31 Ways to Pray for Your Child - O'Leary Church of the Nazarene

For years, like any responsible Christian parent, I prayed daily for my two children, Aubrey and Aaron. I prayed for God's blessing and protection throughout their days. I prayed for them to be happy. I asked God to help them through difficult times and to help them make wise choices. My prayers were regular, heartfelt, and -- for the most part -- pedestrian and repetitive.

I wanted more than that, however. I wanted so much for my children, but when I knelt in prayer, I invariably found the same tired words rolling from my lips, like an adult whose table grace never progressed beyond "God is great, God is good, now we thank him for this food …"

Then one day, Nancy, our pastor's wife, shared a testimony during a morning worship service that changed this parent's prayer life. She told how her concern that her children develop strong Christian morals and the fruits of the Spirit had prompted her to develop a unique prayer list, that included reminders to pray for her children's salvation and growth in grace, as well as other concerns (such as that they would "be leaders, not followers").

That day I decided to follow Nancy's example, and develop a "parent's prayer program" of my own; a simple practice that has revolutionized the way I pray for my children. Each day of the month, in addition to my prayers for their safety and for the concerns of that day, I also pray for a specific character trait, virtue, or fruit of the Spirit to be planted and nurtured in my children, through my efforts (and my wife's), through the influence of others, and through Aubrey and Aaron's own actions and decisions. At the end of each month, I begin praying through the list again, combining traits when the month is shorter than thirty-one days.

Following is the list I have developed, complete with brief suggestions for prayer from Scripture. Feel free to duplicate it -- or improve upon it -- to help you pray specifically and purposefully for your children to experience and evidence:

1	salvation "Lord, let salvation spring up within my children, that they may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory," (Isaiah 45:8, 2 Timothy 2:10).
2	growth in grace "I pray that they may 'grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,' " (2 Peter 3:18).
3	love "Grant, Lord, that my children may learn to 'live a life of love,' through the Spirit who dwells in them," (Ephesians 5:2, Galatians 5:22).
4	honesty and integrity "May integrity and honesty be their virtue and their protection," (Psalm 25:21, NLT).
5	self-control "Father, help my children not to be like many others around them, but let them be 'alert and self-controlled' in all they do," (1 Thessalonians 5:6).
6	a love for God's Word "May my children grow to find your Word 'more precious than gold, than much pure gold; [and] sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb,' " (Psalm 19:10).
7	justice "God, help my children to love justice as you do and to 'act justly' in all they do," (Psalm 11:7, Micah 6:8).
8	mercy "May my children always 'be merciful, as [their] Father is merciful,' " (Luke 6:36).
9	respect (for self, others, authority) "Father, grant that my children may 'show proper respect to everyone,' as your Word commands," (1 Peter 2:17a).
10	strong, biblical self-esteem "Help my children develop a strong self-esteem that is rooted in the realization that they are 'God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus,' " (Ephesians 2:10).
11	faithfulness " 'Let love and faithfulness never leave [my children],' but bind these twin virtues around their necks and write them on the tablet of their hearts," (Proverbs 3:3).
12	courage "May my children always 'Be strong and courageous' in their character and in their actions," (Deuteronomy 31:6).
13	purity " 'Create in [them] a pure heart, O God,' and let their purity of heart be shown in their actions," (Psalms 51:10).
14	kindness "Lord, may my children 'always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else,' " (1 Thessalonians 5:15).
15	generosity "Grant that my children may 'be generous and willing to share [and so] lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age,' " (1 Timothy 6:18-19).