Prayers for Parents

“We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags.” —Isaiah 64:6 (NLT)

Every parent wants their child to be a good person. It’s an admirable desire, and for many, it’s an essential parenting goal. And though we may teach our children good values and manners, the Bible makes it clear that being a good person is not enough.

Having good character is of no eternal value apart from a growing relationship with Christ. Without Him, even our righteousness is described as “filthy rags.” This is why we desperately need Christ, who saves us from our sin and exchanges our sin nature for His righteousness (see 2 Corinthians 5:21). One of our most important responsibilities as parents is to help our children understand how they can know God and have a growing relationship with Christ.

There are many ways to help your children grow spiritually. You can pray with them, read the Bible together, memorize Scripture together, talk about God and His Word, attend church together, and establish a regular time of family devotions. As your children grow spiritually, they will also grow in godly character. Real character development is a by-product of spiritual development.

Prayers for parents

• Thank God for saving us from our sin and exchanging our sin nature for His righteousness, making it possible for us to grow to be more like Him.
• Pray that God would give you the wisdom and intentionality to make your children’s spiritual development a priority.
• Ask God to give you creative ways to teach your children about Him and His Word and daily opportunities to help each child cultivate a personal relationship with Christ.
• Pray that as your children grow spiritually, they will begin to exemplify godly character in their everyday life.