Journaling Prayers for Our Children

We all know the power of prayer.

In the last few months, I've been blessed to experience direct answers to specific prayers.

I just finished reading Mark Batterson's book Praying Circles Around Your Children and was encouraged to renew my prayers for our daughters.

One topic he addressed was praying the favor of God on our children.  He says,

"If you asked me what I pray for as a parent more than anything else, the answer is the favor of God.  While it's difficult to describe or define, the favor of God is what God can do for you that you cannot do for yourself."

I had never thought of praying that for our girls, but what a blessing it will be to add that to my prayer list!

He also wrote about praying for specific needs in the lives of your children when it comes to their character and development.  This is obviously different for each child according to their personality and individual strengths and weaknesses.  Knowing areas in which our children struggle allows us to take those needs to our Heavenly Father and ask Him to work in their hearts, a job that only He can do.

My favorite part of the book dealt with journaling prayers for our children.  This really spoke to me and is something I want to begin doing faithfully.  I plan to do it on a "season-of-life" basis, which will address particular situations they're facing.

For example, since our older daughter is away at camp, I wrote out the following prayer that contains my hopes and desires for her this week.

"Dear God, please protect our daughter at camp this week.  Keep her safely in your care.  Open her heart to the truths she hears from Your Word and help her apply them to her life.  May she come home stronger spiritually than when she left.

Let her have fun, Lord.  She's anticipated this for weeks, so may it be a positive experience.  Give her good cabin mates and other friends to enjoy the activities with, yet let her be sensitive to any one who's alone and seek to include them.

Bless those who are investing a week of their lives into my child.  In spite of the miles that separate us, unite our hearts and may she know that our love and prayers are with her."

I'm praying this prayer for her each day this week.  I'm finding it keeps me focused during my prayer time and helps me concentrate on what I believe would be in line with His will for her.

This is a practice I want to do often in the future.  As different events - be they trials or blessings - enter the lives of my husband and children, I hope to journal a prayer and pray it for them until that season is over.

This was the first time I've ever written down a prayer that I'm praying.  Have you ever done this?