We know as Christian parents that it is important to be praying for our children. But sometimes it is hard to know where to start, especially as a new parent or in a new phase of parenting.
These examples of parent’s prayer for children can be a great way to inspire your own prayers, or mentor you in learning how to pray for your children.
Prayer makes a difference in the life of your children, but it can also make a difference in your heart as you learn to trust God with your children, and as He strengthens you as a parent through your prayer time.
If you are not a parent, but are a grandparent or other concerned adult who wants to pray for the next generation, these prayers can be useful as well.
Read more to get ideas and helpful tips on how to pray for your children. Don’t miss the free printable 31 day prayer plan at the end of this post!
What Difference Can Prayer Make in Your Child’s Life?
No matter what stage of parenting you are in, even if your child is an adult, you can face new challenges you don’t feel prepared for. You might run into situations where you think you are just not strong enough to handle what your child is facing.
The truth is, we should face these difficult times, and even the good times, armed with God’s strength and not our own. The best way to get started by that is in prayer.
Prayer is talking with God, the Creator of the Universe, who loves you and your child! He wants you to reach out to Him and trust Him with what is on your heart. Often, as a parent, that is your child.
Please understand that prayer isn’t the “trick” to get God to do what you want Him to do. He is fine with you asking Him for what is on your heart. But prayer isn’t a simple transaction like a vending machine.
God doesn’t just accept our prayers as payment and issue an answered prayer. Instead, He uses our prayers to bring us closer to Him and work in our hearts. He answers prayers according to His will.
Our prayers make a difference (James 5:16), but are not “the magic words” to get what you want. Surrender with sincerity your thoughts, heart, and control of the situation to the Lord, and He will see you through, whether or not is answered according to your will.
These prayers are here as example prayers. Pray with a sincere and humble heart and see what God has in store for you and your child.
Parent’s Prayer for Children: 10 Example Prayers
Sometimes, knowing what to pray for your child can be difficult. Perhaps you are new to praying and aren’t sure what to say. Or maybe you are in such a painful or scary situation with your child, and just can’t get beyond saying, “Help me, Lord!”
God hears what you say, even just the desperate cries of a parent in crisis. Reach out to God by talking to Him about what’s on your heart. You aren’t required to say these prayers in order to pray.
However, some people find example prayers or sample prayers helpful as an outline to remind them about different aspects of a situation. That is our hope with these 10 examples of a parent’s prayer for children.
Find a simple prayer that speaks to your situation and use it to inspire your own prayers, or pray along with it with a sincere heart.
Prayers for Young Children
New parents can face a lot of stress and uncertainty as they learn how to take care of a newborn. What a great opportunity to start praying your way through parenthood!
With so many different opinions coming in from friends, family members, and all the experts of the internet, it can be difficult to know you are making the right choices for your child.
Choosing to start praying for your children from an early age can be such a blessing to their lives, and to yours as well! It can help you know how to parent them, and provide them the peace of God as you do.
Use these prayers for your young children to pray over various aspects of their young lives.
A Prayer for Safety and Protection for Your Children
O Lord,
Thank you so much for my children. They are so precious to me and I am grateful to be a parent to them, even when I am tired or frustrated with them.
I pray for protection over them today. May You be their help and their shield (Psalm 115:9). May You answer them in the day of trouble (Psalm 20:1). May they trust in You. (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Help me to make wise decisions for their protection, but also guide me not to live in fear.
I ask these things in the mighty name of Jesus, Amen.
A Short Prayer for a Good Night’s Sleep for Your Children
Dear Heavenly Father,
As I say goodnight to my sweet children, I trust them to You. Please watch over each breath they take and help their bodies to be refreshed and recharged as they sleep.
I know that even though I love my children more than I ever imagined, that Your perfect love outshines it by far. They were fearfully and wonderfully made by You (Psalm 139:14). Thank You for loving them.
May You bless them with rest and sweet dreams. Help us to handle any situations that arise at night with wisdom. Prepare them for tomorrow’s blessings and challenges.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
A Prayer for Your Young Children to Know Christ
O God,
I love you so much! Your salvation has changed my life forever. I can’t imagine my life without You.
Please, Lord, soften my child’s heart that they might come to know You soon, and have eternal life in You. May they love Your Word (Psalm 1:2), and not cherish sin (Psalm 86:18).
Help me give them opportunities to learn more about You, and show me how to be a good example to them of a loving and faithful Christian.
I ask this in the name of Christ Jesus, Amen.
A Prayer for Friendships for Your Children
Dear God,
I am thankful that You are always with my children, and that they are never alone. You also created us to love and support each other, and I pray that my children will have godly friendships that honor You.
Please, Lord, give them iron-sharpening-iron friends (Proverbs 27:17), that their friendship would help them grow closer to You and not lead them away from You.
I pray that You would show me where I can be helpful in this process. Give me wisdom on when to intervene and when to step back.
May my children be good friends to others.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Prayers for Adult Children
When your children were younger, you probably thought that parenting would be easier once they got to a certain age.
And it can be easier in a lot of ways, freed from having to provide for every physical need of your child. You might not need to comfort your child back to bed in the middle of the night or work on a school assignment at the last minute with them.
Yet as you turn these responsibilities over to them as young adults, you are also letting go of your authority and some of the influence in their lives, right as they face some of the biggest decisions about their future lives.
Many years ago, I heard that being a parent of a young child is physically hard, and being a parent of an adult child is emotionally hard. This statement definitely has some truth to it.
Prayer for your adult child is a great way to remind your heart and your mind that God is in control – He always has been and He always will be! Use these sample prayers to pray through some of the situations your adult child (of any age) may face.
Prayer for Strength During Temptation for Your Children
Dear God,
I thank You that You love my adult children. My heart for them is to walk closely with You, and I know that You want that for them, too.
I pray against sin in their lives. May they lay aside every obstacle and sin that so easily entangles (Hebrews 12:1), and follow You with perseverance and integrity.
May they see a way out of the temptations they face (1 Corinthians 10:13), and may they repent when they have given into sin (Acts 3:19).
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Prayer for Discernment in Life Decisions for Your Children
Dear God,
As my children face decisions about their future plans, I pray that You would give them wisdom to make choices in line with Your will for them.
I pray that they would ask You for wisdom, that You would give it to them (James 1:5). May they pray their way through each decision, allowing you to correct their hearts. May they not be deceived by their hearts (Jeremiah 17:9), but follow Your will for them, making good plans that honor You.
Whether they have decisions to make about their career, schooling, relationships, or any other future plans, may they turn to You first.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Prayer for Adult Children to Walk Closely with the Lord
Note: Whether or not your adult children have made a decision to follow Christ, you can pray this for them. You are praying that they will know Christ or that they will know Him better.
O Lord,
I want to lift up my children to know You better, as their Savior and their Lord.
May they embrace the Gospel in their lives, and turn away from the deceptions in this world.
Where they do not believe, help their unbelief (Mark 9:24). May they see that their help comes from You, who made heaven and earth (Psalm 121:2).
Please have mercy on them and draw them close to You.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Prayers for Children of Any Age
No matter what age your child is, these prayers are a great way to bring your cares and concerns about them to the Lord.
Worry does not change anything, but prayer can! Whether you are raising a toddler, a teenage son or daughter, or your adult child lives across the country, these prayers are the best way to surrender your concerns about your children to the Lord.
Prayer for Good Health and Well-Being for Your Children
Dear Lord,
I am thankful for these children with which You have blessed me. They are so precious to me!
I pray for their physical health, that You would protect them from illnesses and conditions. When they face these challenges, I pray that You would heal them by Your amazing power (Psalm 103:3).
Please preserve their mental health as well. May they think on what is true (Philippians 4:8). Provide godly people and professionals to turn to if they are struggling in this area. Help them to make good choices that support a healthy mind.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Prayer of Spiritual Growth for Your Children
Dear Lord,
I pray that my children would honor You and glorify You today.
May they grow in the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), that they would show love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control in their lives.
May they live by the power of the Holy Spirit today.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Prayer for Your Children in Difficult Times
Dear Lord,
You know the challenges that I am facing with our children today. I am overwhelmed and am not sure what to do or what lies ahead.
I thank You that You do know what lies ahead, and that You will be working all of these things together for the good of those who love You (Romans 8:28). Please use this to bring all of us closer to You and to grow in You.
Help us to trust You through these challenging times, taking refuge in You (Psalm 31:14-16).
I ask these things in Jesus’ holy and precious name, Amen.
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Resources for Praying for Your Children
We have a free resource here to help you pray for your children. This printable 31 Day Prayer Plan has a list of traits with supporting Bible verses to help you pray scripture over your child. You can download it here.
If you’d like the expanded printable, it is available for purchase and includes a devotion, a prayer, a quiet time worksheet, a prayer request sheet, and a prayer worksheet (based on the ACTS prayer method).
Another way to encourage your prayer life for your children is to find a prayer partner who you can regularly pray with.
If you’re a mom or grandma, one way you could do this is by finding a whole group of prayer partners in a Moms in Prayer group. Or, you can find another Christian friend in your church or your community who has the same desire to pray for their kids.
Some books are great at encouraging you in your prayer for your children, with illustrations of the power of prayer, and also more example prayers. Check out some of these options.
- Mom’s Little Book of Powerful Prayers by Fern Nichols. This is my favorite one of these types of books. I have purchased several as gifts.
- Stormie Omartian’s The Power of Praying for Your Adult Children Book of Prayers is a compact book, great for inspiration on praying for the situations your adult children face.
- Jodie Berndt has a line of books about praying for your children, including one for children, one for teens, and one for your adult children.
- One book I am interested in checking out is Sharon Jayne’s Praying for Your Child from Head to Toe: A 30-Day Guide to Powerful and Effective Scripture-Based Prayers. What I have read so far seems very helpful.
You can use these videos from our YouTube channel to help you pray for your child. See our first prayer here, and find the playlist here. (COMING SOON)
As parents of children of any age, we often are busy with thoughts of them, tasks for them, or concerns about them.
Adding prayer to the list of things we do for them – even moving it to the top of our lists – might be the most powerful thing we do for them in our lives.
Our prayers are part of making a difference in their lives, to accept the gift of salvation and to grow in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Use the resources in this article to find some tools to support you in expanding your prayer life regarding your children.
God knows your heart and hears your prayers. Even if you haven’t been praying for your children before, start today and see what God does in their lives and in your heart.
If you liked Parent’s Prayer for Children, you may also like 7 Short Prayers for Moms and Back to School Prayers.
