“Pray without ceasing” or as the Living Bible puts it, “Always keep on praying.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17 NIV

I told my cousin Shanthi that I was writing on prayer and asked her how she prayed for her children. Shanthi was mother to 5, she lived in the US and home schooled all of them. I called her the Susannah Wesley of our family!

Shanthi immediately quoted the verse above- short and simple-, pray without ceasing. Then she added a few more lines. “Seasons of fasting, praying as they interact with me, communicating my love and care for them,” she finished.

Elizabeth George in her book A Woman After God’s Own Heart says we as mothers are ‘on an assignment from God to pray for our children.’

I read that Billy Graham’s mother set aside a time each day to pray for him and his calling. As mothers you and I have many opportunities when we can pray with and for our dear children.

“I am not a man nor a minister, yet as a mother I felt I ought to do more than I had yet done,” says Susannah Wesley. “I resolved to begin with my own children; in which I observe the following method: I take such a proportion of time as I can spare every night to discourse with each child apart. On Monday I talk with Molly, on Tuesday with Hetty, Wednesday with Nancy, Thursday with Jacky, Friday with Patty, Saturday with Charles.’

As a mother Susannah took it upon herself to train her children in the ways of the Lord, to recite Scripture daily and to pray for and with them.

Today we will look at what the Bible says about praying for our children under 3 headings.

In the Bible we see Job praying for his children and Hannah dedicating little Samuel to God.

Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of his children…..This was his regular custom.

Job 1:5b NIV

Could we make it our regular custom to lift our children up to God each morning?

I prayed for this child and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord.

1 Samuel 1:27 and 28a NIV

How could we dedicate our children to the Lord today?

1.       Prayer and Fasting

I read this morning that here are 80 verses on ‘fasting’ in the Bible.

Give out a call to fast.

Joel 1:14 NIV

Isaiah 58:6-8 spells out what fasting should be and what we should avoid when we fast.

The passage ends with verse 9.

Then you will call and the Lord will answer

You will cry for help and He will say Here I am.

Isaiah 58:9 NIV

Are you worried about your son’s anxiety issues or fits of anger?

Are you sitting up at night because your daughter has made a series of wrong choices?

Is the toddler stage killing your peace of mind?

Do you long for your children to draw close to God and seek Him above all else?

‘Fasting changes our pace, our focus and our heart.

Fasting gives us more time with fewer distractions.

Fasting gives us quality time with God.’

-Pam Farrel

What can you and I fast from? Does shopping, surfing the net, time on the phone or time at work rob us of our intimate time with God? Is there something we could give up? Can we set up a time of day and a day of the week now?

I have seen my mother, granma and mother-in-law fast and pray for us, and for their husbands. That has been such a blessing.

If you would like to study more on the topic, I would encourage you to do a study on fasting as presented by Tirzah in the book Habits of Devotion – A Bible study on spiritual disciplines. (You will find it in the Tirzah book store)

2.      Praying Verses Over Our Children

Praying verses over our children is a good way to pray. It helps us get our priorities in the right order as we lift our children to God. When you choose a verse, write it out in your journal or device. Then pray it in your words paraphrasing the verse. Read the verse in a couple of versions and choose the one which is close to your heart.

You may want to pray this verse for your child.

Lord, I pray that you will give my children wisdom and understanding so that they will grow in the knowledge of God.

Ephesians 1:17b

As I dwell on God’s word and study it I mark out verses to be used as prayers. Here are a few.

Lord, please keep my children holy- sanctified in body, soul and mind. 1 Thessalonians 5:23

Lord, let my children not copy the behavior and customs of this world, but may they be transformed by you into a new person by changing the way they think. Romans 12:1 NLT

3.       A Prayer Journal

Writing down prayers keeps us intentional and focused. We can also write down answers to prayers. Sometimes God’s answers are not exactly what we prayed for but we realize that he always wants the best for us.

I set aside a page for each of my loved ones- My husband, our 2 sons, our daughter in law and our little grandson. I have six nieces ranging in age from a fresh, beautiful 20-year-old to a 40 something year old busy mother of 3. Each of their needs are different and they are all facing different choices and challenges.

God has put it in my heart to pray for single mothers I know, some from our family, some friends or acquaintances. When I hear about a sick person at church, a colleague who had a difficult diagnosis or a family facing job loss, I jot the details in my journal to pray for them.

Sometimes God calls us to step out and be the answer to someone’s prayer. Make a meal and drop off to an ailing friend, sit with a grieving family member or send comfort in words to a friend who lives far away.

In the words of Marion Stroud, “Our children are ours to hold and not to possess.’”

When we leave our children in God’s safe arms, we allow God to be God in their lives.

May God grant us time, creativity and grace to pray for our children.