As Christians there is nothing more important than praying over our families. I think all Christians would certainly agree with that. And as a grandmother, now in the last third of my life, I suggest starting this practice as a young couple before your children are even born….when they’re still in the womb.
Yes, of course we all pray for healthy children when we’re pregnant…..I think that’s a given. But what about who they are going to marry? What about their relationship with the Lord? What about their future careers? What about their children? And their children’s children? Its so important to pray intentionally over your growing family through the years and that starts at conception. And I mean specific and bold prayers.
Here’s some examples of what I mean:
- Pray for a wall of fire of the strength, power and might of Jesus Christ to surround them…to protect them from the fiery arrows of the enemy all the days of their life.
- Pray for God to protect them from not only evil harm but evil influence.
- Pray that the Lord would protect them from being deceived and influenced by the world and its worldly views.
- Pray for their future spouses – that God prepares them to be a part of your family and that they know the Lord.
- Pray that they are filled with rock solid faith in the Lord and that they grow to be mighty, strong, faithful, unwavering men and wormen of God.
I’m here to tell you that it is so important to pray all those things. Life goes by so quickly. And I know you hear that statement all the time as young people, but there really is nothing to prepare you for how true that statement is. Just how quickly it really does go by. So take that statement to heart and understand the truth behind it.
Like I said, my husband and I are in the last third of our earthly lives and when we look back on how quickly it has all whirled by it leaves our heads spinning.
I can assure you when we were first starting out our life together we didn’t expect to flash forward to this stage above so fast. By the way since I’m Mimi and my husband is Doogie our kids have nicknamed us Doogimi and our family Doogimiville.
At this young age above, like most, life was in the “here and now” and we had no idea that we would blink our eyes and suddenly be here with our grown up children who are now raising children of their own.
Above are my three grown children. Our original family of five. I prayed over them when I was a young pregnant mom to be, when they were tiny babies…as I rocked them back to sleep……every day and at every stage….all throughout their lives.
More than likely God is raising up the very people your children will marry at the same time you’re raising yours…so pray for them! Pray for your child’s future spouse while you’re rocking them to sleep, when they’re toddlers, when they are growing up through school age….pray for the person they will marry. Pray that God is watching over them, growing them, preparing them for marriage to your child and grooming them as a future member of your family. When they leave for college go in their rooms and pray over them and their future and their choices. Pray they become men and women of God.
Because before long your family will grow and you’ll have new sons and daughters to love. Your prayers matter. Start praying now. I couldn’t possibly love my daughter-in-law’s and my son-in-law more. They’re my children now, too. They’ve all become so close and are such an integral part of our family; and they all get along beautifully. More than that….they all love each other dearly and respect and value each other. They truly enjoy being together as siblings and as friends. What a gift. What a blessing. What an answer to the lifelong prayers of a young mom. I’m so thankful for them and I pray the wall of fire of Jesus Christ over and around their marriages and their families.
And here’s our growing family. How quickly our life transitioned from the young couple in the picture above to this picture full of children and grandchildren. I’m telling you it was in the blink of an eye. Of course, now I pray continually for the wall of fire of Jesus Christ around my grandchildren. These shown here and the ones still to come. And I pray for these growing families. That the Lord walks with them, protects them, fills their hearts with the knowledge of Him and grows them into bold and mighty men and women of God. I pray His protection over them…that He would shield them from the evil one, both from harm and from any kind of evil persuasion. And to keep them from being influenced by worldly views that go against the word of God and His desires for their life. To keep them grounded and focused on God and to grow their faith exponentially throughout their lives.
And not only my children and grandchildren but also my grandchildren’s children and their children and their children, etc.
I firmily believe my grandmother, my great-grandmother and maybe even my ancestors from long ago prayed over me and my future and my family. As I approach 70 years of age I don’t know how much longer God plans for me to be here on earth before taking me to my permanent home in heaven, but as long as I have breath in my lungs here I will be praying over my children and my grandchildren and my great-grandchildren and their children and so on.
The words to the song “The Blessing” sum it up perfectly:
The Lord bless you and keep you
Make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you
The Lord turn His face toward you
And give you peace
Amen, amen, amen
Amen, amen, amen
Amen, amen, amen
Amen, amen, amen
May His favor be upon you
And a thousand generations
And your family and your children
And their children, and their children
May God Bless You and Keep You!