What is prayer? Have you ever asked yourself that question? Prayer is a conversation with God. It is bringing your whole self to the feet of our Creator and talking to Him. There is no right or wrong way to pray. There are no specific words you need to say. You can pray silently in your head, out loud, on your knees, in your journal, by yourself, with others… The beauty of it is this relationship between you and God.
One of the most valuable things you can do for your children is to pray for them. Prayer is powerful. As you read this blog, I pray that you would invite Jesus into your parenting journey… that you would walk alongside Him as you navigate the wild ride.
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Praying through the challenges
No matter how big or small your current challenge is– God wants to hear about it. He already knows about it, but He desires that relationship with you. If your baby won’t sleep, pray about it. If your toddler is throwing tantrums, pray about it. If your first grader is crying every day and not wanting to go to school, pray about it. If your middle schooler is being bullied… or is the bully… pray about it. If your high school junior struggles with insecurity and fitting in, pray about it.
I have found myself at– what felt like at the time– the pit of despair as a parent. I remember literally sobbing through prayers because I was so frustrated with our littles not sleeping. They would get out of bed, destroy the room, tip furniture… I had no idea what to do, so I sobbed and prayed.
It felt like that season was neverending, but the truth is it did end, and praying and walking with God through it helped me. I would pray with the littles as I was getting them tucked in for a nap, and I would ask God to help their bodies be still and their minds rest. I prayed in my morning routine in my journal, and my friends prayed. Everyone was interceding for these tiny gremlins to turn back into Gizmo and just sleep.
Prayer is a foundation
When we pray with our kids, we are setting an example– building habits and routines with them. We are laying the foundation to invite our kids into a relationship with Jesus. We are showing them the simplicity of prayer.
I know it can feel intimidating to pray out loud, even with your own family. I have been there! When my husband and I married, I was so nervous to pray out loud… so I didn’t. One evening, we were at my in-laws, and his sister’s family did a devotional together and then went around, and each person prayed. I thought my heart was going to beat out of my chest.
But I did it, and then we implemented that in our home. I still felt nervous about verbally sharing my heart– my private conversation with the Lord– out loud, but I continued doing it, and now I don’t hesitate for a second to pray out loud no matter who I am with.
Even if it’s just starting at the dinner table and praying before you eat. That is a way for you to disciple your kids and show them how to pray.
Start now
Our kids are 15, 13, 3, 1, and I pray for the here and now…the immediate needs. I pray for their futures… the colleges, and their careers. I pray for their future spouses… for their marriages to be God-honoring and full of love. I pray for their children… my grandchildren. I pray for their health and the choices they make. I pray for their faith and how they love, serve, and honor God.
It doesn’t matter how young or old they are– right now is the perfect time to start praying for them. God hears every prayer, and He can change any heart.
Ask your kids how you can pray for them. I started asking my big kids the “Big 3” in the mornings:
- What are you excited about?
- What are you worried about?
- How can I pray for you today?
I have written prayers for each kid and taped the paper to the wall so as I sit in my chair I can say the prayers– over and over again. I have started praying for each kid as I clean up after them– this includes my husband, too; he’s, sometimes, like a 5th kid. As I pick up the Play-Doh my 3-year-old left out, I thank God for his creativity and ask God to grow and nurture that part of him.
I recently started prayer journals for each kid, and I write in them each month, I plan to give the journal to each kid as they become an adult so they can see how I have interceded for them over the years. In fact, I am so convicted by this that I am developing a prayer journal for this exact thing. It will guide you through praying for your children. It will give you ideas and ways to pray for them. If you want to be the first to know when I launch it on Amazon, join the waitlist.
