Prayers for Parents

Day 21:Choose Forgiveness

“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” — Colossians 3:13 (NIV)

Every parent needs grace and forgiveness, because every parent makes mistakes. Have you been hurt by one or both of your parents? Are you still experiencing pain from those past hurts? Perhaps the wrong done to you was so serious that you believe your relationship with them is irreparable. Whatever your situation, there is something that you can do to get on the path to healing…forgive.

Ephesians 4:32 says, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Forgiving a parent who has hurt you could be one of the greatest challenges you ever face. But it could also be the most freeing, leading to the healing and wholeness you so need and want. Refusing to forgive is generally more of a burden to the one who has been hurt than to the one who caused the pain, because unforgiveness often leads to self-destructive behaviors. Additionally, holding on to bitterness and resentment toward your parent(s) may negatively affect the way you parent your own children. Choose to forgive, and begin to find hope and healing in your life and relationships.

Prayers for parents
  • Thank God for the grace and forgiveness He has given you when you’ve made mistakes with your children.
  • Pray that you will extend that same grace to your parents who made mistakes in their humanness and may have hurt you. Ask God to help you forgive even what may have been unforgiveable, and thank Him for forgiving the unforgiveable in you.
  • Ask God to help you find hope and healing from past hurts, and that He would, in His way and in His timing, soften hearts and provide the way for restoration and reconciliation of your relationship with your parent(s).
  • Pray that God would help you resist allowing past hurts to affect the way you are parenting your own children.