October 2020
Our prayers for our teens are typically geared for keeping them safe, making sure they are making the right choices, and protecting them every step they take. Those are all great things to be praying for but we need to also remember to pray for our teens to be kind and compassionate to others. Just like we can not keep them from harm's way, we also can not make sure they are being kind to their peers. So as parents, we are called to pray that they are given opportunities to be kind to others and it is important that we also model it for them.
When an opportunity arises for our teen to be kind we can see how it plays out. If they make the right choice we can see our prayer being answered, which then will encourage us as parents to keep praying. If our teen misses that opportunity to be kind, it will make a good learning experience and will give us as parents an opportunity to guide them on how they should have handled the situation. Then, we step back and pray for another opportunity and pray that our teen can be successful in being kind.
Seeing our prayers answered (even the littlest ones) will increase your faith, and with that faith will come confidence when we pray. These “little” prayers of confidence will help us through those times when we can not physically see God working. Because when we pray, we don’t pray for what God has done for us but we pray for who he is. God is good and God is love.
Prayers you can use:
Heavenly Father;
Thank you for the compassion that your have shown to us. I pray that _____ would follow your example, being compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in love. -Psalm 103:8
Let _____ open his arms to the poor and extend his hands to the needy, honoring you by his kindness. -Proverbs 31:20; 14:31
As _____ gets dressed each day, please clothe her with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. -Colossians 3:12
Join us on Monday, October 19th at 9:30am for the Next Generations Prayer meeting.
For more scripture based prayers for this topic please email me amoll@harvestpittsburghnorth.org
Citation:
Berndt, Jodie. 2007, Praying the Scriptures for Your Teen. pgs. 65-72