Pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord & lift up your hands for the lives of your children....Lamentations 2:19
Having a child in college changes your prayer life. When kids are at home under our roof, we sometimes pray for them with the belief that we are in control of the situations they are facing. Though God has made us a spiritual authority in our child’s life, ultimately, the decision to claim faith & live it out, comes down to the choices our children make.
Children enrich life in a profound way & the sudden absence that is left when they leave for college can’t be filled by anything else. Though it is an exciting time in the lives of families, college is as new of an experience for parents as it is for students. When children are out of the house & away at college, they are in essence, on their own. Which is a very different scenario from the 18 years they spent living at home.
Parents & kids enter college with expectations of what will be, but we also are grieving what was. The way things were in our family dynamics will change and will never again be the same as before we took our child to college. Parents will become increasingly less of a critical part of their children’s daily lives. We become advisors to our kids & no longer disciplinarians in their day-to-day activities.
We have once again moved our son away for another year of college & I am once again filled with the same desperation I felt last year for God to move into the vast expanse of the miles between us & fill my child with the grace only He can give. I want God to show up in my child’s life & reveal Himself in ways that will refine my son’s walk as a mighty man of God.
Here are some of the prayers I’ll be praying for my son as he’s away this year. I hope these will be helpful to you as you build a reserve of scripture prayers for your child as well.
- Lord, I pray that _______________ will develop a heart for You & Your ways. I pray that You will silence all the ways the enemy wants to call out to her {him} in this world & that she {he} will hear Your voice as her {his} true guide. {John 10:27}
- Thank you God that you have given _______________ a calling and gifts that are irrevocable. I pray that he {she} will have the wisdom to seek Your ways in those areas & use them to further his {her} sense of purpose in what You have called him {her} to. {Romans 11:29}
- Father, as _______________ deals with the pressures of school workload & social relationships, in addition to other responsibilities, I pray that You would keep her {him} free from any anxiety that would weigh her {him} down. Keep her {his} spirit & attitude in a good place of focus on You & keep her {his} mind on positive things. {Philippians 4:8, Proverbs 12:25}
- Lord, I pray that _______________ will have clear discernment to choose right over wrong. I pray that he {she} will shape opinions & choices about life based on Your Word & what is right in Your sight. Reveal Yourself to him {her} as he {she} walks through life & let him {her} trust in You with all his {her} heart & not lean on human understanding. {Proverbs 3:5-6}
- I pray that in the midst of living life independently, that _______________ would learn to live life in discipline as well. Show her {him} that there is a path that leads to destruction & a path that leads to an abundant life. {Matthew 7:13-14}
- Father I pray that you would keep _______________ in complete health. I pray that _______________ would see that good health is a gift from you & that he {she} would be smart in all decisions regarding his {her} body. Would You touch & heal anything in his {her} body that is not fully well & let him {her} know that you are the Healer. {Jeremiah 17:14}
- I pray that _______________ would have fulfilling, godly friendships that will have a positive influence in her {his} life. Enable her {him} to be discerning about who she {he} spends time with & trusts with the inner parts of her {his} life. I pray that those friends will be influencers of Your love & give her {him} good guidance & advice. May all her {his} relationships be equally yoked. {Proverbs 13:20, 2 Corinthians 6:14-15}
related topics: 7 Scriptures to Pray for Your College Student
Photo by Catherine Price
