Praying for Your Children: A Parent’s Greatest Ministry

1 Samuel 1:11 — “She made a vow, saying, ‘Lord of Armies, if You will take notice of Your servant’s affliction, remember and not forget me, and give Your servant a son, I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life.’”

One afternoon my wife, Katie, and I were eating at a local restaurant when the server recognized her. At the time, Katie was working as a long-term substitute teacher while the primary teacher was on maternity leave. The server’s face changed as she began sharing the struggles her child was experiencing in school—habitual disciplinary issues, emotional outbursts, and defiance.

She was exhausted. She had tried consequences, rewards, conversations, and everything she knew to do as a parent. But nothing seemed to make a difference. Katie, having worked closely with this student, listened with compassion. She shared how she had been giving this child extra time—guiding, correcting, encouraging, and trying to help him learn healthier responses.

The mother sighed deeply and said, “I just don’t know what else to do.”

In that moment, we were reminded of an essential truth:

One of the greatest gifts we can give our children is prayer.

Not just general prayer—intentional, Scripture-rooted, consistent intercession.

Why Prayer Matters in Parenting

Parenting reveals quickly that we do not have control over everything in our children’s lives. We cannot control their hearts. We cannot force spiritual growth. We cannot choose their friends, their desires, or their future path.

But we can pray. And when we pray, we are doing more than asking God to “fix” our children—we are inviting God to shape them.

Prayer reminds us that our children belong to Him. That He sees what we cannot. That He can reach places our words and discipline cannot.

Hannah understood this well in 1 Samuel 1. Her prayer was not only a request—it was an offering. She dedicated her child’s life to the Lord before he was ever conceived.

Our prayers can do the same. They entrust our children into the hands of God.

How Do We Pray for Our Children?

Sometimes parents struggle to know what to pray. The good news is that God has already given us a guide—His Word.

You can use Scripture to shape your prayers:

1. Pray the prayers of Jesus.Jesus prayed that Peter’s faith would not fail (Luke 22:32). Pray that prayer for your child.

2. Pray the prayers in the New Testament letters.Paul prayed for believers to grow in love, wisdom, endurance, and spiritual strength (Ephesians 3:14–19; Colossians 1:9–12). Pray these same things for your child.

3. Use biblical characters as models.

   • Pray your child has David’s courage, Daniel’s integrity, Ruth’s loyalty, Lydia’s generosity.

   • And pray that they avoid the patterns of Saul’s pride, Samson’s impulsiveness, or Demas’s love of the world.

4. Pray specifically over their day and decisions.Pray for their friends, influences, attitudes, courage, purity, and faith.

Your prayers do not have to be long—only faithful.

When You Don’t See Results Immediately

Prayer is not instant. Sometimes it may seem like nothing is changing. But Scripture assures us that God hears the prayers of His people (Psalm 116:1–2).

God may be working in ways you cannot see yet. He may be shaping their heart slowly. He may be planting seeds for the future.He may be protecting them in ways you never find out about.

Your responsibility is not to produce the outcome.Your responsibility is to be faithful in prayer.

A Final Encouragement

Whether you are a parent, grandparent, guardian, teacher, or mentor—your prayers matter.

You may feel unseen, unnoticed, or unsure of what to say. But every time you pray, you are placing that child into the hands of the One who loves them more than you do.

And that is the safest place they could ever be.