The Best Kept Secret for Praying for Kids
I’ve always been a bit of an idealist, and when I thought about being a mom, I basically imagined becoming Ms. Honey from Matilda (anyone with me?). Always warm and kind but also scripture stored up in my heart so I would have just the right thing to say when my kids came to me needing advice or encouragement. See what I mean? A bit idyllic. :)
There is something to that, but when the reality of a baby spitting up all over your arm while your two-year-old is running to the potty sets in, that picture can start to feel like a distant dream. When the kids need (another) bath and there’s that party you forgot to buy a gift for and you really need to call to make that appointment, memorizing scripture can easily land at the bottom of the list.
This book will be the hand that helps you up.
If you’ve ever read a book that actually changes your life and months later, the ideas that the author suggested are still shaping the way you live, you’ll know it quickly becomes something you tell everyone about.
For me, this was that book. It didn’t exactly turn me into Ms. Honey (turns out I’m still me!), but I can’t wait to share it with you today, sweet friend.
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Praying the Scriptures for Your Children gave me hand-holds to memorize scripture in a way that was, and still is, incredibly helpful for our home in actually shaping the lives and hearts of our little ones. It honestly doesn’t happen that often - that a book would continue to change your life a few years down the road. I’m not sure when I first read this - I think 2020? I was pregnant with our first baby, and I remember feeling so inspired that I really could be a parent that brought scripture into our home in a way that felt authentic and helpful and not cheesy.
This book will have such a profound impact on your life because what Jodie Berndt is suggesting is not only powerful and true, it’s also incredibly simple to implement in everyday life.
Praying the Scriptures for Your Children is the kind of book that will live on your nightstand. You’ll pull it out when you’re feeding a baby in the middle of the night or when you begin to notice a pattern of less-than-desirable behavior in a child. In the first chapter, Jodie writes that she kept this book (her own book!) in several rooms of her house so that she could reference it at a moment’s notice. It’s a manual for life and faith and parenting. Once you fall in love with it, it will become your go-to gift for baby showers and mama friends because, like me, you’ll realize that when it comes to praying for our kids, every mom should hold these encouraging words about praying through God’s Word.
Praying for Kids: The How
The how is really the easiest, most fun part.
Jodie has laid out the book in categories such as “Praying for Your Child’s Faith” or “Praying for Your Child’s Character” with more specific topics within each category, like “praying for a heart of service.” At the end of each chapter, she has a list of several verses written in a prayer-like form, like this,
“Remind ______ that you have not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7
Once you begin to see scripture this way, as a potential prayer, you’ll notice verses during your own bible reading time that you can pray over your family or children.
The great news about this is that it truly is just a way to pray. You don’t need the book to begin praying for your kids this way, but it does serve as a super helpful guide with so many verses available if you’re looking for a tool to get started.
Praying for Kids: The Why
Promises of God
Scripture is God-breathed. Inspired by the Spirit, the heart of God, the truest truth.
When you think of what you dream most for your kids, doesn’t it all boil down to living in the center of God’s will for their life? Whether they become a dentist, a barista, a school counselor, a parent or not, in “ministry” or not - we hope and pray and delight in them knowing and walking with God.
Scripture is the center of God’s will for all of us, so when we are praying scripture over our kids’ lives, we are asking God to do what he already longs to do!
We place ourselves in line with the desires of God and ask that he would move through us and our families to accomplish what he has created us to do - love him and love people.
When we pray scripture on behalf of our kids, it’s like we’re saying, “God, we see what you’re up to. We want to be a part of it, and we want our kids to know you and be in on it too.”
Jodie Berndt says this,
“Not only are prayers like this more interesting and creative than the ones I could come up with on my own, but because they come straight out of the Bible, they carry the full weight and power of God’s Word.”
And Jeremiah 1:12 says, “I am [actively] watching over My word to fulfill it.” I love the idea of speaking real truth into my kids’ lives that God is waiting to fulfill! You will feel so encouraged when you invite the power and purposes of God to equip your little ones to live the lives he’s planned for them.
Memorizing Scripture
As you begin to regularly pray for your kids this way, the natural result is that you will, without necessarily trying to, memorize scripture. There are so many simple but powerful verses that are easy to pray for your kids, and because they’re short, they’re also easy to memorize! Here are some of my go-tos:
“I pray that ________ would love you with all their heart and all their soul and all their mind and all their strength, and love their neighbor as themselves.” Mark 12:30-31
“I pray that ________ would be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.” James 1:19
“Clothe ________ with kindness, compassion, humility, gentleness, and patience.” Colossians 3:12
And one more quick encouragement - don’t be shy to use the translation you prefer. In college, I was taught to use the ESV because it was the “most accurate,” but in high school I had memorized several verses in the NIV. Because I have the NIV translation already tucked in my heart, that felt like the most natural way to approach this. God knows your intention and isn’t worried about NIV, NLT, ESV, CSB - just go for it. 😊
Lays the Foundation
Praying scripture for your children lays a solid foundation for a flourishing, faith-based home.
This happens as your kids see you sitting down with your bible or praying aloud or maybe opening up Jodie’s book! There’s a great chance that your love for scripture will plant the seed for a love of scripture in their own lives.
All of this is a jumping off place for helping your kids memorize scripture, for using the Word of God to shape conversations and questions as they get older, and for noticing what’s of God and what’s not as they navigate the world on their own.
And maybe the best part is that you’ll get to watch God answer the things you’ve been praying for, laying a foundation of faith in your home that’s built on real stories, true testimonies, of the ways God hears and cares for us. I actually wrote all about that last week - check out The Five Best Tips for Praying with Kids for ideas on creating a praise wall.
Praying for Kids: Ideas for the Everyday
And that leads me to my very favorite part. :) Of course, I can’t leave you without something tangible you can do today! Start by going back and reading last week’s post linked here. There are so many practical and fun ideas you can do right now to grow in prayer as a family!
Handprints
Jodie suggests an idea similar to this in her book, and like all great ideas, I’ve tweaked it to work for our family. This is something I do with my kids around New Years every year, and I know this is being published in May, but don’t let that stop you! You can do this anytime.
Pick a verse that you’d like to pray over your child for the year. When they’re teeny tiny, Mark 12:30-31 works well “Love the Lord your God will all your heart…” because it’s the foundation for everything else. As they get older, you can get more specific with certain character qualities you hope to see developing in them.
Write the verse on a piece of white card stock (or any other thick paper you like). Put your child’s name and the year somewhere on there too. Then, using finger paint, put your child’s handprint on the center of the paper.
We framed ours and have them displayed on a shelf in our playroom, and I just keep them all layered in the frame (for now!) with the most recent one visible. If you wanted, you could add a new frame every year and create a gallery wall! It’s always so fun to see their little handprints get bigger.
At the end of the year, before choosing their new verse, I put the verse from the year onto a Christmas ornament. I create mine on Shutterfly and also choose one of my favorite pictures of them from that year too.
One of the things I love about choosing a verse for your child for the whole year is that you’ll easily memorize it because you’re praying it for so long! And because you have the hope of that verse on your mind, it shapes the way you respond when you’re in the middle of a training or disciplining moment.
Praying the Scriptures for Your Children truly will become one of your favorite parenting guidebooks. As always, I hope these ideas have inspired and encouraged you to cultivate a home you love, and if you decide to read the book, you have to let me know what you think! Come say hi on Instagram at Home + Story, and let’s be friends. :)
