Friday, October 26, 2012

Praying for my kids

I'm gonna say this up front - I am a pretty terrible pray-er. I get distracted, forget what I said I'd pray for, or get stuck in a kind of rut, praying the same old thing 'cause I couldn't think of what else to pray for.
However, I've learned a few things about praying for my kids. Mind if I share?

Photo from Crossroads Church
  • It's not too early or too late to start praying for them - for their salvation, for their future spouse, for their relationships with others. Whatever it is, start today, regardless of age or situation.
  • Pray the Bible for them - I've been aware of certain areas in my children's lives that need a special measure of God's grace and correction, and there have been several times where I've not even been sure how to pray for these needs. I'd heard somewhere the idea that you ask the Lord for a special verse or passage to pray for certain needs. In doing that, I've got a better understanding of the issue my child is struggling with, a better understanding of how God feels about it, and a better way to pray for my child. For me, this means I pray Philippians 2:4 - Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others - for the child who struggles with selfishness, that God would help that child to see the interests of others and prefer them above their own.
  • Probably my favorite way to pray, which is actually the hardest to see answered, is to pray that they would get caught when they sin. I will tell you that this is dangerous! I heard this idea on a podcast a few years ago and thought, "That's excellent! I'm gonna do that!" Thing is, God answers that prayer and you have all these sin issues to deal with! The number of times I have seen or heard something or simply walked into the room at just the right moment to see or hear something I had no business knowing about...it's staggering. It's hard work to deal with the nonsense I'd rather not know about, but it's good for them and me to remember that though we think no one else knows, He knows our sin. For the unbeliever, this is fearsome, but for the believer, we can be comforted that He knows our frame, He remembers that we are dust, but He does not hold our iniquity against us (Psalm 103). It's also kind of funny to hear them say, "But how did you know?!" and be able to honestly tell them, "I prayed that God would let me catch you in sin, and He answered. God told me!"
What are you praying for your children?