No matter how old or big our children get, we can always hold them up in prayer.
Many parents can recall praying for their children before they were even born, and offering up prayers of thanksgiving to God the day they entered the world.
The desire to pray for our children never goes away even as our kids grow and mature. And even if we don’t know the exact words to say.
Luckily, God knows our needs and our hearts better than we do ourselves. Try these words to lift up your children in prayer and to begin a conversation with God.
Prayers for Children
- Heavenly Father, I recognize that the sons and daughters we have on earth are gifts from You and belong to You. Bless my children and strengthen me that I may be the parent to them that You call me to be, demonstrating the sacrificial love that Jesus modeled for us all. Help me to recognize that it’s impossible to be a perfect parent. Help me resist the urge to be the parent that society tells us to be and rather, to love and nurture my children as You call me to. In Your name I pray. Amen.
- Loving God, Creator of all things, including families, I come to you today to ask for Your blessing on (name children). Watch over them, keep them safe, guard them from evil and temptation. Help them to open their eyes to Your beautiful presence in the world in which they enjoy unlimited potential. Guide them as they grow, that no matter which path life takes them down, they listen to Your call to guide them.
- I see the wide-eyed zest for life in my child’s eye today, dear God, and pray that it will always remain. May (child’s name) forever possess the love of life, and the world You’ve created, as they do today. I pray simply for their happiness. Where life takes them, geographically, professionally, or otherwise, matters less to me than a happiness rooted in knowing and loving You. In gratitude, I pray. Amen.
Prayers for Adult Children
When our children are no longer “kids,” they have different needs and encounter different obstacles. Still, they have a childlike dependency on God, as we all do, even if sometimes they don’t realize it.
Consider these words when you’d like to pray for your adult child:
- God, I lift up to you my children, remembering when they were young, carefree, and close to you, and recognizing now that they are grown and I can no longer protect them from all the challenges they may face. Father, our eternal Protector, keep them safe and healthy, holding them lovingly in Your hands always. Amen.
Prayers for Older/Adult Children Who Have Fallen Away from Their Faith
Many parents can relate to the struggle of watching their children drift slowly away from their faith.
Despite our best efforts in raising our children to be people of faith, sometimes, for reasons we’ll never understand, our children can seem lost in their relationship with the Lord.
Here are some words to pray for older children struggling with their faith:
- God, as my children have gotten older, it sometimes can feel like their hearts have hardened and they’ve grown distant from you. Help them to hear Your voice and soften their hardened hearts. In some small way today, open them up to feeling, Your love of them, knowing deep down, they return that love to You. With a thankful heart, I pray. Amen.
Pray for the intercession of St. Monica, patron of mothers facing difficult family situations:
- Dearest St. Monica, patient and virtuous mother of Augustine, who never lost faith in her son finding his way to God, pray for me today, and pray especially for the healing of my son/daughter. St. Monica, you know as well as anyone the struggles of parenthood and the difficulties of watching a child stray from God. Pray that I may trust in God’s plan, and pray that my child returns to God through some small action today, by recognizing the beauty in the world around them, even amid struggles–a beauty that reflects our Creator. St. Monica, pray for us!
Pray the St. Monica Novena.
Ask for Others to Lift Your Child Up in Prayer
If you’re child is dealing with something extremely difficult, and you could use the support of others, consider lifting up your child in prayer with Hallow’s Prayer Campaigns.
Prayer Campaigns are completely free to create, share, and join. We’ve seen some powerful campaigns lifting up in prayer children facing some really challenging circumstances.
Anyone who joins a Prayer Campaign can also leave notes of support for the person who created the campaign.
If you’re looking for resources on engaging your children with prayer (instead of praying for your children), check out our guide on how to pray with kids.