So pray your heart out for your kids. Don’t limit your prayers only to small requests; pray big prayers that claim God’s promises for them so they can benefit to the fullest.

Here’s how you can pray God’s promises for your kids’ lives:

Don’t settle for less than the best. When you pray about particular situations in your kids’ lives, pray for much more than just the bare minimum you need. Pray audacious prayers asking God to work in powerful ways, beyond what you can achieve yourself. Remember that God stands ready to answer in big ways. While it’s fine to pray for small concerns, don’t settle for small answers. God has promised that all of His power will be available to you when you ask Him something through prayer.

Be specific. Don’t waste your time praying broad, vague, safe prayers for your kids. Instead of praying prayers without a real point (such as “Please bless Sue”), pinpoint your prayers to your specific desires for your kids and root your prayers in the Bible, boldly claiming God’s promises for your kids that relate to those desires.

Ask for greater faith. Pray for the faith you need to believe that God will truly answer the big, audacious prayers you dare to pray for your kids. The more faith you have, the more likely you’ll be to keep praying big prayers and see big results.

Focus on honoring God. Check your motives when you pray to make sure that you’re seeking something big for God’s glory rather than your own self-promotion. Keep in mind that your prayers for your kids should never contradict biblical principles. Ask yourself: “Would Jesus pray for this?” Seek God’s vision for your kids’ futures – not your own – and pray according to that vision of God’s purposes and plans for them.

Lay a strong foundation for your kids’ lives through prayer. Pray that your kids will: awaken to the reality of God, have a healthy fear of God, develop a godly character, love obedience, experience God’s favor, grow up knowing the Bible well, and recognize God’s voice, marry a godly person.

Pray for your kids’ daily lives. Each day, pray that your kids will: be protected spiritually, emotionally, and physically; love learning; develop a good work ethic; have godly friends; honor God in sports and other activities by competing fairly and honorably; and respect authority.

Adapted from Pray Big for Your Child: The Power of Praying God’s Promises for Your Child’s Life, copyright 2009 by Will Davis, Jr. Published by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Mich., www.revellbooks.com.     

Will Davis, Jr. (DMin., Southwestern Seminary) is the founding and senior pastor of Austin Christian Fellowship, a nondenominational church in Austin, Texas. He is the author of Pray Big, Pray Big for Your Marriage, and Why Faith Makes Sense.

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