professor of Student Ministry at Southwestern Seminary.