Praying Circles Around the Lives of Your Children

1. Prayer is the greatest legacy parents can leave their children

Your prayers for your children are the greatest legacy you can leave.

Prayer transcends time. The impact of parental prayers extends far beyond the present, shaping the destinies of future generations. These prayers create a spiritual inheritance that outlasts any material legacy.

Consistency is key. While perfection in parenting is unattainable, consistent prayer covers a multitude of parental mistakes and shortcomings. It's not about being a perfect parent, but about being a praying parent.

Prayer shapes destinies. By interceding for their children, parents become prophets who influence the future. These prayers can:

• Guide children's life choices
• Protect them from harm
• Open doors of opportunity
• Shape their character and faith

2. Circling the promises of God empowers parental prayers

When we know we are praying the promises of God, we can pray with holy confidence.

Biblical promises provide a foundation. By identifying and praying specific promises from Scripture, parents can align their intercession with God's will. This practice:

• Increases faith and confidence in prayer
• Provides specific focus for intercession
• Reminds parents of God's faithfulness

Personalize the promises. Adapt biblical promises to your children's unique needs and circumstances. For example:

• Praying Luke 2:52 for wisdom, stature, and favor
• Claiming Psalm 91 for protection
• Applying Philippians 1:6 for God's ongoing work in their lives

Persistence is crucial. Continue circling these promises, even when answers aren't immediately visible. Trust that God's Word will not return void.

3. Creating prayer lists ensures intentional and consistent intercession

I believe that every blessing, every breakthrough, every miracle in your life traces back to the prayers that were prayed by you or for you.

Organize your intercession. Prayer lists help parents:

• Pray with specificity
• Maintain consistency in prayer
• Track answered prayers over time

Diverse approaches to lists. Consider various ways to create and maintain prayer lists:

• Daily or weekly prayer journals
• Digital reminders or apps
• Visual prayer boards or posters
• Shared family prayer calendars

Record and celebrate answers. Documenting answered prayers builds faith and creates a lasting testament to God's faithfulness in your family's life.

4. Prayer mantras reinforce key truths and blessings

There is something powerful about a single God-inspired prayer repeated throughout a child's lifetime.

Develop memorable phrases. Prayer mantras are short, powerful statements that:

• Encapsulate important truths or blessings
• Are easy to remember and repeat
• Become ingrained in a child's heart and mind

Personalize for each child. Create mantras that speak to:

• Your child's unique personality and needs
• Specific character traits you want to develop
• God's promises for their life

Consistent repetition is key. Incorporate these mantras into:

• Daily blessings or prayers
• Significant life moments or milestones
• Times of encouragement or correction

5. Praying a hedge of protection balances safety and purpose

Don't just pray that God would keep our kids safe, but we also need to pray that God would make them dangerous!

Balance protection and purpose. While it's natural to pray for safety, also intercede for:

• Courage to face challenges
• Wisdom to make godly choices
• Strength to resist temptation
• Passion to pursue God's calling

Recognize spiritual warfare. Understand that there is an enemy who opposes your children's well-being and purpose. Pray for:

• Discernment to recognize spiritual attacks
• The armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18)
• God's intervention in spiritual battles

Trust God's sovereignty. While praying for protection, remember that:

• God may allow difficulties for growth and maturity
• Challenges can develop character and faith
• Ultimate safety is found in God's presence, not circumstances

6. Forming prayer circles involves the whole family in intercession

Prayer is the difference between you fighting for God and God fighting for you.

Create a family prayer culture. Involve all family members in prayer by:

• Establishing regular family prayer times
• Teaching children to pray for each other
• Sharing prayer requests and answers

Leverage extended family and community. Expand your prayer circle to include:

• Grandparents and relatives
• Close friends and mentors
• Church family and small groups

Practice various prayer methods. Incorporate different approaches to keep family prayer engaging:

• Prayer walks or drives
• Creative prayer activities (e.g., prayer jars, prayer walls)
• Taking turns leading family prayer times

7. Praying through the Bible aligns intercession with God's Word

Reading is how you get through the Bible, but praying is how you get the Bible through you.

Integrate Bible reading and prayer. As you read Scripture:

• Look for promises to claim for your children
• Identify character qualities to pray for
• Find examples of godly men and women to emulate

Create personalized prayer Bibles. Consider:

• Underlining verses specific to each child
• Writing prayers in the margins
• Journaling insights and applications

Use Scripture to guide intercession. Pray through:

• The Lord's Prayer as a model
• Psalms for various emotions and situations
• Paul's prayers in the New Testament epistles

8. Passing on blessings creates a powerful generational impact

Your destiny is inextricably linked to your parents' and your grandparents' legacy. And my legacy will influence the destiny of my children, my grandchildren, and my great-grandchildren.

Understand the power of blessing. Intentional blessings:

• Affirm a child's identity and worth
• Speak God's purposes over their life
• Create a spiritual inheritance

Create blessing rituals. Incorporate blessings into:

• Daily routines (e.g., bedtime, meals)
• Significant milestones (e.g., birthdays, graduations)
• Times of transition or challenge

Leave a lasting legacy. Consider ways to pass on your faith and values:

• Write letters or journals for your children
• Record video messages or testimonies
• Create family traditions that reinforce spiritual truths

Last updated: October 20, 2024