When I put my children in bed, I sometimes **most of the time** want to dance out of the room in celebration of the coming peaceful moments! But bedtime, as I know it, is so precious and so fleeting. As my kids are getting older, I can already tell that I will miss this! I can already feel it slipping away, and I am encouraged to just savor it. Just to spend some time sitting with my children at their bedside and pray with them…pray FOR them.
I have a friend who has diligently prayed specific prayers for his children at bedtime. One of the prayers that he and his wife have prayed is that God would even use dreams to reveal His glory to the children. Praying that God would explain things to his children that couldn’t be understood any other way! One morning last week his five year old told a story to her mom of just that! In this child’s dream, she saw Christ reaching down and drawing her and her sister to Him. To hear those words come from the mouth of a little girl…precious. So precious.
Another friend has a dear child who struggles with things we often take for granted. Her birth mother was on drugs when she was born, and it has permanently affected her life. But as this family has adopted her and fervently prayed for her, their prayer has been that God would give this child love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Just a few days ago I watched this precious child lovingly help a younger friend. This child’s spirit was overflowing with the fruits of the Spirit as she reached out to someone in need. She was able to look beyond herself and see the needs of another. What an amazing answer to prayer.
In these stories, I hear an encouragement to pray! I am encouraged to continue praying for my children. So instead of dancing out of the room immediately, seeking some time to myself, I am encouraged to stop for a moment in the still and quiet moments of a 5 and 4 year old’s room and pray. To pray big prayers for little hearts. To pray to a BIG God for some sweet, precious kids. To pray scripture over their little lives and beg for God to reveal Himself to each of us.
I encourage you to pray for your children. Pray for their little hearts and for their understanding of a BIG God! As a gardener continues to water and care for his garden…continue to pray…
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desiring God's “Scriptural Topics for Prayer”
(Praying for the Next Generation, by Sally Michael)
“Pray that they will trust Christ as Savior at a young age and treasure their inheritance as Sons of God.
John 1:12-13, Psalm 63:1-4, Hebrews 3:14-15, 1 Peter 2:9-10, 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, Galatians 5:1
“Pray that they will hate sin and love godliness.
Romans 12:9, Psalm 119:129-136, Ephesians 5:11, 1 Thessalonians 5:15, Philippians 4:8, 1 Peter 5:8-9, 3 John 1:11, Psalm 84:10, James 4:4-7, Matthew 10:28
“Pray that they will appreciate discipline and instruction, and be quick to repent; that they will be caught when they sin; that they will not be stubborn before the Lord.
Proverbs 6:20-23, Hebrews 12:5-11, Psalm 32:8-9, Psalm 51;1-12
“Pray that they will be protected from Satan and evil. Pray that they stand firm in persecution. Pray that they will be patient in affliction and look to God, trusting in His faithfulness when they have problems.
John 17:15, Romans 12:21, 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, Psalm 121
“Pray that they will be responsible and loving in their relationships with others. Pray that they will walk in humility and look to the needs of others.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7, Romans 12:9-21, Romans 14:13, Romans 15:1-2, Galatians 6:1-2, Hebrews 12:14-15, Ephesians 4:29-31, Philippians 2:3-4, Colossians 3:12-16, Colossians 4:6, 1 Thessalonians 5:14-15, Luke 6:27-28
“Pray that they will submit to God’s lordship over them, and those He has placed in authority over them.
1 Peter 2:13-17, Romans 13:1-5, Psalm 40:8, 1 Peter 5:6, Ephesians 6:1-3
“Pray that they will choose godly influences; that they would be led to good friends and away from bad friends; that they would marry a godly mate.
Psalm 1:1-3, Philippians 4:8, Proverbs 1:10-15, 2 Corinthians 6:14-18, Hosea 2:6, Proverbs 31:10-31
“Pray that they would desire inner beauty and godly character, and that they would grow more Christ-like daily; that they and their future mates, will be kept pure both before and after marriage.
Ephesians 5:1-11, Psalm 119:9, 1 Timothy 2:9-10, 1 Peter 3:3-4, 1 Corinthians 6:18-20, Hebrews 13:4
“Pray that they will learn to walk in God’s ways and actively resist Satan in all circumstances.
Ephesians 6:10-17, Proverbs 3:5-7, Proverbs 4:20-27, 1 Peter 5:6-10, Psalm 143:10, Psalm 86:11
“Pray that they will be fully devoted to Jesus Christ and joyfully invested in the cause of the kingdom.
Romans 12:1-2, Psalm 119:10-11, 1 Corinthians 15:58, 2 Corinthians 9:6-8, Colossians 3:16-17, Colossians 3:23, Galatians 6:9-10, Philippians 2:14-16, Hebrews 12:1-2
“Pray that they would grow in faith and obedience, and in love for God; that they would “love not the world, nor the things of the world.” Pray that they would love the Lord with all their heart, mind, and soul; that they would fear the Lord.
Ephesians 3:14-19, 1 John 2:15-17, Colossians 3:1-2, Matthew 6:19-21, Deuteronomy 10:12-13
“Pray that they would treasure God’s Word and stand up for truth; that they would be free from deception and the lies of the evil one, and have great understanding of the Word.
Psalm 119:33-37, Proverbs 2:1-5, Psalm 119:4-20, James 1:5-8"
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