– 4 Min Read
One of my favorite testimonies is that of Augustine and his mother’s prayers for his salvation. In his early years, Augustine led a wickedly sinful life. His father was unrepentant for the majority of his life, and his sins influenced his son in a terrible way. Augustine’s mother, Monica, was a woman who feared the Lord, and this fear was reflected in her prayer life. She prayed relentlessly for her husband and her son. In John Piper’s book, 21 Servants of Sovereign Joy, he mentions that Monica “pled for her son when he would not plead for himself”. When Augustine was later converted to Christianity, he shares what it was like to tell his mother that her prayers were not in vain:
“Then we went and told my mother [of my conversion], who was overjoyed. And when we went on to describe how it had all happened, she was jubilant with triumph and glorified You, who are powerful enough, and more than powerful enough, to carry out your purpose beyond all our hopes and dreams. For she saw that You had granted her far more than she used to ask in her tearful prayers and plaintive lamentations. You converted me to Yourself, so that I no longer desired a wife or placed any hope in this world but stood firmly upon the rule of faith, where You had shown me to her in a dream years before. And You turned her sadness into rejoicing, into joy far fuller than her dearest wish, far sweeter and more chaste than any she had hoped to find in children begotten of my flesh.”
– John Piper, 21 Servants of Sovereign Joy, 59
The Lord had answered Monica’s prayers in a way that every mother hopes for: that her child would be saved and turn their eyes towards Christ. Below, I want to share several verses that have been a constant prayer of my heart for my children. Scripture offers endless options for us to pray for our children, but these have been a few that have influenced my prayer life greatly.
Salvation First
And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in full knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and without fault until the day of Christ, 11 having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
– Philippians 1:9-11
The most important prayer you can pray for your children is that they would have a love for the Lord. The passage above is a beautiful prayer to lay before the Lord. Pray that your children would receive knowledge and discernment. Ask that their hearts would be sincere towards Christ and that they would overflow with the fruit of the Spirit. And that through all these things, they would ultimately bring glory to God! I urge you to pray these things with and in front of your children. Show them your heart of care for their salvation and that you are pleading with the Lord daily on their behalf.
Wisdom In Training
“Train up a child according to his way, even when he is old he will not depart from it.”
– Proverbs 22:6
This is not a prayer necessarily for the child, but instead for yourself as you are raising your children. Ask the Lord for wisdom to train up your child according to His word, and that they would receive it with a softened heart. The Lord is mighty to save. May it be His will that your child not depart from His instruction. We can trust in the promises He gives. As Tom Ascol once said in his podcast, The Sword and the Trowel, when it comes to instructing children:
“Every catechism question, every memory verse, is just laying wood on the altar waiting for the fire of God to come. And when it comes, it has something to consume. There is truth there that gets to be enlightened by the Spirit.”
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmCEoHiZsHM&ab_channel=FoundersMinistries
Take heart in instructing your children in the way they should go.
A Prayer For Boldness
“But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their fear, and do not be troubled, 15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and fear…”
– 1 Peter 3:14-15
It is no surprise to us that the Christian life is hard. We are not of this world (John 17:16), and therefore, we will face hardships until Christ returns. Pray for your children to stand firm and with boldness for Christ’s name. May they fear God and not man, for “Trembling before man brings a snare, But he who trusts in Yahweh will be set securely on high” (Proverbs 29:25). A proper fear of the Lord brings security in souls. Pray for your children to taste this sweet security as they give a defense for the hope that they have.
Considering It All Joy
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!”
– Philippians 4:4
Finally, a prayer for joy. As mentioned above, we will face hardships in the Christian life. But serving the Lord also brings with it abundant joy! I often pray aloud with my children that we would serve the Lord with cheerful hearts, for “a cheerful heart has a continual feast” (Proverbs 15:15). God has shown us unmeasurable grace and mercy, and that is a reason to rejoice continuously! Then, no matter what comes our way, we are able to “Consider it all joy … when [we] encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of [our] faith produces endurance” (James 1:2-3). We don’t want our children to settle for fleeting happiness in what this life has to offer. Rather, we want them to have the joy that can only come from being united with Christ.
Conclusion
Children are a tremendous gift from the Lord. They are a gift worth thanking Him for and continuously praying for. Just as Hannah said when she brought Samuel before Eli, “For this boy I prayed, and the Lord has given me my petition which I asked of Him. So I have also dedicated him to the Lord; as long as he lives he is dedicated to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there” (1 Sam. 1:27-28). We should pray for our children’s salvation, for wisdom to teach them, for boldness to shine forth in their lives, and for joy to be the foundation of their attitudes. Mothers, devote yourselves to prayer and dedicate your children to the Lord. Pray with them, pray for them, and “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17).