A Prayer for Your Children (What to Say Tonight)
Whether they are asleep in the next room or an adult in another city, the shape of this prayer is the same. Put their name where it says "my child".
The prayer
Lord Jesus,
[name] is mine because you gave them to me, and yours before I ever met them.
Keep them close to you tonight.
Give them dreams that do not scare them.
Guard the ones they call their friends. Guard their hearts from the ones who are not.
When they are afraid, remind them you know their name.
When they are alone, be with them.
When they succeed, keep them humble. When they fail, keep them hopeful.
Bring them home to you, whether or not they come home to me.
Amen.
The verse behind it
Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
When to say it
- At their bedside, once they are asleep.
- On the porch after they drive away.
- On the drive home from an argument you both regret.
Send it as a film
A short bedtime blessing in Jesus's voice, with their name in it, is a keepsake to leave on the kids' iPad. A Bedtime Blessing for Them.
For a grown child far from you, send a short letter in Jesus's voice with their name in it - A Message Written for Them.