Devotional-Prayers for Your Children

We picture the parents in the stands and name the weight we carry as we love and disciple our children. We turn that weight into a guided prayer that releases our kids back into God’s hands and asks for salvation, healing, wisdom, and deep joy in Jesus. From protection against the evil one to healing wounds that distort how they see God’s love, this devotional prayer also covers practical discipleship: hunger for God’s Word, wisdom, holiness, respectful hearts, life-giving friendships, renewed minds, obedience, servant hearts, and strength for spiritual battle. 

If you’re carrying worry, hope, or regret as a parent, adoptive parent, mentor, or spiritual parent, pray along with us. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs peace today, and leave a review so more families can find these prayers.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:02

Welcome to the Father's Business Devotional Podcast, which flows from the heart of Sylvia Gunter and her deep desire to help people know God.

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May God quiet your spirit and soul, draw you close to the Father's heart, and anchor you in the unshakable truth that you are deeply loved and securely held.

Hannah’s Prayer And God’s Trust

Releasing Our Children To God

Salvation And Knowing God

Identity In Christ And Protection

Healing And Hunger For Scripture

Wisdom, Friendships, And A Renewed Mind

Joy, Obedience, And Spiritual Strength

Entrusting Their Future And Closing

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One of my favorite things about watching any type of sporting event or like even the Olympic Games is when they turn the camera to the audience and you see the parents of the athlete that is competing, and you can see in their face the pride they have in their child, but also they are experiencing every moment of that event with them. They're holding their breath, they're hoping that they stick the landing. The parents are completely invested in their children. Now we may not all be parents of Olympic athletes, but anyone who is a parent, whether that be a natural child or even spiritual children that we invest in, we feel the weight of carrying them with us long after they are no longer in our care. I think of Hannah who prayed in 1 Samuel 1.27, Lord, I prayed for this child and you have granted me what I ask of you. Hannah gives us a great reminder that every child entrusted to us to disciple, to nurture, to care for is first entrusted to God. So today we take time to pause and pray for our children, whether they be our natural children, our beloved adopted children, bonus children, even spiritual children, whoever you are investing your life into today, will you join me in praying for them? Father, we come to you first and say, What is on your heart for our children? Guide me by your spirit as I pray according to your will. I release my children into your hands so that you can accomplish your purpose for their lives. Work the life of Christ deep within them, giving them not merely what I desire for them, but what is your very best. And so I start our prayer time by saying, I trust you, even when I don't understand all of what you're up to. I pray that my children would receive and love Jesus as their Savior. Let them understand that you love them so much you gave your only Son, that whoever believes in him will have eternal life. Would you draw them into the security of salvation and the joy of belonging to you? I pray that they would not only know Jesus as Savior, but confess him as Lord. May they recognize his name is above all names. Father, will you teach my children to trust in you with all of their heart and lean not on their own understanding? Fill them with your Holy Spirit, overflowing with the fullness of Christ. Father, let them know you intimately, not just know about you, but know you. May they cherish your name. You are provider, you are their shepherd, you are their healer, you are their redeemer, you are their security and their peace in a world filled with so much anxiety. May they live in the reality of who you are for them. Father, teach them to pray. Teach them to praise you. Would you put your praise in their hearts and on their lips? Father, may our children talk with you about everything and depend on you in everything. Father, anchor their identity in Christ. Let them know how precious they are to you. They are chosen, they are redeemed, they are sealed with a promise. They are part of the royal priesthood. May Christ in them the hope of glory be the foundation of their confidence and identity. Father, protect them from the evil one. Cover them with the power of Jesus and his resurrection and ascension. Remind them that greater is He who is in them than He that is in the world. God, father them with your love. Let them experience, not just intellectually grasp, but truly experience deep down in their core how extravagantly you love them with an abundance that has no end. Father, I ask for you to heal any wounds that would cause them to question your heart. And if anything I have done in my parenting has been a part of that, God, I am so sorry and ask your forgiveness for that and ask for you to heal all the places that I don't even understand are broken. Father, would you give them a hunger for your word? May they treasure it more than wealth? Would you teach them to stand on your promises and defeat every lie that comes against them with your truth? Write your word on their heart so that they learn to hate sin and love holiness, create in them a pure heart, and renew a steadfast spirit within them. Make them wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil. Would you continue to grow them in maturity built on the foundation of Jesus, increasing their wisdom and favor and faith and strength and gratitude? Father, would you teach them to honor their bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit and let them understand the great price Jesus paid for their holiness? Give them respectful hearts towards authority, form humility and gratitude in them as they learn to be obedient. I pray you would bless them with wise, spirit, life giving friendships, draw them to companions who strengthen their walk with you. Will you renew their minds daily in the truth? Guard their thoughts, let them meditate on what is true and noble and right and pure and lovely. Set them free because Jesus, you are the truth, and the truth will set them free. Teach them to walk wisely as they commit their ways to you, show them the blessing of obedience, fulfill your will in them day by day, create in them a sensitive heart and ear that is able to pivot at the gentlest of your whispers of correction. Father, would you be their joy? Let the joy of the Lord be their strength. May they not chase the world's empty pleasures, but find fulfillment in you. Would you show them where they are running to broken cisterns instead of living water? Would you form servant hearts within them? May they seek to please you and not people. Make them courageous in humility and strong in love. Father, I pray that you would train their hands for spiritual battle, teaching them to resist the enemy and stand firm in your strength. Give them discernment and resurrection power in every trial. Jesus, may you always be their greatest affection. Keep their first love alive. Let them love you with all of their heart, soul, strength, and mind. Father, these children were first your idea. You knit them together in their mother's womb. You love them more than we ever could. You see what I cannot see. You understand things that I do not understand. You know things that I do not know. And you are not only with them in their present, but you are already in their future. So today I entrust them to you again. May they walk closely with the one who holds their future and learn to lean on him, abide with him, enjoy him, delight in him, who gave everything so that they might have life. We pray all this in the powerful and protective name of Jesus. Amen.

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Thank you for listening. This devotional was taken from For the Family. You can find an archive of devotionals and other podcasts on our website, www.thefathersbusiness.com, and be sure to follow us at the Father's Biz on Facebook and Instagram.