Prayers parents can pray for their kids
As Christian moms and dads, we have a responsibility to our children in so many ways from teaching them and caring for them to praying for them. In fact, prayers for your children is one of the most important tools you have as a parent.
When I was pregnant with each of my children, I prayed for them. Now that they are here, I continue to pray for them. As a mom, in fact, I pray for my children more than I pray for myself. And I think that’s OK. God has blessed me with these children and I want to honor Him in raising them.
But sometimes, I can get a bit stuck in a prayer rut. I can find myself praying for my kids in the same ways or about immediate needs of theirs. However, I want to be intentional about praying for all aspects of their lives and their futures.
So, I decided to start with two weeks of prayers for school children. And I’d love for you to join me on this journey of intentional prayers for your children over the next couple of weeks (or however long it takes you). Just a short prayer a day can make a big difference to help your children stay on the right path.
What the Bible says about prayer
Even before we get into the actual powerful prayers for our kids, I would be remiss if I didn’t start with the Word of God. In the Bible verses about prayer I looked up before writing this post, some verses in Jeremiah stuck out to me.
Many Christians are familiar with Jeremiah 29:11, which says in the NIV, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”
I love God’s promise to secure our futures as His children. I love it even more to know He’ll secure the future of my own children. But, the two verses that follow this one really jumped out to me.
“Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
Jeremiah 29:12-13 (NIV)
God doesn’t just have a plan for our future and our children’s future, but He also listens to us and makes Himself available to us when we seek Him. It’s with that in mind that I want to enter into this collection of prayers for our children.
Prayers for school children
As we continue with specific prayers for school children, may we devote ourselves to daily prayer, be watchful and be thankful that God is working all the time. The power of prayer is strong and these special prayers cover our children whether they are in public school, private school or homeschool.
A prayer for our children’s day
“This is the day the Lord has made;
Psalm 118:24 (NKJV)
We will rejoice and be glad in it.”
Father, I ask that you be with my children as they go throughout their day today. Lord, watch over and protect them in every way everywhere that they are. Surround them with Godly influences. Help them to have the strength they need for anything and everything they may face today. Give them courage to stand up for you and stay strong in their faith. Remind them of your goodness and presence throughout the day. Help them to conquer their challenges and count their blessings. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
A prayer for our children’s friends
“The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.”
Proverbs 12:26 (NIV)
Lord God, be with my children and their friendships. Help them to find the Godly friends who will be good influences on them. Lead them to a good friend who loves and serves you. Father, let your Holy Spirit be at work in their relationship with their new friends and current friends. And if there is a friend in their life they need to move away from, give them clarity of mind. Bless them with good friends who will uplift them, encourage them to do the right thing, make them laugh and be good for them. Protect their friends and help them to know you even better. Give them strength to resist peer pressure and stand up for their beliefs. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
A prayer for our children’s teachers
“In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.”
Titus 2:7-8 (NIV)
Dear God, I ask that you guide my children’s teachers. Even if they don’t know you, Lord, help them to be a good influence on my children. Bless my children with teachers who have integrity and are knowledgeable about their subjects. Help their teachers to understand what my children need and help them to meet those needs in a safe place as my kids grow and learn. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
A prayer for our children’s faith
“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”
Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)
Heavenly Father, help my children to know you more completely and fully. Give them a heart of wisdom to truly understand what it means to have a personal relationship with you and walk in confidence and faith with you as they go through life and encounter difficult situations. Father, help them to not remember a time they haven’t known about you. Grow their relationship with you. Soften my children’s hearts and open their minds to all you have to teach them. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
A prayer for our children’s future spouse
“Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?”
2 Corinthians 6:14 (NIV)
Father, guide my children to the right spouse at the right time for them. And, Lord, I ask that you be with their future spouse now. Surround that person with good, Godly influences and help them to come to know you as personal Savior early on in their life. Protect their hearts and minds in every way so they are whole and ready when they meet my children. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
A prayer for our children’s wisdom & discernment
“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”
James 1:5 (NIV)
Dear Jesus, I ask that you be with my children and give them the wisdom and discernment they need. Help them to know your will and the path you have for their lives. Father, help them to identify and turn away from any person or other influence who draws them away from you. Show them the better way you have for them. Protect them as they grow and learn. Surround them with people who encourage them in their walk with you. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
A prayer for our children’s spiritual protection
“The name of the Lord is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.”
Proverbs 18:10 (NIV)
Father, protect my children spiritually. Remove any spirit tempting them. In the name of Jesus Christ, I rebuke the hold of Satan around my children in the name of Jesus. Strengthen them and protect them from spiritual attacks. Lord, help them to know they can always run to you and you will keep them safe. Keep them from those who want to draw them away from their walk with you. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
A prayer for our children’s mental health
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV)
God, I ask that you be at work in my children’s minds. Lord, help them with their mental health. Cast out any anxiety, fear and self-doubt they have. Replace it with goodness and strength that comes from you. Fill my children with the peace of God you promise us. Give them a spirit of gratitude and calmness so they may live fully in your power and love. Protect them from any influence that brings harm to their mental wellbeing. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
A prayer for our children’s relationship with God
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
John 15:5 (NIV)
Dear Lord, be with my children. Open their hearts and minds fully to you. If they do not know you as personal savior, help them to come to know you as personal savior. And if they do know you, Lord, strengthen and deepen their faith. Help them to stay connected to you in spite of all they have going on and the temptations in the world. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
A prayer for our children’s relationship with siblings
“Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble.”
1 John 2:10 (NIV)
God, grow my children’s relationships with one another. Help them to love each other and treat each other with kindness. Give them grace and compassion for one another. Build their relationship with each other so that they may be friends as well as siblings. Lord, keep hard feelings from growing and festering among them. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
A prayer for our children’s relationship with us
“Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction
Proverbs 1:8-9 (NIV)
and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
They are a garland to grace your head
and a chain to adorn your neck.”
Father, I ask that you help my children to have a good relationship with my spouse and me. Lord, give us wisdom as we parent them to be the kind of parents they need to raise them according to your will and plan for their lives. Help both our children and us to show grace, love and compassion to one another. Keep us close as they grow. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
A prayer for our children’s physical health
“Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.”
3 John 1:2 (NIV)
God, please be with my children physically. Meet their physical needs and help them to remain healthy in every way. Lord, let their bones continue to grow strong and their bodies function well. Help them to enjoy good health. And if they do have health struggles, Father, help us to turn to you and remember that you are always in control and always good. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
A prayer for our children’s safety
“But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.”
2 Thessalonians 3:3 (NIV)
Father, protect my children. Keep them safe when they are with me and safe when they are without me. Put a hedge of protection around them to protect them from the evil one and his schemes. Keep them safe in every way, everywhere they are. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
A prayer for our children’s future
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Romans 12:2 (NIV)
God, give my children wisdom and discernment as they grow, encounter new things and decide the path for their lives. Help them to seek and find your will and plan for them. Lord, renew and refresh their minds so they can be open to what you have for them. Open and close the right doors for them according to your will and plan. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
The importance of prayer life for our children
Whether your children are at the start of a new school year or smackdab in the middle of a current one, utilizing a simple prayer like any of these is beneficial. We want our young children and older children alike to have God’s help and His divine protection to be able to face difficult times.
The important thing is that we keep praying over our children’s lives. In my own life, discouragement is one of the tools Satan uses most to get to me. Through the years, I have learned the best way to combat that is with prayer. I talk to God when I’m feeling discouraged about what I’m doing and whether it’s even worth it. I’m honest with Him and ask for help, wisdom and discernment.
And sometimes we can even feel discouraged in our prayer lives. I have prayed for situations and people so many times and am not able to see God at work. Yet, through faith and what God’s Word tells me, I know He is working even when I cannot see. So I mustn’t give up and neither should you!
“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.”
Colossians 4:2 (NIV)
The Bible constantly reminds us to pray without stopping. Sometimes one of the best ways we can do that is through written prayers like these.
Find prayer cards with these prayers for your children on Etsy:
Find more prayers for your family:
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