My dear friend, Kris Hage, shared these thoughts with me and is graciously allowing me to share them with you! NOTE: there is a free PDF download with verses to pray for your children, don’t miss it!
Praying for our Children ~ our Disciples
As John Newton told of God’s “Amazing Grace” in his life, he gave credit to his mother for all the prayers she had prayed for him and the Scriptures she had taught him, even though she died of tuberculosis two weeks before his seventh birthday. “My dear mother…often commended me with many prayers and tears to God; and I doubt not but I reap the fruits of these prayers to this hour.”[1]
God is the one who saves us and our children from an eternity without Him and God is the one who makes us like Jesus Christ. We as parents are only a channel through which He works His perfect plan.[2] So we call out to God in prayer for our children. Pray not just for their physical needs, but of ultimate importance, for their salvation and their spiritual growth—whether they are growing in the womb or have a home of their own.
Christians are commanded throughout Scripture to pray to our all-powerful God, who abounds in love and grace! To quote just a few:
Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually! Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Pray without ceasing… Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints. Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. (Psalm 105:4, Philippians 4:6, 1 Thessalonians 5:17, Romans 12:12, Ephesians 6:18, Colossians 4:2)
Patterns of Prayer to Imitate—Praying God’s Heart
The Apostle Paul was a spiritual father to many, many believers. Hisprayers for his disciples are praying God’s own heart for my children, who are my disciples. Paul likened his labor of love to bring them the gospel to the labor a woman goes through to give physical life to her child. And he put out the same kind of labor in prayer for their sanctification—God’s making them like His Son, Jesus Christ. As parents, I believe we need to labor in prayer for our children’s sanctification as well!
My little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you (Galatians 4:19)!
To get a FREE PDF download of this list with the complete verses, click HERE.
Pray constantly with thankfulness to our all-powerful, all-knowing, all-sufficient God~~Romans 1:8-10
When you are apart~~Romans 1:8-12
When there is discord in the family~~Romans 15:5-7
When you or your child feels hopeless~~Romans 15:13
Thankful that God is faithful~~1 Corinthians 1:4-9
Prayer for restoration~~2 Corinthians 13:7-9
In everything by prayer with thanksgiving…that you may KNOW~~Ephesians 1:16-21
Prayer for strength, faith and love ~ God is able~~Ephesians 3:14-21
Abounding love, knowledge, and discernment~~Philippians 1:9-11
When we need to know God’s will~~Colossians 1:9-14
Giving thanks for God’s work in them~~1 Thessalonians 1:2-3
Encouragement to walk worthy of God~~1 Thessalonians 2:11-13
Focusing on the joy and love, not just the problems we see~~1 Thessalonians 3:8-13
Prayer for a holy life~~1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
Pray God will be glorified in them~~2 Thessalonians 1:11-12
Praise and prayer to stand firm~~2 Thessalonians 2:13-17
May God’s precious gospel go forth~~2 Thessalonians 3:1-5
When we need the God of peace~~2 Thessalonians 3:16
Boldness to share your faith~~Philemon 1:4-7
[1] To read more of this amazing story see https://www.challies.com/articles/christian-men-and-their-godly-moms-physical-weakness-spiritual-strength/.
[2] See Ephesians 2:8-10, John 17:17, Psalm 18:30.
