How to pray for your son

We love our sons so much and desire God’s greatest blessings and guidance on their lives. We spend endless hours caring for, teaching, helping, training, protecting and encouraging that we often miss out on one of the greatest resources God has given us to lead them – prayer. The below prayers for your son cover many topics such as self worth, protection, purity and wisdom. These will equip you for the battle against Satan’s attacks and give you discernment for handling situations that arise. You can cast your cares on Jesus and find peace in God’s favor and love for your son as you speak these prayers!

1. A prayer for your sons discernment

Lord, I pray that my son will develop an eternal perspective and purpose, not an earthly one.  Help him to see life–and every challenge–through Your eyes, eager and unafraid to share with others the good news of Jesus wherever he goes. I pray that they will set his minds on things above, not just what’s going on here, and that he will be rooted and grounded in Your love. I pray that he will come to understand the extent of Your own love for him–that it surpasses all the head knowledge they will acquire in school. I pray he will be filled up with You from morning ’til night.
~ Rebecca Barlow Jordan

2. A prayer for your own wisdom

Lord, Your Word says “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5). Lord, I need that kind of wisdom to know when to speak to my son and when to be silent. “Do not let any unwholesome talk, lecturing, judging, or accusing come of my mouth, but only what is helpful for building my son up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Eph. 4:29). Let me also be “quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for my anger doesn’t bring about the righteous life that God desires” (James 1:19).
~ Cindi McMenamin

3. A prayer for a son who has turned from God

Dear God,You know our hearts, you hear our prayers, and care about all that concerns us.  You understand the burden we carry and how we want, more than anything, to see our loved ones come to you.  Help us to remember that you love them more than we ever could.  And you desire to extend your great love and forgiveness, your mercy and hope. Thank you that nothing is too difficult for you.  Thank you that your power is unlimited and you came to set the captives free.  Thank you that you wait, arms open, for the prodigal to return, that you look for his arrival to lavishly celebrate that he’s come home. We praise you for you are Redeemer and Rescuer, Savior and Lord.  We know and believe that there’s no pit so deep that your love can’t reach us still.  We understand that your mercies are new every morning, and your faithfulness is great. 

Lord, we ask that you would halt the plans of the enemy over these we love as we bring them before you right now.  We pray that his schemes be demolished and that your plans for good, for a future and hope, would prevail. Would you open blind eyes that they might see your Truth. Would you rescue those walking in darkness and heal the deep wounds of those who’ve been hurt.

We pray for the miraculous intervention of your Spirit to draw them to yourself, to work strong on behalf of our loved ones who are lost and wandering. For you came with good news, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for captives and release for the prisoners. Though we deserved penalty for our wrong, you stood in our place and took the blows on our behalf.  You choose to die, so that we can live. Forever and free.

Lord, forgive our unbelief.  Forgive the times we’ve doubted that you could ever change a distant heart.  Forgive our hard-heartedness, our weariness, or forgetfulness to “pray continually.” Thank you that you never give up on us. Remind us of how you’ve changed our own hearts. How your miracle of life and hope has sprung up deep within our souls. We love you Lord, we need you, and we thank you that you hear our prayers and are at work even now. Powerfully. Faithfully. Miraculously. Thank you for the gift of our Savior, God with us. Thank you for your goodness and love. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
~ Debbie McDaniel 

4. Scriptural prayers for your son

1. Create in my son a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within him (Psalm 51:10).
2. May my son walk after You, God, and fear You and keep Your commandments and obey Your voice. May he serve You and hold fast to You (Deuteronomy 13:4).
3. May my son be strong and courageous and not fear or be in dread, for it is You, Lord, our God, who goes with him. You will never leave him or forsake him (Deuteronomy 31:6).
4. May my son walk before You, God, as King David walked, with integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that You have commanded him, and keeping Your statutes and rules (1 Kings 9:4).
5. Like Timothy, may my son be an example to believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity (1 Timothy 4:12).
~ Brooke McGlothlin, Proverbs 31 Ministries

5. A prayer for your sons relationships and influences

First, oh Lord, forgive us for the times when we have misplaced our priorities so that we haven’t been available to model a strong relationship with You in front of our kids. Help us to understand the power of our influence in our children’s lives and to reorder our schedule so that we can be available to both directly and indirectly offer the godly influence that our sons desperately need. 

Second, while we do pray that our sons would be protected from negative influences, we also pray that you would surround them with friendships and mentor-type relationships that portray what it means to have an authentic relationship with Christ. In turn, we pray that you would raise our sons up to be the influencers of the next generation. We pray that you would allow godliness and righteousness to dwell in their hearts so richly that these evidences of your truth spill out of them and to every person they encounter. 

Through it all, we pray that they would not be prone to laziness or complacency, but that they would believe that even a single candle burning in the dark makes a difference and would boldly stand up for truth, even when it’s unpopular.
~ Alicia Michelle

6. A birthday prayer for your son

Dear Lord, on this day that we celebrate ________’s birth, I pray for blessings and joy over ________. You knew everything about him before his birth and You have a plan of prosperity and hope for his life! Let him feel confident and ready for the year ahead knowing that You have an order to his steps and a purpose for his life. Help him to find joy in every circumstance in life, knowing that You work all things out for good. I thank You for ________, for loving him with unconditional love, and for the promises You have spoken over his life. In Jesus Name, Amen.

7. A prayer for your sons body image and purity

Dear Jesus, we weep with you over the number of our kids who are buying into the lie that sexual pleasure is something to experiment with. We pray that our sons would treasure their sexuality as a true gift from You, and that they would honor that gift by saving it as a precious treasure to give their future spouse. We ask that you would help them to be strong in the face of their own desires and that they would choose purity in the face of temptation. 

Lord we also ask that you’d protect our sons from the idea that they must do anything and everything (including abusing their bodies through eating disorders, drug abuse, or other harmful behaviors) in order to attaining a “preferred” shape or figure. We pray you’d protect our sons from that kind of destructive thinking, and that if they’re tempted to take these kind of drastic measures, that you’d send someone in their lives to stop them. Help them to remember over and over that their identity is not in how they look on the outside but what you see as their potential and worth on the inside.

We pray that our children would treasure their health as a gift from God and that they would have a passion to eat nutritious food and to stay active in order to do their part to take care of this treasure.
~ Alicia Michelle

8. A prayer for your sons self worth

Dear Jesus, help my son know that we are all born as sinners and separated from God because of our wicked hearts. However, at an early age, him grasp the life-transforming concept that he does not have to live as a sinner under that condemnation. 

Teach my son that he has the opportunity to accept a new, beautiful identity that is called “good,” not because of what he has done or what he looks like, but because he is secure in who YOU say they are: treasured, delightful, known and protected. Let him not place their self-worth in accomplishments he may or may not achieve, but let him discover these deeper truths about who You believe he is and build every decision he makes on that sure foundation. 
~ Alicia Michelle

9. Prayer for your sons purity

Lord, I pray that You will create in my son a clean heart and that You would constantly renew a right spirit within him, keeping his thoughts and actions pure and motivated by love. Guard him from temptation, and let him know You are always faithful to give him a way out and help to endure. May the words of his mouth and the meditations of his heart always please you and edify others.
~ Rebecca Barlow Jordan

10. A prayer for protection over your son

Lord, I pray Your emotional, physical, and spiritual protection over my son. Keep evil far from him, and help him to trust You as his refuge and strength. I pray You will guard his mind from harmful instruction, and grant him discernment to recognize truth. I pray You will make him strong and courageous in the presence of danger, recognizing that You have overcome and will set right all injustice and wrong one day. Help him to find rest in Your shadow, as he lives in the spiritual shelter You provide for him. Let him know that the only safe place is in Jesus,and that his home on earth is only temporary.
~ Rebecca Barlow Jordan

11. A prayer for your sons view of money and possessions

Heavenly Father, help us to model a healthy example of how to handle possessions and money. Help us to work hard, but to not wear ourselves out in order to get rich so that our children can witness a positive, godly view of hard work and the pursuit of success. 

We pray that our sons would persevere in whatever vocation you give them and that they would work with cheerful hearts as if they were serving you directly. 

We pray that our sons would see at an early age that money and possessions are a gift from You and thus must be always held with an open hand so that You can use those gifts to bless others. 

We ask that our sons would find their value in their true identity as a child of You, not in the possessions they do or do not have. We pray for contentment and gratefulness in whatever situation they’re given—rich or poor. We pray they would have a steadfast commitment to work hard with the talents you’ve given them so that they could support themselves, their families and use their money as a way to bless others in need. 

Ultimately, we pray that they would discover that the greatest “wealth” they could possess would be in relationships, especially in a relationship with You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

~ Alicia Michelle

We hope these prayers have been able to guide your thoughts and calm your soul as you seek God’s will for your son. Join other moms who are praying for their sons in the comments below and experience the power of a praying community. Gain support and encouragement for the work that God has called you to!

This article is part of our larger Prayers resource meant to inspire and encourage your prayer life when you face uncertain times. Visit our most popular prayers if you are wondering how to pray or what to pray. Remember, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us and God knows your heart even if you can’t find the words to pray.

Prayer for Healing

Prayer for StrengthPrayer for ProtectionMorning PrayersGood Night PrayersThe Prayer of JabezShort PrayersThe Lord’s PrayerThe Prayer of St FrancisSerenity PrayerA Birthday PrayerSinner’s PrayerPrayer for ForgivenessPrayer for GuidanceIntercessory PrayerIrish Prayers and BlessingsAdvent PrayersChristmas PrayersThanksgiving PrayerHoly Week Prayers for Each DayEaster PrayersMother’s Day PrayerPrayers for My HusbandPrayers for My SonPrayers for My DaughterPrayer Quotes

Now available is our new Daily Prayer devotional! An easy way to find start your day with prayer, read today’s prayer and sign up to receive by email.

www.crosswalk.com

Are you at your wit’s end with your boys?

Maybe they’re rambunctious, messy, and loud, and they’re always falling off of their bikes, scrapping with the neighbor kids, or forgetting an instruction you’ve given them a hundred… no, a thousand times.

Solid, helpful parenting ideas can be a big help in these cases, and we have loads of that here at Focus on the Family. But nothing can take the place of one of the most overlooked parts of Christian parenting: prayer.

Just ask Brooke. Her boys pushed her to her limit.

They were fighters from the beginning and, over time, the household felt like one big wrestling match. She was embarrassed by their behavior – and by the way it made her look to everyone around her. She was an educated woman who believed she was equipped and able to do whatever God brought her way. Yet, she felt like she was failing miserably with her children.

It forced her to her knees. She remembers praying, “God, something needs to be different, but I don’t have the power to change my kids’ hearts.”

As she came before the Lord, He brought Ezekiel 36:26 to her mind, which says, “I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”

Nothing happened overnight, but God did start to move in the hearts of her boys. They’ve become more responsive and obedient to her instruction.

But the biggest heart change came for Brooke herself.

She realized her pride had been getting in the way. She had been too concerned about how her children reflected on her as a mother. She had been working too hard to force a change in their behavior and felt like she was fighting against her children. They weren’t on the same team. Through prayer, God helped her to see that she needed to fight for them.

We do have a lot of power as parents with our children, but we can’t just snap our fingers and see a change. Only the Lord can change their hearts.

How should we pray for our boys?

Brooke McGlothlin will be our guest on our radio program today to discuss with us the crucial role of prayer in raising your son to be a man of godly character. She’ll also offer some tips for how to do it.

Brooke and her husband live in Virginia with two energetic boys. She’s the co-founder of the MOB Society, which stands for Mothers of Boys.

“Praying for Your Sons” can be heard on your local radio station, or check it out online, or via our free, downloadable mobile phone app.

Sign up for my weekly e-newsletter. 

Listen to Today’s Broadcast. 

Publication date: September 7, 2016

www.crosswalk.com

I know it seems oh-so-far away, but someday that little boy will walk down the aisle with a new bride on his arm.

DO YOU PRAY FOR HER?

advanced-ads-inline

Growing up, I remember hearing my mom pray for my future husband and thinking that was such a wise thing to do. Turns out, Mom was right.

I have four sons, and let’s just say, I’ve been excited for some time to start adding some girls to the family if God leads them to marry. So far, we’ve added one and she’s a real keeper. I can’t imagine a better match for my firstborn than my daughter-in-law, Kristen.

And now there’s another wedding on the horizon—and what a blessing it is! My son who faced a speeding car head on in January and has since battled a wheelchair, a walker, and graduated to a brace and a cane is now back to teaching his high school math classes. It has not been an easy road, but the Lord and a special young lady have been by his side through all the ups and downs. (I wrote more about this experience in He is There; He is Good and my son posted about God’s faithfulness five months after the accident.

It’s been clear to us that Tiffany has been part of God’s provision for Andrew, as is he for her. And their desire to serve the Lord together warms this mama’s heart.

I still have two boys’ spouses to pray for, and I’m sure you have a list, too.

SO HOW DO WE GO ABOUT IT?

I’d love for the Lord to protect her from any harm or ill; I’d like for Him to keep her from unhappiness and hard times.

But most importantly, I pray:

• That the Lord will draw her to Him.
• That she will desire God above all that beckons to her.
• That she will find her self-worth in Him, not in what the world says.

It may be that she doesn’t know the Lord yet, but I can sure pray that nothing will fulfill her heart until she turns to Him.

I pray, too, that the Lord will give her the life experiences He wants her to have — things that will prepare her for their life and ministry together.

I can look at my four-year-old OR my eighteen-year-old son and orchestrate all of this in my head, hoping for the scenario of my dreams. In fact, that’s what I’m inclined to do.

But God’s word tells me to stop, to rest, to trust in Him and His timetable.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is My word that goes out from My mouth. It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” — Isaiah 55:8-11

So, the best prayer for my sons and their future wives?

Achieve Your purpose, Lord, for my son and the wife You have for him. Do it Your way, Father, in Your time.

It’s the hardest thing ever for a mom, but we must lift them up—with an open hand.

This article originally appeared at the Mob Society.

foreverymom.com