January 2020
Do you pray for your child(ren) on a daily basis? Is it a “Lord, please protect my child today” prayer? Or something similar and routine? I know mine get like that more often than not. Praying the same thing, at the same time for each of my children. Covering them with a blanket prayer. Even after reading Jodie Berndt’s books “Praying the Scriptures for Your Children” , “Praying the Scriptures for Your Teenager” and “Praying the Scriptures for you Adult Children”, I still fall into that routine prayer. And yes, God hears all of our prayers and He answers all of our prayers. There is something powerful about praying God's Word over your children.Praying for our kids does make a difference. It needs to always be with determination and don’t let it become routine and be a half hearted mentality.
Praying for our child’s physical protection is great, but we also need to be praying for spiritual protection too. Satan’s work can be found in books, music, movies, cults and false religions. Satan will sneak into our lives when we allow other things or interests take place of God. Ephesians 6:12 says “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms”. Demons are everywhere, and they are real. They will do anything they can to turn us and our children away from God. That is why we need to be praying for our children’s spiritual protection as well.When we pray for our children’s spiritual protection, we must do it with joy, faith, and assurance. Jesus is our rock and as he said to Peter in Matthew 16:18, “ ...and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” Pray that Jesus will be your child’s rock.
The Bible has so many great verses to pray for spiritual protection. Below are a few examples that Jodie Berndt wrote in her book “Praying the Scriptures for Your Children” in the chapter “Praying for Spiritual Protection”. In the blank you can insert your child’s name.
Lead _____ not into temptation, but deliver her from the evil one. Matthew 6:13
Help _____ to submit to you, O God, and to resist the devil. Make the devil flee from _____ as he draws near to you. James 4: 7-8
Do not let anyone lead _____ astray. Cause him to do what is righteous rather than what is sinful. Thank you for sending your Son to destroy the devil’s work. 1John 3:7-8
Join us on Sunday, January 19th at 6:30 pm in the Harvest Kids wing for more scripture based prayers on praying for your child’s spiritual protection.
Citation:
Berndt, Jodie. (2001) Praying the Scriptures for Your Children, 120-129
The Life Application Study Bible , New International Version