Praying for Children

Praying for Children

Children are a blessing from the Lord (Ps. 127:3). They bring joy and smiles to the faces of so many. Yet, with such a great blessing comes a great responsibility. Parents are to do more than simply make sure that their children survive from day to day. They are to teach them how to live, work, think, speak, walk, and more. Most importantly, parents are to bring up their children in the fear and instruction of the Lord (Eph. 6:4). 

This task requires prayer. Indeed, not simply the prayers of parents alone. It takes the prayers of grandparents, great-grandparents, family, friends, pastors, and a whole host of fellow Christians. This is a great task that we, as a church, should consider. Every single parent with children needs your prayers. Every child at VBS this week needs to be prayed for. How then can we pray for them?

Let us first pray that they come to saving faith in Jesus Christ. This is certainly a great burden upon the hearts of Christian parents. The babies that fill the arms of a mother will one day outgrow them. They will be crawling, walking, running, and driving in the blink of an eye. Therefore, let us be diligent to lift up the young among us, and beyond, to our Father, that He might work mightily in their lives.

Secondly, we can pray specifically for the young men. David, in Psalm 144, prays that their sons would be green plants fully grown in their youth. A mighty oak tree is not easily uprooted. It is strong, robust, and stands the test of time.  The prayer of David is that father’s sons would be a fully grown plant in the days of their youth. That is to say, from their earliest days, they would be strong, mature, and fruitful. Let us pray that the Lord would make our young men such as these.

Thirdly, we can pray specifically for young women. Again, in Psalm 144, David prays that their daughters would be like polished corner pillars cut for the structure of a palace. A corner pillar is a pillar in a palace that would be cut to bear the weight of all that would be placed upon it. However, they are not simply strong, but beautiful and fit to be in a palace. David prays that a mother’s daughter would be strong, beautiful, and fit for a king. Let us pray that the Lord would make our young women such as these. Church, let us rise up in prayer. Let us lift up the children and students among us and beyond. Let us pray for their salvation and for who they shall become. It is my heart's great desire that every child in the nursery, children’s church, youth group, and more would become mighty men and women of faith. Let us lift them up to our Father in prayer.

Grace be with you,
C. R. Hamilton