I love woodworking. Sometimes I even pretend I’m Joanna Gaines and try to remodel my entire bathroom. Who’s with me? I quickly come back to reality when I find myself hammering a screw into the wall with the top of a spoon, just to end up fixing the hole in the wall that was left.
If we don’t have the correct tools, it’s likely we won’t see the outcome we are looking for and cause much more damage in the end that will need fixing.
It’s the same thing when it comes to praying over our kids. Prayer is the most powerful tool we have as a parent. Now, many people might agree with this statement, but until we realize the importance of it, we won’t even think of taking it out of our dusty toolboxes.
The idea of me hammering that screw into the wall with a spoon was absurd. Right? Then why do we try to parent without the most important tool of all: prayer!
How do you pray for your children? Or maybe you don’t. Do you find it to be hard? Here are 3 of my most desperate prayers I pray over my children. I hope they come as a tool to you.
Pray for their salvation through the valleys of life
We all go through certain types of pain, emotionally or physically. The pain of losing a loved one. Hurtful words from others. Pain from a terrible illness. No one wants these things for their child. So the first thing I want to pray over my kids is for God to keep them from it.
But the reality is, pain brought me to Christ. And it was only through pain that Christ set me free. The valleys of life are what continue to mold me today, and though I wish to take all the pain and pray for a pain-free life for my boys, it would hinder them so much, not only their growth in Christ but experiencing Christ themselves.
I know it’s hard. But in sheer desperation for my child’s eternal future I’m okay with praying this prayer. For Christ to convict these little hearts of their sin. That life is hard and that things are not fair. That Christ would break them of their sin nature only to help them learn how to truly cling to the truth of the Gospel. (Matthew 10:32) (John 10:28)
Pray for a humble heart
Failure is inevitable in this life. Whether it be a soccer game you lose or a speech competition where you forget your words. Failure is out there. Humility is something you attain specifically through failure. Let me make this clear, I’m in no way praying for my children to fail. Never. But when they fail, for God to humble their hearts to be receptive to His comfort, grace, and correction.
Only through humility can love be shown, grace be attained and mercy pour into others. This is what Jesus did for us. (Phil 2:8, Matthew 13:8)
Pray for fear to cease as they go out into the world
In the beginning stages of motherhood, I always feared the day my kids would grow up and leave me (I can be dramatic sometimes). But when I realized that my time was short, I changed my main goal. From grasping them to letting them go. They are not mine, to begin with. They are indeed just on loan.
Christ calls us to let go of our children. To bend the bow back and release them into a world that desperately needs what they have: Jesus. But they won’t be ready unless we as mommas, when the time is right, decide to let go so that everything we have taught them under the guidance of our heavenly father and the truths of His word would be shared with others. (Matthew 28 18:-20)
Final words from an imperfect but praying mom
Let’s be moms that desperately seek to pray for our kids’ future. I’m not perfect. When bedtime comes around, the whinnying and the constant “I need,” “I’m hungry” demands come up. All it makes me want to do is flee away! Or I end up frustrated and pray a two-second prayer just to check it off my list. But now I can see that those nights that are full of frustration and fatigue are the most needed nights with Jesus.
“Structure and spontaneity in prayer are not at all at odds with one another.” – Pastor Nick Aufenkamp
You see, the more we see our desperation in a situation the more likely we sense the need for prayer. If we could only rid ourselves for just a moment and begin to talk to God over the noise, over the struggle–our children would fall asleep to sweet whispers to Jesus. Don’t hinder your children from the blessings God has for them due to a lack of prayer. (Matthew 19:14)
Let this be a reminder today, kneeling before God on behalf of our children is one of the greatest and most effective things we can do as mommas.
