Thursday Thoughts for Moms: Praying for Your Children

Praying for one's children is one of the most precious and necessary things a mom can do.

First of all, remember to thank God for your children. “Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.” (Psalm 127:3)  Don’t forget that He chose to give you the honor of parenting them. God said of Abraham, “For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice.” (Genesis 18:19)  As partakers of the spiritual heritage of Abraham, I believe this calling applies to us too. He chose you to be the parent of your specific children—it was not a random drawing out of a hat. It is a holy fact.

We pray not just for our children’s benefit, but for ours as well—so that God can give us a heart for our individual children. I believe a mother’s ministry to her kids is glimpsed fairly well in Proverbs 31, verses 26-28a, which says “She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed;…” How can we speak with wisdom if we do not seek God for it?

I believe that when we lay our children before the Lord in prayer, He is faithful to instruct us so that we can then instruct our children and speak words of life to them. A mother is active in profitable activities (“watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness”)—and part of that activity is most assuredly prayer. A mother was designed for such a calling. And ultimately, her children will know she is for them—that she prays for them. Kindness and honor is being grown in them because of her influence and her partnership with the Lord on their behalf, and so they “arise and call her blessed.” That day may not come immediately, nor may it come every day or even every month, but when the moment of a child’s genuine gratitude for all that you do as a mom is expressed—all that you’ve invested—it is a badge of honor like no other.

When I’m praying for my children, I picture their faces and, if possible, what it is that I’m asking God to do, as if it is actually taking place—“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.” (I John 5:14-15)  I see Him protecting them physically, calming them if any frustrations arise, making their paths straight—giving them favor. I see Him speaking to their hearts and them, in turn, listening. I see Him giving them joy and laughter, peace and wisdom. I see Him working out the little details of their lives, preventing mishaps, and enabling them to minister His love to others.

I have lots of room for improvement in it, but I also try to pray God’s Word over them because I believe that Isaiah 55:11 is true: “…so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” When we pray for our children, we are sending a projectile of purpose into the heavenlies, that it may be “on earth as it is in Heaven” (Matthew 6:10), His will being carried out in their lives.

For every need your child has, there is a Scripture that can be activated (sent forth) on his or her behalf. And we can be assured that the Holy Spirit is also working in their hearts according to the power of God’s Word. “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)  As Mark Batterson, author of Praying Circles Around Your Children (which I recommend, by the way) puts it: “For the record, no form of prayer is more powerful than praying through Scripture. You can pray with holy confidence because you're praying the Word of God and the will of God. As you pray through the Bible, you will see the promises of God fulfilled in the lives of your children.” And of course, this applies even when they are officially raised and out of the house.

What do you value most in this life? How much effort would you put into getting ready for a job interview? A wedding? Guests coming to your home? How much more important than any of those things is the ministry we have in preparing our kids to live out their destinies.

So pray that God will cover and protect them, body, soul, and spirit. Pray that they will have a sensitivity to His Spirit and hear His voice clearly. Pray about the things that matter to them, the things that trouble them, the things that excite and ignite them. You will never look back and say ‘I wish I hadn’t prayed so much for my children.’ “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16b)   Pray today—and “pray without ceasing” (I Thessalonians 5:17). They are your heritage, and their heritage will come to pass as you pray.