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Pray for Your Children {31 Days: Day 1}

31 days to change

Here we go! Day 1! Ready?

A few months ago, I started praying for my husband every day. I specifically prayed for his job, his finances, his temptations and more. And the weirdest thing happened. I started to love him more. I don’t think he became a better man during this time.  For some reason, when I prayed for him, it affected me on the inside.

I clearly saw how much of a better wife I was when I prayed for him. And realized, “Whoa. What if I started specifically praying for my children every day? Maybe I’ll be a better mother, too!” So, I picked up Stormie Omartian’s famous book, The Power of a Praying Parent to help me pray.

Before I even got to the first prayer I began to cry because of this verse in the preface:

Arise, cry out in the night,
as the watches of the night begin;
pour out your heart like water
in the presence of the Lord.
Lift up your hands to him
for the lives of your children…

Lamentations 2:19

God wants me to pray for my children. He commands it. So, that’s what I’ve been doing. And sometimes it seems overwhelming. I pray for their protection from harm one day and think, “Ack! I need to pray this every day for the rest of their lives! If I don’t they might get in a car accident! Or break their leg! Or fall off the Empire State Building!” It feels like the prayers are some kind of magic words that bring the results we want!

But the more I’ve prayed, the more I see that’s not the case. Instead, (I think) God gave me a picture of what a parents’ prayers are like. Each prayer is a brick. A small brightly colored brick.

power of a praying parent

I might pray for my daughter to be self-controlled while at school. I see it as a small yellow brick laid down around her. The next day I pray she would be protected from harm. A completely different prayer, but still important. It might be a teal brick sitting right next to that yellow one.

And the more I pray, the more small colored bricks are being layered below and around her. Some as a foundation for her feet. Some as protection around her.

I can’t possibly hit every single thing that will come into her life. It’s not like if I forget to pray that she gets good grades, she’ll fail out of school and God will say, “Too bad. Shoulda prayed about that one!” No. I feel like all my little prayers will make this big foundation and wall that will ultimately protect her and keep her steady.

I heard in a sermon once that God is not moved by need. If he were, there would be no starving children, no rape, no miscarriage and no heartbreak. Instead, God is moved by prayer. And when we pray in line with His powerful, double-edged Word, He moves. My little prayers move God to do miracles in my children’s lives. Miracles that might take place in their heart when they are 30 years old, or with their best friend in 1st grade, or in their marriage, or when they are driving on a snowy road or on their first day on a college campus.

So today? The first day of our 31 days? Let’s pray.

Oh, God! I feel so small when I think about being a parent! I know it’s only by your leadership that I can do anything for my children! Thank you for the promise that you will confide in us when we fear you. (Psalm 25:14) As I pray for my children, please confide in me about their hearts, Your will for them and how I can help them know you more. Holy Spirit, remind me to take up the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit and prayer so I can stand firm against the enemy for my children’s hearts and lives. (Ephesians 6:10-23) Thank you for the honor of leading my children to You!

How do you pray for your kids?


photo source: Kymberly Janisch

Comments

  2. The prayer calendar from Inspired to Action has been wonderful for me. It hangs near my son’s rocking chair and most days (I wish I could say every day) when I am rocking him to sleep, I look over and pray for him and my husband according to that day’s specified prayer.

  3. Thanks for your comment and directing me to your blog! I have enjoyed your blog before but need to bookmark it so I can come back more often. 🙂 I look forward to your series as well!! I love this post…and it is funny, I had the VERY same experience in praying for my husband too!! That is probably the biggest evidence of God’s work through prayer in my life…and really what turned my heart towards praying more.

  5. OK – AWESOME! I pray consistently for the kids and my husband but was convicted about praying everyday for them. Especially when the side effect is being a better wife and a better Mum!
    Thanks!

  7. Yes! I pray for my daughter but I love the idea of praying for different things each day. I need to print that page from Inspired To Action. Will definitely be following along the next 31 days {& beyond :D}.

  8. Each night as I rock my sweet boy, I go over the steps to pray, 1. Thank God, 2.Ask forgivness,3.Think of as many people you can that need somthing special from God. I know that sounds simple but later on I will get more into it. (He is only 20 mths olds)Being able to rock/pray with him is my hightlight. One of the few times he is ever still, so I can cuddle with him to. Thanks for your sweet post, I am a new mommy and I love stuff like this so glad I found it

  9. Amanda,
    I just love this post and I pray all the time for my husband & kids. I even pray when I get into the van to go anywhere but I pray more when my kids get into the van than I pray “Dear Lord please let us all return home safe and please protect my kids”. I will follow this and join with you on these 31 days…
    God bless you & your family and may everything you pray for be granted in his name.. ?

  10. I love the idea of the bricks…and how each prayer we pray for our children is building a foundation and protection around them. Thanks for sharing and thanks for the encouragement to pray!

  11. Thanks for this. I love the brick analogy. Sometimes it does feel overwhelming so this really helps.

    I am looking forward to the next 31 days…I have a few days to catch up on.

  13. I am praying for my children everyday not only in my quiet time, but also with them. I am using the prayer calendar and praying the virtues right with my children and my three year old son is picking up words like faithfulness, patience and humility! Praise God!

  14. Whoa! This dabs dab rig looks exactly like my old
    one! It’s on a entirely different subject but it has pretty much the same page layout and design.
    Excellent choice of colors!

Hi there!


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