Praying for Your PK
By Leighann McCoy
If you were to look through my prayer journals, you’d see a recurring theme: “Oh God, Please! Do (so many different things that are oh-so-necessary) in the lives of (one or more of my 3 children).”
Those 3 kids of mine get more of my prayer time than anyone on the face of the earth. Sometimes, the devil tries to make me feel guilty about this, accusing me of caring more for my children than I do for the starving children in Haiti or those searching for clean water in Africa. But the devil is an accuser on a mission to keep me from praying. So I shove his accusations out of the way and remind any spiritual forces intent on heckling me when I pray that God gave me these 3 because He knew I wouldn’t shirk the responsibility I have to pray for them.
Praying for my kids isn’t hard! They naturally rise to the top of my prayer list because they consume my heart’s desires.
I’ll never forget what happened when my first newborn was placed on my chest. Her tiny little head lay right over my heart, and something remarkable happened. My pre-mother heart was exchanged for a heart that held so much more. This new and improved mother-of-all-hearts had an increased capacity to love, protect, long for, empathize with, and…be wounded.
Not only that, but this new and improved heart of mine is strong and durable! Despite the attempts to destroy it and even with countless opportunities to break it, this mother-of-all-hearts that beats in me is still beating strong for three beautiful people and two of their little people! (My grandchildren, who’ve been added to the mission!).
With every “call to prayer” my children have brought my way, my mother-heart has learned to pray more consistently, fervently, and effectively than ever before. Here are 3 things I’ve learned that have helped me pray for my PKs.
- Pray Scripture.
I’ve learned that when I pray God’s Word, I am praying God’s heart and, therefore, aligning my heart with His (this is the secret to getting our prayer answered). One of the best Scriptures to pray for our kids is Ephesians 1:15-23.
2. Pray believing.
When I come to God whining and fussing about our situation, I spend more time talking about how hard things are than telling Him how much I trust Him. When I’m praying, the very act of prayer proves I trust God. As I listen to the tone of my prayers, I notice that some of my prayers get lost in the whining. God doesn’t like whining children any more than we do (check out Numbers 11:1).
When you pray for your kids, follow this simple plan:
- Thank Him for them–for the blessing they’ve been in your life.
- Thank Him for knowing the things you don’t know and for being in places you can’t be, where He can protect them.
- Share your fear, your pain, and your desires for them. Go ahead and be unfiltered and honest. You might as well, He who knows everything knows what you might try to hide.
- Acknowledge that He knows what to do when and how, and tell him that You trust Him. Stay here until you can do this with integrity.
- Thank Him for all He’s done, is doing, and will continue to do.
3. Pray without ceasing.
I will pray for the lost in Nepal and the missionaries who serve them. I will pray for our government, our schools, and the social issues confronting us today. I will pray for my church and the requests that come through the Prayer Clinic ministry I lead there. I’ll do all that because it’s the right thing to do, because I believe in the power of prayer, and because I long for God’s glory to cover the face of the earth.
But I will pray for my kids because I love them. I will pray for them until my dying breath because I believe that God has what is best for them. I will take my stand on the wall and fight back the forces of darkness on their behalf. I will beg God to deliver the custom-designed package of spiritual blessings only He can give them. And as I do that, I will believe with all my mother-heart that He will complete the good work He began in them (Philippians 1:6).
Here are some great books that have helped me pray for my PKs:
- The Prayer of Praying for Your Adult Children by Stormie Omartian
- Praying the Scriptures for Your Teens by Jodi Berdnt
- Praying the Scriptures for Your Children by Jodi Berdnt
- Spiritual Warfare for Your Family by Leighann McCoy (me!–I include specific battles you might be facing and include Scripture references and practical advice in praying through them.)
Leighann McCoy founded the Prayer Clinic ministry and serves as prayer pastor at Thompson Station Church in Thompson Station, TN. She is the wife of Tom (senior pastor at TSC); daughter of Mike and Lunette (who live in Georgia); sister to Mitzi (Steve) and Amy (who both live in FL); mother of Mikel, Kaleigh (Jeff), and TJ; and NANA to Misty and River (Mikel). Oh yeah, she is also the niece to Carolyn (Sid), Norman (Tammy), and Christine (whose husband died of Covid-19).
