Prayers

Pray to be close to Jesus.  Ask God to help you grow close to Jesus and stay in a close relationship with Him.  Pray for a hunger for biblical truths, since a steady diet of Scripture will help you remain close to Jesus each day.  Ask for the grace to avoid drifting away from faith, the strength to flee temptations and to make sacrifices necessary to stay close to Jesus, and the fresh passion you’ll need each day to pursue God’s purposes for your life.

Pray for instant obedience.  Ask God to help you obey right away whenever He commands you to do something.  Don’t negotiate, debate, or stall; simply obey God’s calls as soon as possible.  Pray for the courage to drop whatever you’re doing when God calls and follow Him.

Pray for a guarded mouth.  Ask God to help you speak only words that are pleasing to Him and avoid speaking in sinful ways that disappoint Him and hurt others.  Remember that harmful words (such as lies, insults, and curses) can’t be recalled once you’ve let them out of your mouth.  Pray that you’ll think about your words before you say them, and wisely choose which ones to express.  Ask God to protect you and others from the destructive power of negative words.  Pray for the ability to regularly speak positive words that reflect God’s grace.

Pray for a generous spirit.  Ask God to help you express your gratitude for the blessings He has given you by giving generously to others.  Pray that your giving will give people hope and encouragement, while also honoring God.  Look for opportunities to give extravagantly.  Pray that your giving will inspire the people who receive from you to praise God.

Pray for spiritual authority.  Ask God to help you access all the power He has made available to help you fight Satan.  Call upon Jesus’ power to defend you from evil’s attacks on your life.  Pray for the discernment you need to recognize Satan’s schemes and the wisdom to know how to oppose them.  Ask God to show you which areas of your life you may have yielded to Satan without knowing it; then to help you get rid of those strongholds and bring every thought under God’s authority.  Pray for the courage you need to resist Satan by commanding him to leave you.

Pray for your faith.  Ask God to increase your faith.  Pray that your belief in His presence and power will be conduit for His supernatural work in and through you.  Ask God to help you overcome your fears and doubts, to trust Him even though you can’t see Him now, and to fill you with the Holy Spirit as you place your faith in Him.

Pray for your courage.  Ask God for the courage to honor God, even if it means you lose favor with people; practice immediate obedience, even if it will cause difficulty for others; speak God’s truth and share His love with others when given the opportunity; confess your own sins and seek the forgiveness of others when necessary; be authentic in relationships and not to hide your feelings; stand for what’s right and true, even if it means standing alone; and go where God leads you, do what God tells you, and become what God is calling you to be, even if it it’s way beyond your comfort zone.

Pray for yourself to decrease and Jesus to increase in you.  Ask God to help you surrender your ego and personal agenda to God’s purposes for your life.  Pray for freedom from the desire to gain glory for yourself from your work in God’s kingdom; focus on humbly serving in whatever ways will bring God the glory.  Ask God to help you be content doing any type of task that He calls you to do.  Pray that you would never boast except in Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for you.

https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/how-to-pray-for-yourself-with-reckless-abandon-11605107.html

Pray for their work.

“Lord, I pray that You would bless my spouse’s work. That the/she would be diligent and prosperous. That You would give him/her wisdom and discernment. God, I pray You would give him/her strength to walk the opportunities you provide. Thank you, Lord.”

Do you see a person skilled in his work? He will stand in the presence of kings. He will not stand in the presence of the unknown. Proverbs 22:29 CSB

Pray for his/her heart, soul and mind.

“Father, I praise You for my husband/wife, Your unique creation. Please guard his/her heart and mind, Jesus. Protect him/her from temptation and fill him/her up with the good things he/she needs. You’ve promised to fill his/her soul with what he/she needs, and I ask You to do just that.”

For he has satisfied the thirsty and filled the hungry with good things. Psalm 107:9 CSB

Pray for healing from the past.

“God, would You heal the wounds of my husband’s/wife’s heart? You’ve promised healing to those who submit to You. Lord, please smooth the scars of past hurts and brokenness. May Your healing permeate his/her being, inside and out.”

Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me, and I will be saved, for you are my praise. Jeremiah 17:14 CSB

Pray for courage.

“Lord, You are gracious and merciful, yet You are all-powerful and understanding. This world can be a fearful place and I pray that You would give my husband/wife courage. Lord, infuse his/her character with courage for daily decisions and the difficult ones as well.”

The fear of the Lord leads to life; one will sleep at night without danger. Proverbs 19:23 CSB

Pray for his/her leadership.

“God, You have provided Your Word and I am so grateful. May Your Word guide my husband as the leader of our home. May his leadership skills be empowered by your wisdom. I trust that You will lead in his hand and heart in our relationship, his work, our home, community and church.”

“God, You have provided Your Word and I am so grateful. May Your Word guide my wife as she leads in our home. May her leadership skills be empowered by your wisdom. I trust that You will lead in her hand and heart in our relationship, her work, our home, community and church.”

Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God—who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly—and it will be given to him. James 1:5 CSB

Pray for wisdom in finances.

“Lord, money yields the greatest potential to cause problems in a home. Please give my husband/wife wisdom as he/she seeks to honor You with finances. I praise You for the blessings You’ve provided, and I pray that You would help him/her, help us, to always honor You first.”

Keep your life free from the love of money. Be satisfied with what you have, for he himself has said, I will never leave you or abandon you. Hebrews 13:5 CSB

Pray for a heart for the Lord.

“Father, please give my husband/wife a pure heart for You. May he/she seek to love You and trust You with everything he/she has and is. Protect him/her from opinions intended to sway him/her from Your Word.”

Don’t work only while being watched, as people-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, do God’s will from your heart. Ephesians 6:6 CSB

Pray for his/her speech.

“Father, in a day when the world speaks with complete corruption, keep my husband’s/wife’s words pure before You. I pray that he/she would use his/her words just as You would have him/her to. I praise You for his/her personality and pray for purposeful conversations in our marriage.”

No foul language should come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear. Ephesians 4:29 CSB

Pray for his/her friendships.

“Lord, I pray that You would provide encouraging friendships for my husband/wife. That he/she would know he/she is never alone because You are with him/her, but I ask for others to speak into his/her life and sharpen him/her as he/she sharpens them.”

Iron sharpens iron, and one person sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17 CSB

Pray for your husband/wife to be a good father/mother.

“God, I thank You that You are the good, good Father. Would you help my husband’s/wife’s parenting to reflect You? May his/her children know Your heavenly love personally and experience it through their earthly father/mother.”

Fathers, don’t stir up anger in your children, but bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4 CSB

“Strength and honor are her clothing, and she can laugh at the time to come. Her mouth speaks wisdom, and loving instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the activities of her household and is never idle. Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also praises her: “Many women have done noble deeds, but you surpass them all!” Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the LORD will be praised.” (Proverbs 31:25–30, CSB)

Adapted from https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/prayer/10-prayers-to-pray-over-your-husband.html

Lord make us strong for you.

Joshua1:9 ““Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

Lord, may our delight be in YOU, may we meditate on Your law day and night. When we do so, our marriage and our family will be like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields FRUIT in its season and whose leaf does not wither.

Psalm 1:1-3 “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.”

Lord, help us to trust You in all things and to do good toward each other. May we treasure faithfulness in our marriage and in our lives.

Psalm 37:3 “Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.”

Lord, create in both of us a pure heart, seeking You first in all things.

Psalm 51:10 “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”

Lord, may our homes be built on YOUR WISDOM.

Proverbs 24:3-4 "By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.”

Lord, we know that two are better than one. This is your design. Help us to truly lift one another up as you have created us to do.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 “Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts. For if either falls, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up.”

May we delight in our love for one another.

Song of Solomon 4:10 “How delightful your caresses are, my sister, my bride. Your caresses are much better than wine, and the fragrance of your perfume than any balsam.”

May we rejoice over one another and in turn, rest in the knowledge that You, God, rejoice over us as your children.

Isaiah 62:5 “For as a young man marries a young woman, so your sons will marry you; and as a groom rejoices over his bride, so your God will rejoice over you.”

 Lord, may we live together in harmony and unity with one another, that we might glorify You.

Romans 15:5–6 “Now may the God who gives endurance and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, according to Christ Jesus, so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with one mind and one voice.”

Lord, help us to not do anything out of selfish ambition. Give us humble hearts toward one another, not looking to our own interests, but to the interests of our spouse. Give us the mind of Christ.

Philippians 2:3–7 “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited. Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. And when he had come as a man,”

 Adapted from https://www.crosswalk.com/slideshows/20-verses-to-scripture-verses-pray-for-your-marriage.html

Lord, I pray my child would believe in you with a devoted heart.

“I will extol You, my God, O King, And I will bless Your name forever and ever” (Psalm 145:1).

It’s not enough to believe. The Bible reminds us that even the devil believed. But pray that your child would fully and completely devote their hearts to God.

Lord, I pray my child would let you transform their life.

“I will give them a heart to know that I am the LORD, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart” (Jeremiah 24:7).

Life change is what we all desire to see in our child. We want the old to be made new. And we want our children to walk in truth. We can force our children to follow rules and tow the line. But there will come a day when they will step outside the boundary of home and decide for themselves what the rules look like. Rather than pray that they would obey a list of unwritten rules, pray that they would let God grab hold of their hearts and mold it into the masterpiece He wants them to become.

Lord, I pray my child would get caught when sin creeps in.

“For the Lord disciplines the one he loves and chastises every son whom he receives” (Hebrews 12:6).

This might seem like a harsh thing to pray for someone that you deeply love. But this is one of the most loving things you could ask God for on behalf of your child. Sin’s result is always destruction, devastation, disappointment, and a lack of discernment. If your child gets caught when sin creeps in, they will be less likely to continue to let sin abound. If they never get caught, they may never quit the thing that has a grasp on them.

Lord, I pray my child would get caught doing right.

“Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness” (Psalm 37:3).

Just as much as you pray that your child would get caught doing wrong, pray they would get caught doing right. Children are a result of what they believe they are. If they believe they are worthless, they will respond with actions that lack value. But when we see them doing right and tell them what a great job they are doing, they will be more prone to want to continue doing right. Praise goes a long way.

Lord, I pray my child would believe the truth about who they are in Christ.

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

 Identity is foundational to each of us. Most of us take on an identity early in life and many times it sticks with us for life. It could be as simple as the school drop out, the pastor’s kid, the tall one, or the most popular. What if kids learned early that they are a child of the Most High God? What if they really believed they are chosen, and loved by Almighty God? Their identity will live with them for a long time. Pray that they would believe the truth about who they are in Christ.

Lord, I pray my child would listen to your still small voice.

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:27-28).

 We are bombarded by noise. Social media has swallowed us up into a land where it’s hard to hear from God. Pray that your child would be sensitive to the still small voce of God. Pray that when they hear they would respond and tune their ear to listen to what God has to say over what the world is telling them.

Lord, I pray my child would make wise choices in the face of peer pressure.

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

Peer pressure is not something new. We had to deal with it growing up too. The sins are the same, just with different ways to access them. Pray that your child would stand strong against peer pressure and the sway of other people and their beliefs and decisions.

Lord, I pray my child’s mind would be protected from evil.

“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life” (Proverbs 4:23).

 Protection is something we seem to naturally ask God for when it comes to the people we love. We can put kids in a bubble and guard them for a while, but eventually they will emerge and live in the real world. Pray that God would do the protecting while you do the preparing. Prepare them to live in the real world and trust God to protect them from the forces of evil.

Lord, I pray my child would have compassion on others.

“Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor” (Romans 12:10).

The pride of life might be our biggest struggle in this generation. Sometimes we believe that if we could just teach our kids more about loving others, then maybe they wouldn’t be so selfish. But the only thing that can transform a selfish heart is the Savior. Trust God to do what only He can do.

Lord, I pray my child would love you with their heart, soul, and mind.

“And he said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind’” (Matthew 22:37).

This is a challenge for most people so it should be no surprise that it’s a challenge for our kids. Ask God to specifically help your child love God with all their heart, soul, and mind. This covers their entire being.

Adapted from https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/verses-to-pray-over-your-children.html