The P's of Praying

I loved the idea of praying 7 times a day for 7 days for my kids...I wish I could say I'm doing it perfectly, but I've already missed a few of those seven per day! Thank God for "Grace, grace, grace!" I know the heart of the idea is to get parents praying Scripture over their children and making it a part of their daily lives - which I know means more than whether or not I pray exactly seven times a day for them.

I have been thinking about the way that I normally pray over my children. I do pray for them throughout the day as well, but I pray for and over them at bedtime. Usually they like for me to pray first and then they pray. A mentor mom in the very first MOPS group that I was a part of in CO did a talk on praying for our kids and she had made a list of "P's" to be praying for:

Peace
Purpose
Passion
Purity
Protection
Power

There may have been more of them, but these are what have stuck with me over the years. I don't do a "memorized" prayer over them because I want to make sure that I am not simply speaking words over them, but praying from my heart. I am away from them tonight as I pray for them which is probably making me think about our nightly "routines" a little more. I guess I typically pray a lot like this (praying over my sons perspective):

"I pray blessings and peace over _____ (I make a cross with my fingers on their forehead as I do that first part...not sure how that started.) I pray that you would give ______ protection and purity physically, mentally, emotionally, and Spiritually. Please allow _______ to know you and to love your Word more and more every day. I pray that the Holy Spirit would be drawing their heart and mind to You. Please reveal _______'s purpose to him early in life and allow him to be passionate for that which you have called him to do. Allow them to walk in your power as they seek Your face. I ask that you would provide strong and true friendships - iron sharpen iron - friendships throughout his life and I pray for a beautiful and healthy loving wife who would love and respect him unconditionally and he her. I pray that you would bless their marriage and give them healthy beautiful children in Jesus name, Amen."

I also pray for any concerns that I know that they have in the moment and things that they are excited about, but that is basically what I pray over my children each night. I love when they pray. My Gentle Strength (middle child) will sometimes pray "over" me. He will begin by making the cross on my forehead and praying blessings and peace over me and then pray for things he knows that I am concerned with (getting to sleep all night, my MOPS meetings to go well, friends of mine who are going through difficulty...) It is precious and I love that they are learning how to pray for another person specifically.

One additional beautiful thing that I have recently heard of someone doing (at Joyful's blog) to help their children remember that they are praying for them when they are nervous, stressed or anxious about something is to put a few drops of perfume or cologne on your daughter or son's wrist and telling them that the fragrance represents your prayers for them. The aroma of the perfume/cologne will be their reminder throughout the day that they are loved and that you are praying for them. "For we are to God the aroma of Christ..." (2 Cor. 2:15)

I'd love to hear special things that you all do when praying for or over your children!

Many Blessings!