40 Powerful Scriptures to Pray Over Your Children

God has given you the opportunity to pray for your children.  The best part about prayer is that God can understand your heart even when you don’t know what to pray. He knows what your child’s needs are and also understands your heart’s cry.

When you pray, you are simply pouring out your heart to a friend – a friend who created your child and loves them more than you can imagine. 

Here are some powerful scriptures to pray over your children to wrap the armor of God around them each day!

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The Power of Praying Over Your Children

When you pray for your child, you don’t have to worry about praying for the wrong thing or saying something that will make God mad at you. When you are come to God in prayer asking for His will to be done for your child, you can rest assured that you are asking the right questions.

When you pray for your child, you are asking God to work miracles in your child’s life.

Scripture to Pray Over Your Children

Claiming God’s promises for your children provides you with a blueprint for praying.  As you pray these promises and claim God’s word, you are speaking life over your child!

When you read a scripture promise, you are simply reading the words.  But when you pray the scripture and make it speak to you and then pray that promise, claiming it as your own, it becomes a promise to you! Put your child’s name in the actual verse as you are praying. 

Make the promise your own.  The promises in the Bible are not just for a select group of people who lived hundreds of years ago, they are living words of God.  God’s promises are good yesterday, today, and tomorrow. 

When you use scriptures to pray over your child, you are using God’s word to pray for the outcome that He already desires.  In essence, you are giving God permission to do the work in your child’s life that He desires to do.  Your child still has the ability to choose to follow God or accept His plans, but you are giving permission for God to work mightily.

Psalm 5:3 NIV  Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord.  Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.

Isaiah 55:10-11 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making It bud and flourish so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth:  It will not return to me empty but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

Prayers to Pray Over Your Kids

When your children are young, you are often praying for their physical safety, but as they grow, your prayers will include outside influences that impact your child’s choices.  The following sections will include a prayer and some scriptures to pray over your child for specific areas of their life. 

Dear Lord, Today I come to you with the cares and concerns of my child.  Help me know how to pray for them, when to speak to them about issues, when to encourage them, and when to keep my mouth shut.  Thank you for loving my child more than I can even imagine and help me to remember that when I feel frustrated or discouraged. 

Guide me as I lead my child by my example and by the things I say and do.  Help them to see you through me and cover my weaknesses and shortcomings. 

Thank you for my child and the incredible blessing you have given me.  Please help me learn to direct my cares and concerns to you.  Thank you for hearing and answering my prayers.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Pray for Your Child to Follow God

As a parent, our greatest hope is that our children will love and follow God. Today, it is harder than ever for our kids to stay focused on God because of social media and the many other ways the enemy has to distract them.

Use these scriptures as a guide as your pray for your child to follow God:

• Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
• Psalm 103:17 But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s children.
• John 3:16, 17  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
• Psalm 51:10-12  Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.  Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Dear Jesus, Thank you for the blessing of my beautiful child.  Please help them as they grow and mature that they will always choose to follow You.  Help me as I train them and teach them by my life and example to be a good role model. 

Please multiply my efforts and hide my deficiencies as they are looking to me to create a picture of You.  Please create a clean heart in my child and restore their hope and trust in you. 

Thank you for promising salvation when they choose to follow you.  Thank you for dying on the cross for their sins.  Please forgive them when they mess up and help them to find their salvation in you.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Pray for your Child to have a Child-like Faith

Use these scriptures as a guide as your pray for your child to have child-like faith:

• Philippians 4:6-7  Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
• Deuteronomy 4:9  Only be careful and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live.  Teach them to your children and to their children after them.
• Matthew 18:3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
• Mark 10:14 When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

Dear Father in Heaven, Today, I pray for a child-like faith for my child and for me.  Remind me to talk to my children about my prayer requests and your answers.  Remind me of the multitude of times when you have answered my prayers and provided for our needs. 

Help me to share those times often and look for the ways that You are daily providing for us.  Help our faith to grow together as a family as we look to You for our needs.  Thank you for your abundant provisions in our lives.  Amen

Pray for Your Child to Have Godly Friendships

As parents, we want our kids to make friends. But we often worry that they will make friends with those who are far from God and offer a negative influence over them.

Use these scriptures to guide you as you pray for your child to have more Godly friendships to encourage them and help them grow stronger in their faith.

• Ecclesiastes 4:9,10  For two are better than one because they have a good return for their work:  If one falls down, his friend can help him up.
• Proverbs 18:24  A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
• John 13:34-35  I give you a new commandment, that you love one another.  Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another.
• Proverbs 17:9  One who forgives an affront fosters friendship, but one who dwells on disputes will alienate a friend.

Dear Jesus,  My children are making friends and I pray that You will place godly people in their lives to help them to make good choices, to do what is right, and to follow You. 

I pray for the friends that they have that they will also be a good example to each other and support and encourage each other.  Help them to build each other up and push them to do their best.  Please help me to support and encourage my child’s friendships. 

Please guide and lead my children as they are making friends and spreading their circle of friendships.  Thank you for being our best Friend!  In Jesus’ name, amen. 

Pray for Your Child’s Future

Do you worry about your child’s future? Of course, most parents do! But the best way to ensure they have a bright and prosperous future is to put their future in God’s hands!

Use these verses of scripture to pray over your child’s future and ask God to guide them and provide opportunities to help them prosper.

• Jeremiah 29:11-13  “For I know the plans I have you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.   Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
• Philippians 1:6  And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
• Proverbs 22:6  Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
• Psalm 20:4-5  May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.  May we shout for oy over your victory and lift up our banners in the name of our God.  May the Lord grant all your requests.

Dear Father in Heaven, today I pray for my child’s future.  You know the end from the beginning and every part in between.  I pray that You will guide and lead them as they grow and mature. 

Thank You for having a plan for their life.  Please open doors for them to grow and learn and be successful.  Help them to find ways to reach out to others and make an impact for You.  Please prosper my child and help them to seek You and find You. 

Continue and complete the good work You have started in my child’s heart and life.  Help them to stay true to You all the days of their life.  In Jesus’ name, amen. 

Prayers for a Hedge of Protection Around Your Child

Every morning, when our children walk out the front door for school (or elsewhere), we worry about their safety. And it seems that with each passing day, there are more and more things they need to be protected from.

Use these verses of scripture to pray over your child and ask God to wrap his arms around them and protect them throughout the day.

• Psalm 34:7  The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.
• Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
• Psalms 139:5 You hem me in behind and before and you lay your hand upon me.
• Job 1:10  Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side?  You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.
• 1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

Dear Father in Heaven, Please protect my child today.  Please send your angels to surround my children and deliver them from situations that will pull them away from You. 

Please hem them in and put a hedge around them to keep them temptations that are bigger than they can stand against.  Provide a way of escape when they are confronted with choices that are difficult.

Be their rock and fortress when there are challenges and help them to recognize that their help comes from You.  Thank You for your protection and for sending Your angels to surround my children today.  In Jesus’ name, amen. 

Pray for Your Child’s Joy and Peace

Parents want their children to be happy and not be anxious or afraid. We want them to have a joyous and peaceful heart.

Use these scriptures to pray over your child to ask God to fill their hearts with joy and the peace that can only come from having a relationship with Him.

• Psalm 37:4  Take delight in the lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
• John 14:27  Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you:  not as the world giveth, give I unto you.  Let not your heart be trouble, neither let it be afraid.
• Psalm 4:7  You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.
• Psalm 34:5  Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.

Dear God, You are the Creator of happiness and joy.  Please help my children to find joy in You.  Help them to bring joy to everyone they come in contact with.  Help them to know how much You love them and that You’ve promised to always be with them. 

Help them to sleep in peace and not be afraid of tomorrow.  Please bless them and satisfy the desires of their hearts as they delight in You.  Please take my fears and worries and help me to remember how much You love and care for my children. 

Help me to encourage their joy and direct their security back to You.  Help us to recognize the little things in life and be grateful for what You’ve given us.  In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

Prayers for Your Child’s Spouse (current or future)

As moms, we hope that your children will meet and eventually marry a Godly person. Someone who draws them closer to God and not away from Him.

Use these scriptures to pray over your child to ask God to provide a Godly man or woman for them to eventually marry. If they are already married, use them to pray over their spouse to always put God first in their marriage.

• Proverbs 31 – Godly woman
• Matthew 19:6  So then, they are no longer two but one flesh.  Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.
• Proverbs 4:23  Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.
• Proverbs 3:5  Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.
• Psalm 119:1  Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord!
• Psalm 37:4  Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Dear Lord, You are the creator of love and You have shown us what perfect love is.  I pray for my child’s spouse.  As they grow and mature, help them to honor You and put You first. 

Please help them to keep their heart and mind pure.  As they meet and interact with others, please help their heart to remain steadfast.  As they grow, please help them to love each other solely and make You the center of their family.  Thank you for having a plan for their future.  In Jesus’ name, amen. 

Pray for Your Child to Develop Good Character

We want our children to be of good moral character. We want them to be loving and caring of others. We want them to have a servant’s heart.

Use these scriptures to pray over your children to ask God to fill their hearts with the fruits of the spirit and help them develop a Godly character.

• Galatians 5:22-23 NIV “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
• Psalm 51-10-12  Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.  Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
• Psalm 119:11  I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
• 1 Timothy 4:12  Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity.
• Luke 2:52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man.

Father in Heaven, I pray that as my child grows and matures, that they would grow in favor with God and man.  Help them to have a pure heart and set a guard over their eyes, ears, mouth, and heart to stay true to you. 

Help me to be the example to them that I should be and help them to see Your character through me.  I pray that Your word would fill their heart and mind and help their focus to be on You. 

Please help their faith and trust in You to be consistent throughout their life so that You can say that You are well pleased in them.  Keep them as the apple of Your eye.  Thank you for always loving them!  In Jesus’ name, amen. 

Are you looking for some tools and tips to boost your prayer life? If so, be sure to visit our Prayer Resources Library where you’ll find everything you need to become a powerful prayer warrior!

Pray for Your Child’s Academic Success

We want our children to be successful in their educational endeavors because education and knowledge are the foundation for a prosperous future.

Praying for your child’s educational success means asking God to give them the diligence and wisdom needed to complete their schoolwork and to always seek Him when facing struggles.

Dear Jesus, please be with my child as they are learning and growing in wisdom and knowledge.  Please help them to be diligent in their school work and help their academic success to reflect their growth in You. 

Daily Prayers over your Children

Keep searching for promises in the Bible that you can add to your list.  Pray these scriptures over your children and ask for God’s direction as you lead and guide them.  Just like the prophets of the Bible, you can pray prophecies for your children by claiming God’s promises. 

• 2 Corinthians 1:20  No matter how many promises God has made, they are “yes” in Christ.
• Lamentations 2:19 Rise during the night and cry out.  Pour out your hearts like water to the Lord.  Lift up your hands to him in prayer, pleading for your children.

Whether your child is young or old, under your roof or on their own, you have the powerful opportunity to pray for growth and devotion to God for your children.  Claim those scriptures in and pray over your children!

Your prayers have the ability to unleash God’s power for your children!

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