A Simple Way to Pray for Your Children (with free printable prayer cards)

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I am convinced that praying for our children is the most important act we can do as parents. There is power in prayer. When we go before the throne, with humble hearts and petition the Father on behalf of our children, He hears us and answers those prayers according to His will.

Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it will be given to you seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

Matthew 21:22 And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.

Mark 11:24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

John 14:13-14 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

There are certainly many ways to pray for our children. It was a few years ago that I saw something similar to this “head-to-toe” style of praying, using the parts of the body AND Scripture to guide prayer. It has become the mainstay of my prayer time for Ben, and if you are a mom who struggles with how to pray for your children beyond the simple, “God bless my child,” then I think you will find this method both useful and inspiring.

Here you’ll find first a Scripture verse that coordinates with 12 parts of the body — head, mind, eyes, ears, mouth, tongue, shoulders, neck, heart, hands, knees and feet — followed by a simple prayer based on that Scripture. It really does not take any time to go through each short prayer. Often times, I visit my son’s room and pray over him as he sleeps. Other times, we pray together while he’s awake, touching each body part as we go (it is powerful for your children to hear you pray for them). If your child is having a particular challenge in one or more of these areas, you may want to expound on the prayer to meet the needs of your particular situation. But even if you do nothing but pray these 12 short prayers, it is more than enough to petition the Father on behalf of your child.

At the bottom of this post, you’ll find a link to a PDF that contains all of these verses and prayers for you to print off. I’ve also created a set of 3.5 x 5 prayer cards you can print on card stock if that suits you better. I hole-punched mine and hold them together with a book ring. You could also store them in a recipe box or plastic index card holder.

It is my prayer that you will feel the power of God at work in your life and that of your child as you seek to pray for your child daily.

Head-to-Toe Prayer Cards

To download your free printable Prayer Cards, enter your email below.

Head

Psalm 3:3 But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high.

Heavenly Father — You are a shield around Ben, his glory, the One who lifts his head high. I pray in Jesus name this will always be true for him.

Mind

Proverbs 9:9-10 Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Father, please make Ben wise. Make his heart open to instruction that he might gain more wisdom. Teach him what it means to fear the Lord, for that is the beginning of wisdom. Grant him knowledge of the Holy One.

Eyes

Proverbs 3:7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.

God, please guard Ben from being wise in his own eyes. May he fear you and find wisdom, strength, and understanding in you alone, not in his own capabilities. May he understand your holiness and resist evil.

Ears

Proverbs 2:2 ..turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding.”

Father, please make Ben’s ears attentive to wisdom. Deafen his ears to the call of sin; teach him to recognize your still, small voice. Incline his heart to understanding.

Mouth

Ephesians 4:29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Lord, I pray that Ben would speak only wholesome words beneficial to others. May his speech be appropriate and respectful. May it encourage those who are disheartened and bring faith to those who have none.

Tongue

Proverbs 10:19-20 When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise. The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little value.

Father, I ask that Ben will learn wisdom and as a result, be able to hold his tongue. Keep him from wicked words. Make his tongue like choice silver.

Shoulders

Psalm 55:22 Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.

Dear God — I pray that Ben will always cast his cares on You, knowing that you will sustain him, for you never let the righteous be shaken. In Jesus name, I pray this prayer.

Neck

Proverbs 3:3-4 Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.

God, I pray that love and faithfulness will not leave Ben. May he bind them around his neck and write them on the tablet of his heart. Open his eyes to others’ needs, making him quick to extend kindness. Bless him with favor and a good reputation in the sight of God and man.”

Heart

Proverbs 4:23 Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

Lord, I pray that Ben will watch over his heart with all diligence. Keep his heart pure. Keep him from being embittered by trials. May his heart be steadfastly set on loving you more than anything or anyone else.

Hands

Psalm 24:3-5 Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his sould to an idol or swear by what is false. He will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God the Savior.

Father, I pray that Ben would have clean hands and a pure heart. May he love you with all his heart, turning away from all that is false. Keep his speech and motives pure. Thank you for promising a blessing and being faithful to fulfill it.

Knees

Psalm 95:6 Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.

Lord, I pray that Ben will worship and bow down before you. May he love and fear you, honoring you as the King of his life. May he acknowledge you as his Maker and recognize that your love will never fail.

Feet

Psalm 119:35 Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight.

Father, please help Ben walk in your path. Cause him to delight in your commandments and follow you all his days.