Prayers for Parents

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.” —Hebrews 10:24

How can we truly love our children, build character into their lives, teach them how to live for the Lord, and discipline them effectively without relationship? Having a strong, healthy relationship with our children is critical to effective parenting. When you have a good relationship with your children, they will know from experience that you love them, that you care about them, and that they can trust you to lead them in the right way. Relationship builds trust, intimacy, and connection. Additionally, a healthy relationship with you will teach them how to have healthy relationships with others.

Strong relationships with our children don’t just happen. It takes intentionality. It necessitates spending one-on-one time with each individual child, getting to know their unique needs, personality, gifts, abilities, hopes, dreams, and learning what motivates and demotivates them. It involves caring for them in good times and bad, encouraging them, supporting them, cheering them on, and keeping the lines of meaningful communication open at all times.

Maintaining a good relationship requires loving your child without conditions and praying with and for them faithfully. It also involves demonstrating kindness, understanding, grace, and loyalty so there is no doubt that you are there for them and have their best interests at heart.

Prayers for parents

• Thank God that Jesus has made it possible for you to have a relationship with Him, and for the many blessings that come with that relationship.
• Ask God to help you to be intentional about building a healthy relationship with your child.
• Pray that as you make spending time with your child a priority, God will help you to get to know them intimately and grow in your understanding of who they are.
• If you are in a newly adoptive or blended family, ask God to give you creative ways to build a healthy relationship with each child, make special memories, and honor old family traditions while building new ones that are unique to your newly formed family.