In the final article of an eleven-part series on parenting, Dr. Don Dunlap offers the five remaining suggestions for praying for our children. Some of these include praying that your child will desire to know and please God, will base his or her decisions on God’s Word, will respect God-ordained authority and will be successful in his or her life’s work.

Many parents want to know how to pray specifically for their children. This list is a continuation of ten suggested areas of prayer. Parents who intercede in prayer for their children will find that their prayers will have significant far-reaching effects, even into their children’s adult lives, and in the lives of their grandchildren.

6.      Pray that your child will have an unquenchable thirst to know God, in Spirit and in Truth, and that his or her greatest desire in life will be to do God’s will and to please Him in everything.

Fill your children’s hearts and minds with great stories from the Bible. Take them to church to hear the Word of God preached in power. Surround them with people who love the Lord. As you travel in your car, listen to Bible tapes, and character-building tapes together.

7.      Pray that your child will base all his or her decisions upon the Truth of God’s Word.

Familiarize your child with biblical principles for living a godly life. Ask the Lord to plant a desire in your child’s heart to look to the Bible as his or her ultimate authority in life. Make Psalm 71:17 your prayer for your child,

O God, You have taught me from my youth, and I still declare Your wondrous deeds.

Read the book of Proverbs to your child to implant God’s wisdom in his or her heart. Your child will be able to draw upon that wellspring of wisdom, as a basis or all his or her decision-making throughout life.

8.      Pray that your child will respect those people that God has placed in authority over him or her.

Teach your children the commands of Ephesians 6:1 and Romans 13:1:

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.

Demonstrate, by your own lifestyle, the peace that results from willing submission to authority, as your children watch you relate to your pastor and your employer, for example.

9.      Pray that your child will grow according to Luke 2:52.

The writer of this verse tells us,

Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

10.  Pray that God would reveal to your children the specific work that He has planned for them to do, and that they will be successful in that work.

Ask God to make your children willing to do the Lord’s bidding in their lives. The world does not measure success in the same way that God does. Your greatest prayer for your child is that he or she will grow to be a committed Christian who brings God glory and honor in his or her daily walk.

The life of the boy Samuel is a wonderful example to present to your children. When God spoke to him in 1 Samuel 3:10, he responded in the best possible way,

Speak, for your servant is listening.

Whatever the particular needs of your children may be you should be encouraged as you present them daily to the Lord in prayer. The Bible assures us that the fervent prayers of a righteous man avails much. God is ever faithful to conform our children to His image.

Dr. Don Dunlap, a pioneer in the placement of Pastoral Counselors in the offices of Christian physicians, has conducted over twenty thousand appointments during his ministerial career. His counseling practice includes adults, children and families in crisis. Dr. Dunlap is committed to facilitating a network of telephone counselors. His goal is to provide help for the many people unable to meet face to face with a competent Bible-based counselor. For a complete library of Dr. Dunlap’s articles, indexed by topic, go to Family Counseling Ministries. You may also make an appointment for personal telephone counseling by clicking on Family Counseling Ministries. Family Counseling Ministries is a Christianity.com ministry Partner.

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• Want to Teach Your Child Godly Character?
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• How Important is Biblical Stewardship for Children?
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• Teaching Your Child to Serve with Contentment
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• Fortifying Your Children Against Satan’s Schemes
  Understand how to fortify your children against Satan’s onslaught as they grow into adulthood.
• Teaching Children the Rewards of Obeying Authority
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• Forget Perfect Parenting!
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• Parenting Can Be Fun—Really!
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• Ten Ways to Pray for Your Children
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• Praying Effectively for Your Children
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