12 Powerful Ways to Pray for Your Child

If you’re a Christian and you’re a parent, you probably want to be more deliberate and diligent when you pray for your children. It doesn’t matter if they’re three months old or 33, they need prayer! Here’s a simple guide with 12 powerful ways to pray for your child.

I want to be more diligent and deliberate in covering my three young adult children in prayer, so I decided to come up with a list of ways to pray. As my children get older, the more I realize that they need prayer. To help me be intentional in praying for many different aspects of their lives, I wrote it in an acrostic form. An acrostic theme is when the first letter of each line spells out a word or words.

One method with using this format would be to focus on one of the ways each day for 12 days, or you could do several each day or all of them at once. You decide.

If you want Bible verses to go with each of these 12 ways to pray (wouldn’t that be great?), please enter your email in the box at right or at the bottom of this post.

Without further ado, here are 12 powerful ways to pray for your child.

SEEK GOD

As followers of Christ, we pray for our children to be sensitive to God’s leading. We want them to seek God and long to know Him better.

ADMIT THEIR MISTAKES

May they not blame others for their problems but own their mistakes and ask for forgiveness from people AND from the Lord when they are in the wrong. Taking responsibility for one’s own actions is a hallmark of maturity.

VALUE WISDOM

Don’t let them be derailed by failure or hardship. Instead, may they learn from failing and see difficulties as a way to earn wisdom. Wisdom comes from experience, from listening to good counsel, from studying God’s Word and from prayer.

ENGAGE WITH THEIR GOD-GIVEN PURPOSE

Sometimes we try to make our purpose some huge mystery and worry we’ll miss it. But God isn’t trying to hide anything from us or our kids. He will help them discover their purpose as we study His Word and do what it says. If we are children, spouses, siblings and friends, then part of our purpose is to fulfill those roles as best we can, not on our own, but with the strength and guidance Jesus provides.

DECIDE TO FORGIVE

We pray that they are quick to forgive others and do not hold on to bitterness that pollutes their souls. Forgiveness is a decision and shouldn’t depend on the other person’s actions. Forgiveness does not equal becoming a doormat but should include healthy boundaries when the other person continues to act in harmful ways.

BUILD THEIR BODIES

May they take good care of their bodies and not abuse substances or over indulge. The way they treat their bodies either builds them up or tears them down.

YIELD TO GOD IN ADVERSITY

Instead of asking God to deliver them from every challenging situation, let’s pray they will draw ever closer to the Lord and experience His goodness in difficulties. We want to raise a generation of overcomers.

GROW IN RELATIONSHIPS

May our children mature in the way they relate to others and choose good companions for their spouses and closest friends.

RESIST BAD INFLUENCES AND TEMPTATIONS

We pray they will resist all kinds of bad influences and temptations. The negative messages of a selfish culture would have them give in to whatever feels good at the moment, rather than counting the long-term cost.

ASK GOD TO GUIDE THEIR THOUGHTS

The way we think shapes our words and actions. Our words and actions shape our character and reputation. We ask God to help our children manage their thoughts.

CHOOSE AN ATTITUDE OF JOY

They can’t always choose their circumstances, but they can choose their attitude. We pray they will choose an attitude of joy, especially in times of suffering. Choosing joy means they know God has got their back and will work it out for their good in the end.

EMBRACE OTHERS WITH THE LOVE OF CHRIST

We want our children to shine with the love of Jesus. What did others see in Him? He loved them. He met them wherever they were and helped them. May our children show God’s love to those around them.

When you put the steps together, it spells out SAVED BY GRACE.

This is a long list of ways we want our children to be transformed, but this isn’t intended to be a self-improvement program. It doesn’t work without grace, both God’s unearned favor and the power to do God’s will. At times, we as parents will fail and our kids will fail. God’s grace means there’s nothing we can do to earn His love AND He is always ready to pick us up when we fall.

Above all, may they remember they are saved by grace.

“God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” – Ephesians 2:8-9

One more time, if you want the verses that go with each of these ways, please leave your email at right or below this post. Thanks!