![]() ![]() Let men and women of godly character cross paths with my children and become their trusted counselors and mentors (Prov. Lord, may my children “flee youthful lusts” and remain sexually pure in thought, word, and deed (2 Tim. Father, make my children wise and responsible servants, who fulfill their promises and take care of their responsibilities (Luke 12:42).ġ4. Lord, please instill in my children a strong sense of their own gifts, talents, and abilities, based on the strength You give them in Christ (Phil. God, give my children a strong sense of belonging to their family, church, and to the Kingdom of God (1 Peter 2:9).ġ2. Help my children develop a strong sense of identity that is rooted in the knowledge of who they are in Christ Jesus (Eph. Father, protect my children from unbiblical standards of beauty, conduct, and speech (2 Tim. As my children become more independent, in preparation for adulthood, let it always be a healthy independence, and never rebellion (Prov. God, teach my children to study hard and learn well in both their schoolwork and their study of Your Word (2 Tim. Let them be among the righteous who may fall seven times but always rise again (Prov. Lord, I know my children will make mistakes, but please save them from decisions that cannot be reversed and mistakes that cannot be corrected. God, help my children walk blamelessly, do what is right, and speak truth in their hearts (Ps. Father, lead my children into constructive friendships lead them away from “bad company” (1 Cor. Lord, strengthen my children against peer pressure, that they may always stand strong against enticements to do wrong (Prov. God, help my children to “think clearly and exercise self-control” in all they do (1 Peter 1:13, NLT).ģ. First and foremost, Lord, let my children know and experience that salvation that comes by grace, through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ (Eph. I hope the following 31 ways to pray will help you in that holy task:ġ. I have since realized that many parents of teenagers-even those not in the desperate straits I felt myself in-might profit from a 31-day prayer plan for their teenagers. By the end of the weekend, I had prayed my way through many Bible verses and had compiled a brand-new list, tailored to the needs of my teenage son. I prayed as I walked wooded paths, ate simple vegetarian meals, and rocked in a chair on the porch. I prayed as I lay prostrate in the prayer chapel on the retreat center grounds. I prayed as I knelt in the spartan room provided for me. I took with me only my Bible and one other resource: a 31-day prayer calendar I had devised years ago and had used since my children were small.įor three days I focused my prayers on my son. I scheduled a weekend prayer retreat at a retreat center about an hour from home. Instead, we focused our best efforts on praying. So after a couple years of proving our inadequacy as parents, we stopped trying. But every effort failed-and sometimes seemed to make matters worse. ![]() We tried to love and encourage him as much as we could. We did our best, of course, to steer him away from dangerous friendships. But early in his high school years, my wife and I could sense him slipping away-from us and from God. He was baptized at a church camp, and had even survived being a preacher’s kid. He had been raised in a Christian home and had come to faith in Jesus Christ at an early age. Focus Your Best Parenting Efforts on Prayer By Bob Hostetler ![]()
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