“Guess what, mom?
I found my toy! I found my
toy!” my daughter exclaimed. “I
lost my toy this morning, so I asked Jesus to help me find it, and he did, he
did!” Earlier in the day, me and
my preschool-age girls were having a conversation about prayer, and about how
we can talk to God about anything.
We can ask him to help us when we need help. I told them how I talk to God about things going on in my
life too, like helping me find my cars keys when I misplace them, deciding what
to make for dinner, how to help the neighbor, etc. God was so good to hear Sarah’s prayer and answer her right
away! I can envision him being so
happy to please her.
What a rich heritage we can give our children by sharing our
prayer life with them. They catch
a glimpse (or a long, hard look) at what it’s like to have a living
relationship with the God of the universe, who loves us more than anyone else
in the world. It is through our
prayers for them that God is moved to act on their behalf. As we pray for them, with them, and over them, they experience God’s
blessing upon their life.
You know your child more than anyone else. Pray for them—their needs, character, will, mind, emotions, gifts and
talents, everyday stuff in their life, and especially for their heart to long
passionately for God. Pray
specific verses from scripture for their situations. God will hear you, and them, and will answer.
One of the great honors of being a mom is to pray with your child. When they pray out loud, you hear the
cry of their heart, (or what they’re really thinking about). When you pray out loud, keep it simple
and short, to the point, but let them hear your heart. Don’t pray general prayers, or “slogan”
prayers. Pray specifically. Pray often. Philippians 4:6-7 “Don’t fret
or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your
worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a
sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and
settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the
center of your life.”
God tells us to pray over
our children. We are to pray
blessings over them, and upon their lives. Even when they are babies, pray over them at night when they
are asleep (and it’s quiet!). Pray
over your child when they need special guidance or courage.
Mark 10:16
“Then, gathering the children up in his
arms, he laid his hands of blessing on them.”
Eph. 3:20 “God can do
anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in
your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within
us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.”
Pray for
your child. Pray with your child. Pray over your child.
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