How often do you consciously set aside a chunk of time- before situations arise- and pray over and for your kids?
The question posed would hopefully cause you to reflect and/or be challenged if this is a discipline you do not practice. Time spent in prayer will never be a waste, even if the fruit of your prayers comes many years, if not generations later.
An amazing resource, and an inspiration for this Monday Motivation, is 5 Things to Pray for Your Kids: Prayers that Change things for the Next Generation by Melissa Kreuger.
Let’s take a look at Psalm 19 and see a few specific ways we, as parents, can pray each verse for our kids.
Psalm 19: 7-11 reads:
“7 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
8 the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
9 the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.
11Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.”
Here’s a few (there are many more in these 5 verses) examples of ways you can pray for each of your children:
1. Each person faces different trials and each one’s heart will struggle with different sins. However, we have great hope knowing that the law of the Lord is perfect (v.7). No matter what our child seeks wisdom for, scripture holds wisdom to guide them. Ask the Lord to grow in them a love and hunger for his word.
2. Rejoicing in the heart (v. 8) The NIV says, “giving joy to the heart.” Ask the Lord to bring delight in Him to our children at a young age. May they desire God’s word, find joy in reading it, and may the Holy Spirit speak loudly in their hearts.
3. …by them is your servant warned (v. 11). Scripture not only gives us wisdom for what is right, but it instructs us what to heed. Pray that your children would not just hear the word of God but be a doer of the word. Ask the Lord to bless your child in their trusting and obedience of the word of God.
ACTION STEPS with your kids: Read Psalm 19 with your kids. Point out the truths we know from reading it. Pray with your children these verses. Encourage them to ask the Lord to give them a strong desire to know his word, to help them remember the warnings the Bible gives, and to give their hearts joy when they read it.
