Parent Night of Prayer

Recently I facilitated a Parent Night of Prayer in our church, and it was such a blessing. In the process of organizing it I didn't come across many resources online, so I want to share with you here what we did, in hopes that it will be helpful for you and the families in your church.

Our evening started out with a brief time of instruction and sharing about parenting and the joys and challenges associated with it. Then we spent the rest of the evening praying. Some parents were by themselves, others were with their spouses. Each parent was given a card at their arrival that was hooked onto a binder ring. There were seven prayer "stations" scattered throughout the sanctuary, each had a different card which could be added to the ring, so by the time they went home, the would have a visual reminder of the prayer focuses and what God may have spoken to them in that time. Below I've listed (in no particular order) and explained each of the seven stations, and I've also included the JPEGs of each of the cards in case you'd like to use them.(Each card also includes a scripture passage that goes along with it.) (If you'd like the original Publisher files so you can edit them, please email me, and I'll be glad to send them to you!)

1. Cover card--title and date of prayer.
2. Pray for your child's safety online, watching TV, on social media, etc. At this station I set up a monitor, a TV remote, and an iPod touch as visuals of some of the items that young people interact with daily.
3. Thank God for the unique traits of each of your children. I had a table set up with a number of empty picture frames, reminding parents that each of their children is a "masterpiece" created by God.
4. Pray that your child will maintain their purity and avoid traps like pornography, premarital sex, and sexual immorality. This station was a table covered with a white table cloth, simple and reminiscent of purity.
5. Pray that your child will choose godly friends and role models as their primary influencers. I'm afraid that I didn't have any good visuals that came to mind for this station. If you have something, I'd love to hear your thoughts!
6. Pray for your child's future...spouse, career, God's call on their life, family, etc. At this station I had a picture of a baby progressing through each stage of life...growing up, teen, adult, senior citizen, with the caption "Remember, you're not just raising children...you're raising future adults."
7. Pray that your child will come to know Jesus and will follow Him on their life-long journey. I had a simple cross that we use on our communion table set up for this station.
8. Pray that your child will develop a hunger and thirst for the things of God (His word, prayer, fellowship with His church, etc.) I set this station up on our communion table, which has a large Bible, some shofars, and anointing oil.

I'd love to hear if you use this idea, how it goes, if you have additional ideas for parent prayer nights.

Praying for Your Child

Nearly 14 years ago, Focus on the Family published a great list of 30 ways to pray for your child. As March begins, this is a great way to focus your day-to-day prayers on the spiritual life of your son or daughter.

A Parent’s Prayer Program

By Bob Hostetler
Focus on the Family, February 2000

1. Salvation—Lord, let salvation spring up within my children, that they may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.(Isaiah 45:8, 2 Timothy 2:10)
2. Growth in grace—I pray that they may “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:18)
3. Love—Grant, Lord, that my children may learn to live a life of love through the Spirit who dwells in them. (Ephesians 5:2, Galatians 5:22)
4. Honesty and integrity—May integrity and honesty be their virtue and their protection. (Psalm 25:21)
5. Self-control—Father, help my children not to be like many others around them, but let them be “alert and self-controlled” in all they do. (1 Thessalonians 5:6)
6. A love for God’s word—May my children grow to find Your Word “more precious than gold, than much pure gold; [and] sweeter than honey, than honey form the comb.” (Psalm 19:10)
7. Justice—God, help my children to love justice as You do and to “act justly” in all they do. (Psalm 11:7, Micah 6:8)
8. Mercy—May my children always “be merciful, as [their] Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:36)
9. Respect (for self, others, authority)—Father, grant that my children may “show proper respect to everyone,” as Your Word commands. (1 Peter 2:17)
10. Strong, biblical self-esteem—Help my children develop a strong self-esteem that is rooted in the realization that they are “God’s worksmanship, created in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:10)
11. Faithfulness—“Let love and faithfulness never leave [my children],” but bind these twin virtues around their necks and write them on the tablet of their hearts. (Proverbs 3:3)
12. A passion for God—Lord, please instill in my children a soul with craving for You, a heart that clings passionately to You. (Psalm 63:8)
13. Responsibility—Grant that my children may learn responsibility “for each one should carry his own load.” (Galatians 6:5)
14. Kindness—Lord, may my children “always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.” (1 Thessalonians 5:15)
15. Generosity—Grant that my children may “be generous and willing to share [and so] lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age.” (1 Timothy 6:18-19)
16. Peace, peaceability—Father, let my children “make every effort to do what leads to peace.” (Romans 14:19)
17. Hope—May the God of hope grant that my children may overflow with hope and hopefulness by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)
18. Perseverance—Lord, teach my children perseverance in all they do, and help them especially to “run with perseverance the race marked out for [them].” (Hebrews 12:1)
19. Humility—Lord, please cultivate in my children the ability to “show true humility toward all.” (Titus 3:2)
20. Compassion—Lord, please clothe my children with the virtue of compassion. (Colossians 3:12)
21. Prayerfulness—Grant, Lord, that my children’s lives may be marked by prayerfulness, that they may learn to “pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” (Ephesians 6:18)
22. Contentment—Father, teach my children “the secret of being content in any and every situation…through him who gives them strength.” (Philippians 4:12-13)
23. Faith—I pray that faith will find root and grow in my children’s hearts, that by faith they may gain what has been promised to them. (Like 17:5-6, Hebrews 11:1-40)
24. A servant heart—Lord, please help my children develop servant hearts, that they may serve wholeheartedly “as if [they] were serving the Lord, not men.” (Ephesians 6:7)
25. Purity—“Create in [them] a pure heart, O God,” and let their purity of heart be shown in their actions. (Psalm 51:10)
26. A willingness and ability to work hard—Teach my children, Lord, to value work and to work hard at everything they do, “as working for the Lord, not for men.” (Colossians 3:23)
27. Self-discipline—Father, I pray that my children may develop self-discipline, that they may acquire “a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair.” (Proverbs 1:3)
28. A heart for missions—Lord, please help my children to develop a heart for missions, a desire to see your glory declared among the nations, your marvelous deeds among all peoples. (Psalm 96:3)
29. Joy—May my children be filled “with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.” (1 Thessalonians 1:6)
30. Courage—May my children always “be strong and courageous” in their character and in their actions. (Deuteronomy 31:6)

Daily Bread

Kenyan woman and her "daily bread."

I recently did a children's message at church that went along with this line from the Lord's Prayer, "Give us this day our daily bread." It's really a profound thought to ponder...do we trust God for our daily bread. Or maybe a better question is, do we HAVE to trust God for our daily bread? I shared some photos from this website with the kids during the message. It's a great (and slightly disturbing) glimpse into what constitutes "daily bread" around the world. We live in such luxury and abundance compared to most of the rest of the world, don't we?

James said, in relation to faith being dead if there isn't action to accompany it, "Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, 'Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?" (James 2:15-16) Those last few words get me every time..."what good is it?" We aren't blessed just to be blessed and store up more and more stuff for ourselves. I believe we are blessed to continue blessing others...to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.

So how are you teaching this concept to your children? How are you teaching them that the world does not revolve around them? How are you expanding their worldview to realize that there are people who are hungry and hurting in the world and part of our job is to love them?

You know what I have discovered in the years I have worked with children? They are more than willing to share, to pray, and to reach out! They just need to be given tha
t opportunity.

Pray Like Jesus

Our church is embarking on a summer series called "Pray Like Jesus," and we are anticipating some wonderful fruit to come from this time together learning to pray in the same way that Jesus instructed His disciples. Parents at MSBC, here is some information you will need to know as we dive into this time together:

• Have each of your children bring a single subject notebook or drawing tablet along with crayons/colored pencils each week. (It would be fun if you made it “dedicated” for the summer series. I’ve attached the logo for the series, in case you’d like to also incorporate that in some way.) Each week the kids will be given an “assignment” to do during the message portion of the service which will be incorporated into the following week’s service. Be sure to come for all the details!
• Each month, our Sunday school has committed to $40 in support for the girls at Strong Tower Orphanage. We will still be collecting that offering during the summer. If you have anything to contribute, place that offering in an envelope marked “Sunday School STO” and it will get to the right place!
• We will be having communion on July 7th. Sometime this week, I encourage you to have a conversation with your child about what communion is all about. This blog post will help you with some ideas on how to have that conversation: http://shootsnrootsministry.blogspot.com/2013/01/kids-and-communion.html

Above all else, my prayer is that through this series you will find wonderful opportunities to talk with your children about prayer, to actually have great encounters of prayer with your family, and to continue to train your children in the way they should go.

Insulated or Isolated?

At the D6 Conference I attended last year, Fred Luter (Pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans) made a statement that has stuck with me ever since. He said, "We can't isolate kids from the culture, but we can insulate them with God's Word." Isn't that a marvelous thought? Kids are going to grow up in the culture around us, and isolating them from everything is nearly impossible. Unless you lock them in their bedroom and board up the windows and don't allow any sort of electronic device to permeate the perimeter...but one day, they'll grow up and have to face the "big bad world", and will they be equipped? That's why I think what Pastor Luter said is brilliant...instead of putting our kids into isolation until Jesus returns, we as parents, grandparents, children's and youth ministers can work diligently at "insulating" the young people in our lives with the word of God.

Let's teach our kids how to handle disappointment and conflict in a biblical and godly manner. Let's teach them the importance of loving God with all that's in us and loving our neighbor as ourselves. Let's teach them the importance of mission and giving. Let's teach them what it means to live a righteous and holy life in love with a righteous and holy God.

Consider Jesus' words in His prayer on the night before He would be crucified:

"I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth."

Jesus definitely was not asking the Father to isolate His disciples...He was asking to insulate them, to keep them from the evil one, to sanctify them (to be set apart)...and this is all wrapped up, could we say "insulated", in the truth...God's word.

So, bottom line? Make sure your kids are well-insulated! Permeate their lives with the word of God (along with your own life!) Teach them what it means to wear the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18). And most importantly, make following Christ a lifestyle that infiltrates every corner of life.

Quiet Down!

"But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed." (Luke 5:16)

Take a few seconds and let that sink in...

Isn't that a beautiful thought? This "withdrawing" was a habit of Jesus, something He did often, by Himself. Jesus is our model. So I have to ask myself...do I often withdraw to lonely places and pray? If Jesus found this to be a beneficial discipline in His life, I need to do the same. There's power in the solitude...when it's just you and the Lord. You can hear Him, you can sense His nearness, He helps make sense of all that's going on in your heart and mind and life.

Recently I came across this quote from Jim Elliot that has had me pondering: "I think the devil has made it his business to monopolize on three elements: noise, hurry, and crowds. Satan is quite aware of the power of silence." The world around us celebrates noise, hurry, and crowds...be more, do more, fill every spare minute! Jesus models something different. Instead of constant busyness and noise and crowds, what would it look like if you and I made withdrawing to lonely places and praying a part of our regular routine? Wouldn't our time in the crowds be much more effective? Wouldn't we be keener at hearing His voice through the noise? In the hurry, wouldn't we slow down to practice His presence?

What's this got to do with children's ministry or youth ministry or parenting?  EVERYTHING! God commanded adults to love Him, to know His commands, and impress them on our children. (Deuteronomy 6) In order to know God, I have to spend time with Him, I have to get to know Him, I have to learn to recognize His voice. I can't give away what I don't have.

A Parent's Prayer Program

I've been cleaning out old files over the past few weeks in anticipation of our March move into a new church building, and I've been uncovering all sorts of treasures! I'd like to share one of them with you in this post. It's called "A Parent's Prayer Program", and it was written by Bob Hostetler for Focus on the Family back in February of 2000, designed with one prayer a day for a month. Even though it's nearly 13 years old, the truths of praying scripture over your children is timeless! As we move one step closer to a new year, a prayer program like this may be something you'll consider implementing as you raise your children in the knowledge of Christ.

1. Salvation—Lord, let salvation spring up within my children, that they may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.(Isaiah 45:8, 2 Timothy 2:10)

2. Growth in grace—I pray that they may “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:18)

3. Love—Grant, Lord, that my children may learn to live a life of love through the Spirit who dwells in them. (Ephesians 5:2, Galatians 5:22)

4. Honesty and integrity—May integrity and honesty be their virtue and their protection. (Psalm 25:21)

5. Self-control—Father, help my children not to be like many others around them, but let them be “alert and self-controlled” in all they do. (1 Thessalonians 5:6)

6. A love for God’s word—May my children grow to find Your Word “more precious than gold, than much pure gold; [and] sweeter than honey, than honey form the comb.” (Psalm 19:10)

7. Justice—God, help my children to love justice as You do and to “act justly” in all they do. (Psalm 11:7, Micah 6:8)

8. Mercy—May my children always “be merciful, as [their] Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:36)

9. Respect (for self, others, authority)—Father, grant that my children may “show proper respect to everyone,” as Your Word commands. (1 Peter 2:17)

10. Strong, biblical self-esteem—Help my children develop a strong self-esteem that is rooted in the realization that they are “God’s worksmanship, created in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:10)

11. Faithfulness—“Let love and faithfulness never leave [my children],” but bind these twin virtues around their necks and write them on the tablet of their hearts. (Proverbs 3:3)

12. A passion for God—Lord, please instill in my children a soul with craving for You, a heart that clings passionately to You. (Psalm 63:8)

13. Responsibility—Grant that my children may learn responsibility “for each one should carry his own load.” (Galatians 6:5)

14. Kindness—Lord, may my children “always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.” (1 Thessalonians 5:15)

15. Generosity—Grant that my children may “be generous and willing to share [and so] lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age.” (1 Timothy 6:18-19)

16. Peace, peaceability—Father, let my children “make every effort to do what leads to peace.” (Romans 14:19)

17. Hope—May the God of hope grant that my children may overflow with hope and hopefulness by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)

18. Perseverance—Lord, teach my children perseverance in all they do, and help them especially to “run with perseverance the race marked out for [them].” (Hebrews 12:1)

19. Humility—Lord, please cultivate in my children the ability to “show true humility toward all.” (Titus 3:2)

20. Compassion—Lord, please clothe my children with the virtue of compassion. (Colossians 3:12)

21. Prayerfulness—Grant, Lord, that my children’s lives may be marked by prayerfulness, that they may learn to “pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” (Ephesians 6:18)

22. Contentment—Father, teach my children “the secret of being content in any and every situation…through him who gives them strength.” (Philippians 4:12-13)

23. Faith—I pray that faith will find root and grow in my children’s hearts, that by faith they may gain what has been promised to them. (Like 17:5-6, Hebrews 11:1-40)

24. A servant heart—Lord, please help my children develop servant hearts, that they may serve wholeheartedly “as if [they] were serving the Lord, not men.” (Ephesians 6:7)

25. Purity—“Create in [them] a pure heart, O God,” and let their purity of heart be shown in their actions. (Psalm 51:10)

26. A willingness and ability to work hard—Teach my children, Lord, to value work and to work hard at everything they do, “as working for the Lord, not for men.” (Colossians 3:23)

27. Self-discipline—Father, I pray that my children may develop self-discipline, that they may acquire “a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair.” (Proverbs 1:3)

28. A heart for missions—Lord, please help my children to develop a heart for missions, a desire to see your glory declared among the nations, your marvelous deeds among all peoples. (Psalm 96:3)

29. Joy—May my children be filled “with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.” (1 Thessalonians 1:6)

30. Courage—May my children always “be strong and courageous” in their character and in their actions. (Deuteronomy 31:6)

Teaching Kids to Pray

This past week, I cleaned out my filing cabinet, and I came across all sorts of goodies that I have accumulated over the years, and one I'd like to share with you looks at teaching kids to pray and go beyond just the rote before-meals grace. Those are great places to begin teaching kids to pray, but the earlier we can teach them that prayer is talking with God about what's going on in our lives, presenting our requests to Him, adoring Him, and listening to Him, the better! Enjoy this article, "Teaching Kids to Pray" by Maurcia Delean Houck.

Practical ways to "bring kids to their knees!"


Prayer habits that last a lifetime are most often formed in childhood. That's why it's so critical to teach young children how to pray. As with most spiritual disciplines, prayer is caught more than it's taught. As teachers model meaningful prayer lives, kids will learn how they, too, can talk to their Creator.

Here are the basics of teaching children how to pray.

Help children talk to God. Everyone--especially children--would find sitting down to prayer easier if we could find a way to forget our notions of "correct prayer methods" and just start talking. To do this, avoid focusing on form in prayer. Rather, model for your children and easy, comfortable way to simply talk to God as you'd talk to a friend. Urge children to talk to God just as they'd talk to anyone else. They can tell God about their day, express their fears, and even be a little mad if they want to.

There's nothing too big-or too small-for God. It's true; God can help us face the hardest moments in our lives. God is also there to share in our smaller moments, too. He wants to know how our day went. He enjoys hearing that the rainbow we saw early in the morning made us smile, and that the bully on the playground scares us.

Anything is okay to talk to God about. Don't discourage a child from including a song from The Little Mermaid in her prayer. Let her thank God for her favorite movie and share what's in her heart.

Making prayers relevant to children's lives enables them to grow in prayer. Because kids have a strong tendency to view the world in terms of me, my, and mine, capitalize on this very normal stage of development by focusing prayer on kids' everyday concerns. For example, many adults make the mistake of asking young children to pray for church missionaries. Chances are kids don't understand what they're actually asking God for. As a result, God becomes more remote.

A better idea would be to focus kids' prayer requests on asking God to heal Damon's chickenpox, giving thanks for Jasmine's new puppy, or asking for help for Alex, who may find it difficult to sit through class quietly.

God listens to ALL prayers. God is always there, willing and eager to listen to what we have to say. But kids aren't always so sure; sometimes they need proof. So give it to them. The best way to help children realize that God truly listens is to point out answered prayers. Did you ask for the quick recovery of Andi's cold? When she's feeling better, thank God for answering your prayers.

Help children understand that God may answer prayers in several ways. God may answer exactly as children requested. Bug God may also answer in a different way, wait to answer, or say no. Help children see these as answers to prayer also.

The right place is any place. The Bible describes a variety of ways to pray: kneeling, standing, lifting hands, and even lying on a bed. Encourage children to pray whenever-and wherever-they want to. Even if it means a quick "Please make Janie all right" on the playground when a friend is hit with a ball.

Prayer is never inappropriate. Especially when it comes straight from the heart. In the end, that's all you really need to teach children to help them communicate with our God who's always listening.

Pray, Pray, PRAY!

I am extremely impressed by the brilliance of a blog post that Beth Moore posted this past Monday, the day before the election. She challenged everyone to write a prayer for our future (at that point, unknown) President. The prayers that people responded with were beautiful, heart-felt, and scripture-filled. I encourage you to take a few minutes to read Beth's post and the prayers that follow it in the comments. And then I encourage you to pray those same kinds of prayers...for our President, for all of the leaders who were recently elected, and for our nation.

Click on the link below to go to the blog post:

Say It Today, Pray It Tomorrow

Also consider how you might incorporate this into the prayers you pray as a family. Are you teaching your child from an early age to pray prayers that aren't always focused on "self" but point to "others"? I am more convinced than I ever have been before that prayer is foundational to anything we as Christ-followers hope to achieve in this life. So, Pray, Pray, PRAY!