Sample prayer

Lord God, Creator and Sustainer of All Things, You are the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. You will not grow tired and weary, and Your understanding no one can fathom. You give strength to the weary and increase the power of the weak (Isaiah 40:28-29). When I am weary and burdened, I can come to You, learn from You and find rest for my soul. The yoke You offer me is easy and the burden light (Matthew 11:29-30). You give me life and breath and everything else, and in You I live and move and have my being (Acts 17:25,28). Thank you for these incredible words of encouragement.

There are many days when my reserves run low and I am near the point of exhaustion. Thank you for sustaining me physically and spiritually. As I crave water and food for physical well‑being, I long to dwell closely with You so that my spirit may also be fully refreshed. In Your Word I read that without You I can do nothing. My desire is to remain in You and have You remain in me so that I can bear much fruit (John 15:5). Today, I lift up my eyes to the hills asking, “Where does my help come from?” My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. You promise to keep me from harm and to watch over my coming and going, both now and forever more (Psalm 121). Thank you for this assurance of Your constant presence and practical assistance.

My prayer for ________ and ________ is that they will learn early in life that when they rely on You, troubles in life are so much less overwhelming. As my children follow You, may they persevere, depending on the resources You have given them – Your Holy Spirit, Your Word, prayer and other Christians – rather than attempting to succeed in their own strength. I pray that faith, goodness, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love may be developed in their lives so they will be kept from being ineffective and unproductive in serving You (2 Peter 2:5-8).

There will be difficult times ahead in my children’s walk with You. Please remind them to lean into Your loving arms when they have trials and suffering, when they feel temptation arise or when they feel discouraged. I ask that my children will learn to rejoice in their sufferings and persevere in times of trouble with confidence, knowing You allow them for their own good so that they may be mature, not lacking in anything (Romans 5: 3-5, James 1:2‑4). May my children accept Your discipline so that a harvest of righteousness and peace may result in their lives. Help me not to attempt to stop or remove any of the challenges You send to them for the purpose of their spiritual growth.

Jesus said, “I have brought You glory on earth by completing the work You gave Me to do” (John 17:4). My prayer for our family is that we would persist in doing good, finishing the jobs You give us to do (Romans 2:6-7). May we serve You as Daniel did, persevering in following You despite persecution (Daniel 6). 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 letting God know how much you appreciate the way He sustains and strengthens you.

Psalm 23 | Isaiah 40:28-31 | Isaiah 46:3-4 | Matthew 11:28-30 | Acts 17:24-28

Heart search

Acknowledge when and how you lack perseverance.

Proverbs 13:4 | 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 | Galatians 6:7-9 | Hebrews 12:1-3 | James 1:2-8

Gratitude

Thank God for ways you have seen perseverance exhibited in your family.

Family requests

Ask God to help you and your family to persevere during challenging times and in doing His will.

John 15:5-8 | Romans 5:3-4 | Galatians 6:9-10 | Hebrews 4:14-16 | 2 Peter 1:5-8