Praying the Scriptures for your Children: Wisdom and Discernment

Sorry for the delay.... a lot has been going on in the McPherson household the past few weeks. Through it all I am growing in thankfulness to my Savior who has been our portion, rock, comfort, peace, joy.... all that we've needed.

It is so good to know The source of life-giving joy. In a season of life with MANY unknowns Christ remains the Master Comforter and Provider. His grace is surely sufficient. Now that is reassurance to press on!

Praying for Wisdom and Discernment
"If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be giving to him." James 1:5

Heavenly Father,

Fill ____ with the knowledge of Your will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding , that she might live a life worthy of You, Lord, and please You in every way. Colossians 1:9-10

Cause____ to fear You, since this is the beginning of wisdom. Cause___ to know You and to understand Your perspective on any situation. Add years to her life, and give her the reward of the wise. Proverbs 9:10-11

Give____ wisdom and understanding. Do not let her forget Your words or swerve from them. Cause her to love wisdom and to value it above all worldly desires and accomplishments. Proverbs 4:5-7

Counsel _____, Lord. Instruct her, even during the night. Make known to her the path of life and fill her with joy in Your presence. Psalm 16:7,11

Amen

Praying the Scriptures for your Children: Child's Gifts

Praying for your Child's Gifts
Principle: Praying that your children will stay close to the Lord can help them yield their gifts and talents to accomplish his purposes.

Heavenly Father...

Let______ use her gift to serve others, faithfully administering Your grace in its various forms, so that in all things You will be praised and receive glory. 1 Peter 4:10-11

Cause ____ to be diligent in developing her gifts and talents so that she wil become "skilled in her work" and "serve before kings', using her abilities to fulfill Your purposes. Proverbs 22:29

As _____ considers her gifts, cause her to lean not on her own understanding, but achknowlege you in all her ways, so that you---the One who created and gifted her---will make her paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

Equip____ with everything good for doing Your will. Hebrews 13:21

Amen

Praying the Scriptures for your Children: Loving God's Word

Praying for your Child to Love God's Word
Principle: Praying for your children to know, love, and use God's word is one of the most effective ways to pray for their spiritual protection.

Heavenly Father...

Let ____ keep Your words and store up Your commands so that she will live. Cause her to guard Your teachings as the apple of her eye, and let them be written on the tablet of her heart. Proverbs 7: 2-3

Show _____ that Your way is perfect and Your word is flawless. Be her shield as she takes refuge in you. 2 Samuel 22:31

Let ____'s heart be good soil, that she might hear Your word, retain it, and persevere to produce a crop of godly character and effectiveness for Your kingdom. Don't let Satan snatch Your word from ____ 's heart, and don't let the worries, riches, or pleasures of this life choke Your word and make it unfruitful in her life. Let her roots go down deep, so she can stand firm in times of testing. Luke 8:11-15

Do not let ____ merely listen to the Word, and so deceive herself. Let her do what it says. James 1:22

May ____ not live on bread alone, but on every Word that comes from the mouth of God. Matthew 4:4

Amen

Praying the Scriptures for your Children

"Praying the Scriptures For Your Children" by Jodie Berndt.


I was given this book from a godly woman in our church as a shower gift when Niyah was born. I have thouroughly been blessed as I read and pray the Scriptures over her. The best time that has worked for us is right after she eats and as she sits in my lap in this chair. I will read the chapter out loud to a very attentive, content, full baby girl and then pray the Scriptures over her at the end of the chapter.


So far it has been a very moving, humbling, and encouraging time for me (and her...although she doesn't know it yet!)

I thought I would share a few prayers from each chapter over the next couple weeks to encourage other mom's to pray for their own children.

As mom's, the Bible gives support over and over again for us to be people who pray as God says, "Ask of me, and I will..." and "If my people...will humble themselves and pray,...then will I..." and "Ask and it will be given to you." And in John, "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you."

God desires us to humble ourselves and pray. And to pray Biblically...by praying the Scriptures. Jeremiah 1:12 says, "I am alert and active, watching over My word to perform it." And in Isaiah 55:11 "My word...will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." The author of Hebrews states, "the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]." So let us gather and be woman, wife's, mother's who pray diligently for our children.

Praying for Your Child's Salvation
Principle: When you pray for your children's salvation you can be confident you are praying in accordance with God's will.

Heavenly Father...

Remove the veil from _____ 's eyes so that she can see the light of the gospel. Shine Your light in her heart to give her the light of the knowledge of Your glory in the face of Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:4-6

Put a new spirit in _____. Remove her heart of stone and give her a heart of flesh. Cause _____ to follow your decrees and keep Your laws. Let her know that she belongs to You, and that You are her God. Ezekiel 11:19

Count_____ as one of Your people, and be her God. Give her a singleness of heart and action, so that she will always fear You for her own good and for the good of her children. Make an everlasting covenant with _____. Never stop doing good to her, and inspire her to fear You so that she will never turn away from You. Jeremiah 32: 39-40

I pray that ____, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses all understanding, that ____ may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:18-19

I pray that ____ would put her trust in You and never be shaken. Psalm 125:1

Amen

May Niyah Come to Know the Truth in These Words

I was reading this morning in Romans and found myself praying these verses over my daughter. It is our prayer that she may understand the fullness of joy in Christ through faith and endure through suffering for the gospel.

Such rich words to pray over our children and teach them the goodness of our Savior...

"Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sins." Romans 4:7, Ps 32:1

"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been give to us....but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:1-10