7 Daily Prayers to Pray Over Your Children

by Elizabeth McGlathery January 21, 2021

I grew up in a Jesus-believing family. However, I did not grow up in a home where praying together was a regular thing. Going to church was not a weekly (or even monthly) event for the large majority of my upbringing. My Dad was not a Deacon. My mom was not a Sunday School teacher. Our Bibles collected dust on a shelf more than they were cracked open to seek for Truth. And though there is a part of me that wishes this had not been the case, I am deeply grateful for the upbringing God gave me.

I say all of this not to make my parents feel bad (if you’re reading this mom & dad- please don’t feel bad. You guys are great, I think I turned out alright, and thank God for grace!)-- I say all of this because I bet some of you reading this could say the same thing. I say all of this to level the playing field and to let you all know that I am not a Christian who grew up in Sunday School. I am not a Christian who had this modeled for me in my own home. I am not a Christian who goes to church because “that’s just what I’ve always done.” I am not a Christian who has it all together. I am not a Christian who does not royally mess up sometimes.

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But the line stops here. As I continue to grow my family and make the decisions for what the culture in my home will look like, I am making sure my home is filled with the Truth of our Lord, with worship, with open dialogue, and with the power of prayer. The culture of our homes are our responsibility. It is not something we should be passive about.

My husband and I pray with our son every. single. day. Not a day goes by that we do not pray, out loud, together as a family. If you are not comfortable with praying out loud with your family, I encourage you to push past the awkward. We don’t have time to bow down to awkwardness. We don’t have time to not do things because we are uncomfortable. The more you do it, the more normal it will be.

"We don’t have time to bow down to awkwardness."

I am sharing 7 one sentence, simple, yet powerful prayers I pray over / with my son every day. These are for you to use in your own home if you wish or to inspire you to come up with your own prayers specific to your children. If you aren’t already- start today! Start now!

*A usual occurrence of my husband and I praying for our son, in his room, as we waited to bring him home in 2018.

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1. God, I pray that you relentlessly pursue his heart.

2012 was the year the enemy tried SO HARD to tear me down. It was a year full of brokenness, death, evil, lost trust, dysfunction, grief, disunity, & deep sadness. I did not have the strength to fight for myself. I did not have the words to pray. I did not have the will to move on with life… BUT GOD. But God had other plans for my life. God RELENTLESSLY pursued my heart. God fought for me time and time and time again. He pulled me out of the pit and I will never go back. I pray for that same relentless pursuit from God for my son every day of his life regardless of what is going on. I pray God fights for his soul and overpowers any attempt from the enemy to tear him down. In Jesus’ name.

"In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them, He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old." -Isaiah 63:9

2. God, I pray that you hold him close all the days of his life.

What I mean by this: Every time my child is tempted, God I pray that you hold him close. Every time sin is trying to steer his little mind away from your goodness, God I pray that you hold him close. Every time the world looks more appealing than Jesus, God I pray that you hold him close.

"For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone." - Psalm 91:11-12

3. God, I pray that my son knows that he is loved every day of his life, by us and by You.

My family may have not been “picture perfect” but not a day went by that I questioned whether or not I was loved. And as an adult, not a day has gone by that I have questioned whether or not God loves me. Not a single day. I fully believe that this confidence in love has drastically helped shape who I am as a person and the holy confidence I have in myself. Love is powerful. I pray that no matter what happens, my son knows that he has been loved and will continue to be loved every day of his life.

"And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them." - 1 John 4:16

4. God, I pray that you help our son to bear your fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self control.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
-Galatians 5:22-23

5. God, I pray that he is a light in the darkness.

Our lights shine brighter in the darkness. We cannot avoid the darkness on this side of heaven, but we can for sure not let the darkness overtake us. Rather, we will be the light of Jesus Christ.

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.”
- Matthew 5:14

6. God, I pray that you bind up his wounds: mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

There are a lot of things in this world that will cause us harm. I pray God heals up any wounds from the day and protects his mind, heart, and soul.

“He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.” - Psalm 147:2

7. God, I pray that you give him rest, sweet sleep, and sweet dreams.

I believe that sleep is a sacred time for our bodies to heal, to be rejuvenated, and to prepare us for the day ahead. I know that bad dreams, restless nights of sleep (or the lack thereof) affects so many things. It is my prayer every night that we all get rest… sometimes we do, sometimes we don’t. Hence the “Mama’s Tired” Honey tee that is so popular around here :)

“When you lie down, you will not be afraid, when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.” - Proverbs 3:24

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As I end, I want to end on this.

Parents, it is YOUR job to disciple your children. Not the Sunday School teacher. Not the preacher. Not the pastor. YOU. And the time is NOW. I know that can feel weighty-- and that is because IT IS. You have a huge role to play in your child’s life. I am grateful that God is with us every step of the way and that there is so much grace! I won’t do it perfectly, but that won’t stop me from trying.

"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates."

- Deuteronomy 6:4-9