Prayers · 7 min read
How to Pray for Your Children: Prayers for Every Age
Practical ways to pray for your kids, from babies to grown children, with example prayers and verses to pray over them.
Praying for your children is one of the few things you can do for them at every age, even when they are far away or not speaking to you. You don’t need perfect words. Pray their name, pray for who they are becoming, and pray for the specific thing they face this week.
“All your children will be taught by Yahweh, and your children’s peace will be great.”
What to pray for
- Faith: that they would know God loves them personally.
- Character: kindness, honesty, courage and self-control.
- Friends: one or two good friends who bring out the best in them.
- Safety: protection for their body, mind and heart.
- Purpose: that they find work and gifts that fit who God made them to be.
- Their future family: a spouse, if they marry, who loves them well.
For a baby or toddler
“Father, thank you for this little one. Keep [name] safe and healthy. Give us patience on the long nights and joy in the small moments. Let the first thing they learn about love be your love, through us. Amen.”
For a school-age child
“Lord, be with [name] at school today. Help them learn, make good friends, and be kind to the child no one sits with. When they feel left out or afraid, remind them they are loved. Amen.”
For a teenager
“Jesus, [name] is growing up fast. Guard their mind from what is harmful online and around them. Give them friends who are good for them, and the courage to say no. Keep the door between us open, even on hard days. Amen.”
For an adult child
“God, [name] is grown now, and I can’t fix things for them anymore. I trust them to you. Give them wisdom in their choices, peace in their relationships, and a heart that turns toward you. If they have wandered, draw them home. Amen.”
“I have no greater joy than this: to hear about my children walking in truth.”
Simple habits that help
- 1.Pray at the door: a one-line blessing as they leave for the day.
- 2.Pray at bedtime, out loud, so they hear you pray for them.
- 3.Keep a short list of each child’s current needs and update it weekly.
- 4.Write down answers, and tell your kids about them when they are older.
Lift lets you add each of your children and keeps a short, personal prayer ready for them every day, with a reminder at the time you choose.
Common questions
What should I pray for my children?
Pray for their faith, character, friendships, safety, purpose and future relationships, and for the specific thing they face this week.
What is a short prayer for my child?
“Lord, keep [name] safe today. Give them wisdom, good friends and a kind heart, and let them know how much they are loved. Amen.”
How do I pray for an adult child who has wandered from faith?
Keep praying with patience and love, ask God to draw them back in his time, and keep your relationship warm without pressure.
Updated October 22, 2026. Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible (public domain).