Sample prayer

Lord, You are the Lord who does whatever pleases You, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths (Psalm 135:6). It is with Your great might that You calm the wind and the waves and instill confidence in fearful hearts (Matthew 8:26-27). I place my complete trust in You, proclaiming, “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns!” because You promise to go before me, to be with me, and that You will never leave me or forsake me (Revelation 19:6, Deuteronomy 31:8).

In the battles of daily life, may my children see in me an unwavering faith and confidence in You Lord. I ask that they wouldn’t see me relying on my own strength, but Yours. When I am weak, (and I’ve been feeling pretty weak these days) may my cry be, “O my Strength, I sing praise to You; You, O God, are my fortress, my loving God” (Psalm 59:17). Your Word tells us that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 6:12). Please remind me to put on the full “armour of God” – the helmet of salvation, the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness. I need to carry the sword of the Spirit and the shield of faith so I can extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one. Please fit my feet with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace and guide me to pray in Your Spirit, so I can pray wisely for our family (Ephesians 6:13-18).

As the challenges of life rock the very foundations on which ________ and ________ stand, I ask that they will have an unshakeable trust in You. During times of trial, please help them to remember and quote Psalm 118:6-7, “The Lord is with me, I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? The Lord is with me; He is my helper.” As Satan tempts ________ and ________ to trust in themselves or others, rather than in You, God, I ask that they will be reminded that, “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man” (Psalm 118:8). My prayer is that ________ and ________ will stand firm in their faith and be people of courage. I pray that they will be strong and do everything in love (1 Corinthians 16:13-14). I ponder the depth of courage it took for Your Son Jesus to die on the cross. I pray that You will develop in my children a faith that they are willing to stand up for, a faith they are compelled to share, and a faith that they will not renounce, despite consequences. Please keep them strong to the end, so that they will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, please give ________ and ________ the assurance that You, who have called them into fellowship with Your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, are faithful (1 Corinthians 1:8-9).

Please help our family to remember that we can be strong and courageous, knowing that You are with us to help us fight our battles (2 Chronicles 32:7-8). Thank you for the assurance of Your faithfulness, that You keep Your covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love You and keep Your commands (Deuteronomy 7:9). When You call us to do something that requires courage, we ask that Your Spirit fill us with an unwavering faith in who You are and what You can do, so we can do it confidently. Amen.

Scripture-guided prayer for parents

Read and pray through one or more of the selected Scriptures under each heading. Focus on listening to God and allowing His Spirit to direct you as you pray.

Character focus

Begin by thanking God for being a God of faithfulness, power and love.

Deuteronomy 7:9 | 2 Samuel 22:31-37 | 2 Chronicles 32:6-8 | Psalm 59:16-17 | 1 Corinthians 1:8-9

Heart search

Acknowledge when, where and why you lack courage.

Psalm 49:12-13 | Psalm 78:19-22 | Proverbs 28:26 | Isaiah 31:1 | Jeremiah 17:5-6

Gratitude

Thank God for ways you have seen courage demonstrated in your family.

Family requests

Ask God to help you and your children live courageously, with your confidence being found in Him.

Psalm 86:2 | Psalm 143:8 | Isaiah 26:3-4 | 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 | 2 Thessalonians 3:3