Pray Scripture

Mother and child praying
R

EBECCA WAS LEARNING to memorize and pray Scripture. One day, she had stopped her car at a red light when a man wearing a ski mask yanked open the passenger door. He jumped into the car, held a gun to Rebecca’s head, and said, “Drive!”

Rebecca began to pray silently, begging the Lord to protect her. She had been memorizing Psalm 91:4, which says, “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge” (NIV). She tried to remember the passage, but in her terror, she could only call to mind one word of it.

Flustered, she blurted out, “Feathers, feathers, feathers!”

The man stared at her. “Lady, you’re crazy!” he exclaimed. Then he flung open the car door and disappeared down the street.

God’s Word works in surprising ways! Every day, as you mine the Scriptures for treasures, He will instill His truth in your mind and inscribe it on the tablet of your heart. As you pray His living, active, and powerful Word into the lives of your kids, God will use it to protect you and your family against the Enemy’s destructive strategies.

Praying Scripture may sound intimidating, but it’s actually quite simple and rewarding. There’s no right or wrong way to do it, and you’ll grow more confident with practice. Begin by choosing a scripture about the Word of God (e.g., Ps. 119:105; Isa. 55:11; 1 Peter 1:24-25). Then make it your own by incorporating each phrase of the passage into your prayers. Add your children’s names, as well as specific details about their personal needs, struggles, and spiritual walk. You can do this by adding pronouns such as he, she, him, his, and her to personalize the Scripture.

An excellent way to bless your children through prayer is by finding scriptures that pertain to their names, personality traits, gifts, and character qualities.

Let’s say that you want to pray Psalm 119:105: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (NKJV). If I were praying this verse, I might say, “Lord, thank You for providing Your Word to give us light and direction. I praise You because You do not want me or my children to walk in darkness. I am grateful for Your Word that shines a light to illuminate the way for us. Please keep my children on the straight and narrow path of Your will. Help them know and love Your Word, the Bible. Always keep them walking in Your light, and keep Satan from misleading them. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Knowing and praying God’s Word are central to your role as a prayer warrior mom. In Ephesians 6, God calls us to equip ourselves with the full armor of God. Most of the armor is for our protection and defense: our primary “offensive weapon” is the authoritative Word of God, the Bible. With God’s Word in our heart, we can serve as “minesweepers” for our kids by going ahead of them and clearing the path of spiritual and physical obstacles.

Pray about who your kids are now, and pray about the men and women you want them to become. Ask God to help them grow into godly adults. Pray for God to magnify their strengths and protect them from temptation as He matures them in their areas of weakness. If one or more of your children has strayed from following the Lord, claim the promises in God’s Word to bring health, healing, wholeness, wisdom, and salvation in your child’s life.

An excellent way to bless your children through prayer is by finding scriptures that pertain to their names, personality traits, gifts, and character qualities (both the qualities they already have and those you’d like for them to develop). Names are important to God, so they should be important to us.

Find out the meaning of your children’s names and then use those insights when you pray for your kids. Buy a name book or do some online research to discover not only the literal meanings and language origins but the spiritual meanings and connotations of your kids’ names.

Let’s say that your teenage daughter, Zoe, is struggling with making good decisions, and you are concerned about her relationships and her reputation. You could pray, “Lord, You say in Proverbs 22:1 that a good name is to be more desired than great wealth, and favor is better than silver and gold. I pray for You to give my daughter, Zoe, a good name and great favor with You and others. Her name means ‘life,’ Father, and I pray that her life will be full of joy and pleasing to You. Keep Zoe from making decisions that would harm her heart, body, mind, spirit, or reputation. Help her gain favor in everything she does, everywhere she goes. Help her to see herself as You do, as beautiful and perfectly loved. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

When you actively pray Scripture for your children, you lay the spiritual groundwork that engages God and His holy angels to work in your children’s favor. Bathe your children in Scripture prayer, and Satan will have to get lost. The Bible says, “Submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7 NKJV).

Jul, 2015

Excerpted from Prayer Warrior Mom, by Marla Alupoaicei (Thomas Nelson, 2013). Used by permission. Marla directs Leap of Faith Ministries for young married couples.