For this reason I bow my knees before the Father. Ephesians 3:14 (NAS)
I am a mother of six children, three who are grown, and three little ones whom we’ve adopted in the last three years. I’ve always known it’s important to pray for my kids, but I pray for them more than ever these days. Why? I’ve seen how prayers for children when they are little turn into heritages of faith when they get big. Seeing how my prayers were answered for my first three fuels my prayers for the younger three.
I prayed for godly spouses for my children, and my oldest son married a wonderful young woman whom I adore. I prayed that my children would have servant hearts and would be bold in sharing the good news of Christ, and my oldest daughter is currently a missionary in Central Europe. I prayed that my children would discover the unique gifts that Jesus planted inside them, and my third son is finishing his first novel at age nineteen.
Did my prayers make a difference in their lives, in their futures? Yes. In the strange way Jesus works, it’s our prayers that help mold our children’s futures.
Author and pastor Mark Batterson writes, “Prayer turns ordinary parents into prophets who shape the destinies of their children, grandchildren, and every generation that follows.” When we pray, we submit our will to Jesus’. When we pray, our hearts are transformed, too, and our deeds follow the desires of our hearts for our children.
What do you wish most for those around you? Pray for those things. Your prayers invite Jesus to work in the lives of young people. Your prayers today will mold generations. If you have children and grandchildren, nieces or nephews, today is the day to pray for them, and in many tomorrows others will reap the rewards.
FAITH STEP: Buy a journal for each of your children and grandchildren and start writing out prayers for them as Jesus puts them on your heart. Save the finished journals for a special, future gift.
