10 Bible Verses to Pray over Your Children

We all want to know that what we are doing for our children makes an impact on their lives. There is nothing more powerful that you can do in the life of your child than pray for them. You can train them and teach them every trade you know. You can give them experiences in sports, music, art, and charitable deeds. But if you do not talk to God about your child, you are missing a dynamic piece of the puzzle. God holds each of our lives in His hand. He holds the power to change a heart and heal a mind.

With mental illness on the rise, temptations looming at every turn, and a sinful world begging for the heart of our children, we have an advocate that can help. No matter if you are waiting to conceive, anticipating delivery, or are on the other side of parenting awaiting grandchildren, it’s never too early or too late to lift a child’s life before the throne of God.

Today I’m offering ten simple prayers to pray over your child no matter what age or stage they are at. Simply pray. With each prayer is a verse to proclaim. Speak it out loud and trust God to work on the heart of the child you are praying for.

1. Lord, I pray my child would believe in you with a devoted heart.

“I will extol You, my God, O King, And I will bless Your name forever and ever” (Psalm 145:1).

It’s not enough to believe. The Bible reminds us that even the devil believed. But pray that your child would fully and completely devote their hearts to God.

2. Lord, I pray my child would let you transform their life.

“I will give them a heart to know that I am the LORD, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart” (Jeremiah 24:7).

Life change is what we all desire to see in our child. We want the old to be made new. And we want our children to walk in truth. We can force our children to follow rules and tow the line. But there will come a day when they will step outside the boundary of home and decide for themselves what the rules look like. Rather than pray that they would obey a list of unwritten rules, pray that they would let God grab hold of their hearts and mold it into the masterpiece He wants them to become.

3. Lord, I pray my child would get caught when sin creeps in.

“For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives” (Hebrews 12:6).

This might seem like a harsh thing to pray for someone that you deeply love. But this is one of the most loving things you could ask God for on behalf of your child. Sin’s result is always destruction, devastation, disappointment, and a lack of discernment. If your child gets caught when sin creeps in, they will be less likely to continue to let sin abound. If they never get caught, they may never quit the thing that has a grasp on them.

4. Lord, I pray my child would get caught doing right.

“Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness” (Psalm 37:3).

Just as much as you pray that your child would get caught doing wrong, pray they would get caught doing right. Children are a result of what they believe they are. If they believe they are worthless, they will respond with actions that lack value. But when we see them doing right and tell them what a great job they are doing, they will be more prone to want to continue doing right. Praise goes a long way.

5. Lord, I pray my child would believe the truth about who they are in Christ.

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

Identity is foundational to each of us. Most of us take on an identity early in life and many times it sticks with us for life. It could be as simple as the school drop out, the pastor’s kid, the tall one, or the most popular. What if kids learned early that they are a child of the Most High God? What if they really believed they are chosen, and loved by Almighty God? Their identity will live with them for a long time. Pray that they would believe the truth about who they are in Christ.

6. Lord, I pray my child would listen to your still small voice. 

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:27-28).

We are bombarded by noise. Social media has swallowed us up into a land where it’s hard to hear from God. Pray that your child would be sensitive to the still small voce of God. Pray that when they hear they would respond and tune their ear to listen to what God has to say over what the world is telling them.

7. Lord, I pray my child would make wise choices in the face of peer pressure.

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

Peer pressure is not something new. We had to deal with it growing up too. The sins are the same, just with different ways to access them. Pray that your child would stand strong against the pressure to give in and let other people sway their beliefs and decisions.

8. Lord, I pray my child’s mind would be protected from evil.

“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life” (Proverbs 4:23).

Protection is something we seem to naturally ask God for when it comes to the people we love. We can put kids in a bubble and guard them for a while, but eventually they will emerge and live in the real world. Pray that God would do the protecting while you do the preparing. Prepare them to live in the real world and trust God to protect them from the forces of evil.

9. Lord, I pray my child would have compassion on others.

“Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor” (Romans 12:10).

The pride of life might be our biggest struggle in this generation. Sometimes we believe that if we could just teach our kids more about loving others, then maybe they wouldn’t be so selfish. But the only thing that can transform a selfish heart is the Savior. Trust God to do what only He can do.

10. Lord, I pray my child would love you with their heart, soul, and mind.

“And he said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind’” (Matthew 22:37).

This is a challenge for most people so it should be no surprise that it’s a challenge for our kids. Ask God to specifically help your child love God with all their heart, soul, and mind. This covers their entire being.

I know this may overwhelm you as you think of all the things you want for your child. But if you invest in this one area, you are doing an amazing thing. Give your child the gift of prayer. Don’t just read this and move on. Take time to let your child hear you pray. Try printing this out and praying one prayer each day. God hears and wants the best for your child. Ask Him.

Related Resource: The 2 Greatest Mental Health Needs of Every Child

Parents are justifiably concerned about the mental health of their children, and often they don’t know where to start when a child is struggling mentally. In this episode of Christian Parent/Crazy World, host Catherine Segars talks with a mental health expert who specializes in helping parents reconnect the critical bond with their child to address the foundation of their mental health. A child must know that their parents have their back, and they must know that they are loved no matter what. If this critical foundation breaks down, a child will become disconnected from their parents and others. They will suffer in all of their relationships and in their mental health. Listen in to learn more! If you like what you hear, be sure to subscribe to Christian Parent/Crazy World on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!

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Micah Maddox is a women’s event speaker, Bible teacher, and author of Anchored In: Experience a Power-Full Life in a Problem-Filled World. You can follow her on Facebook here. As a pastor’s wife, mother of three, and foster mom, she contributes her time to her family and local church serving as a women’s ministry leader. Micah loves to give a voice to hurting hearts and writes to the one who needs encouragement. You can connect with her at micahmaddox.com.