31 Biblical VirtuesTo Pray for Your Children. . .

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As parents, the time we spend praying for our children is likely the most precious of the day -- and its value is IMMEASURABLE!!! I don't think we can come close to what God expects from us as parents in this area -- especially in our society. Disruptions (especially as mothers) come on levels that we don't even recognize as "disruptions."

Many months ago, I participated in a Baby Dedication with my husband and I presented a young mother in our church a list of 31 Biblical Virtues to Pray for Your Child. After the service, another mother asked if I would share these with her.

Unfortunately, I got disrupted (I'm a mom, remember?) and I forgot to pass them on. . .

I was reminded of my absentmindedness this past week when the lady who'd asked for the list became my newest Facebook Friend. She didn't remind me -- it just occurred in one of those wide-eye'd "oh-my-goodness" moments when I saw her picture on Facebook. So, I now pass them along to her and everyone else as well. (Sorry it took so long, Rebecca!)

Pictured throughout this post are our five children:
Sharon (24),
Tim (22),
Alisa (17),
Selah (5),
and Shepard (4) .
We pray for them daily!

31 Biblical Virtues
to Pray for Your Children

Printable Version

► Salvation
“Lord, let salvation spring up within my children, that they may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.”

Isaiah 45:8
II Timothy 2:10

► Growth in Grace
“I pray that my children may grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

II Peter 3:18

► Love
“Grant, Lord, that my children may learn to live a life of love, through the Spirit who dwells in them.”

Galatians 5:25
Ephesians 5:2

► Honesty & Integrity
“May integrity and honesty be their virtue and their protection.”

Psalm 25:21

► Self Control
“Father, help my children not to be like many others around them, but let them be alert and self-controlled in all they do.”

I Thessalonians 5:6

► Love for God's Word
“may my children grow to find Your Word more precious than much pure gold and sweeter than honey from the comb.”

Psalm 19:10

► Justice
“God, help my children to love justice as You do and act justly in all they do.”

Psalm 11:7
Micah 6:8

► Mercy
“May my children always be merciful, just as their Father is merciful.”

Luke 6:36

► Respect (for Self, Others & Authority)
“Father, grant that my children may show proper respect to everyone, as Your Word commands.”

I Peter 2:17

► Biblical Self-Esteem
“Help my children develop a strong self-esteem that is rooted in the realization that they are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus.”

Ephesians 2:10

► Faithfulness
“Let love and faithfulness never leave my children, but bind these twin virtues around their necks and write them on the tablets of their hearts.”

Proverbs 3:3

► Courage
“May my children always be strong and courageous in their character and in their actions.”

Deuteronomy 31:6

► Purity
“Create in them a pure heart, O God, and let that purity of heart be shown in their actions.”

Psalm 51:10

► Kindness
“Lord, may my children always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.”

I Thessalonians 5:15

► Generosity
“Grant that my children may be generous and willing to share, and so lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age.”

I Timothy 6:18-19

► Peace-Loving
“Father, let my children make every effort to do what leads to peace.”

Romans 14:19

► Joy
“May my children be filled with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.”

I Thessalonians 1:6

► Perseverance
“Lord, teach my children perseverance in all they do, and help them especially to run with perseverance the race marked out for them.”

Hebrews 12:1

► Humility
“God, please cultivate in my children the ability to show true humility toward all.”

Titus 3:2

► Compassion
“Lord, please clothe my children with the virtue of compassion.”

Colossians 3:12

► Responsibility
“Grant that my children may learn responsibility, for each one should carry his own load.”

Galatians 6:5

► Contentment
“Father, teach my children the secret of being content in any and every situation, through Him who gives them strength.”

Philippians 4:12-13

► Faith
“I pray that faith will find root and grow in my children’s hearts, that by faith they may gain what has been promised to them.”

Luke 17:5-6
Hebrews 11:1-40

► A Servant's Heart
“God, please help my children develop servants’ hearts, that they may serve wholeheartedly, as if they were serving the Lord, not men.”

Ephesians 6:7

► Hope
“May the God of hope grant that my children may overflow with hope and hopefulness by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Romans 15:13

► Willingness & Ability to Work
“Teach my children, Lord, to value work and to work at it with all their hearts, as working for the Lord, not for men.”

Colossians 3:23

► Passion of God
“Lord, please instill in my children a soul that ‘followeth hard after Thee’ (Psalm 63:8), one that clings passionately to you.”


► Self-Discipline
“Father, I pray that my children may acquire a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair.”

Proverbs 1:3

► Prayfulness
“Grant, Lord, that my children’s lives may be marked by prayfulness, that they may learn to pray on all occasions – allowing the Holy Spirit to intercede – with all kinds of prayers and requests.”

Ephesians 6:18

► Gratitude
“Help my children to live lives that are always overflowing with thankfulness and always giving thanks to God, the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Ephesians 5:20
Colossians 2:7

► A Heart for Missions
“Lord, please help my children to develop a desire to see Your Glory declared among the nations, Your marvelous deeds among all peoples.”

Psalm 96:3

~ Esthermay

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The Age of Accountability. . . When Childlike Faith Become Saving Faith?

Q: At what age do you think a child is old enough to understand that they are a sinner and what it means to accept Christ into their heart as Lord and Savior?

~ Melissa

In His wisdom, God did not identify a specific moment when a child becomes "responsible" for a spiritual understanding of sin and salvation through Christ. Children mature at different phases and there is no "age of accountability" identified in Scripture. It is unrealistic to use a chronological age as a marker for spiritual understanding and maturity. Here's what the Bible tells us about the spiritual state of all human beings:

"Even from birth the wicked go astray; from the womb they are wayward and speak lies"
~ Psalm 58:3

A six-year old who lies to his mother is just as guilty of breaking God's law as a thirty-five year old who commits adultery. But does the six-year old understand that he is breaking God's law?

Probably not.

Does he understand his depravity before God?

Probably not.

What if the child has already invited Jesus into his/her heart?

The child may have childlike faith, but without a full understanding of his depravity as a sinner before God, he does not have saving faith.

So . . . a four-year old smashing his brother over the head with a toy block is not aware of his unrepentant heart -- or God's righteous judgment -- or justification by faith. But how about a six-year old? An eight-year old? . . . A ten-year old?

The Jews had identified the age of twelve. It was during a Jewish boy's twelfth year that he was prepared for his induction as a full member of the religious community which took place when he turned thirteen.

This is significant. This is the also age when Jesus was taken by His parents to Jerusalem for Passover and later found deeply engrossed in discussion the "doctors" (KJV).

The Greek word for "doctors" is didaskalos, and refers to scripture scholars.

Do you see a wonderful illustration here? Jesus was asking profound questions at this point in his childhood. Questions that would not have come from a four-year old. This then seems to be an age when these kinds of questions begin to be personal in the heart of a child.

Somewhere around the age of twelve, a transition from childhood to adulthood begins to take place. It's not totally dissociated from puberty, where one becomes aware of impulses, feelings, drives, desires . . . and therefore sinful attitudes and passions.

Remember: This age of accountability is not based upon any direct teaching from the Bible.

This time of early- to mid-adolescence does not correspond to a particular age for every child due to differences in personal and psychological maturation AND environment. (Could be age 10. Could be age 16.) When a child is old enough to understand the moral consequences of his or her actions, then he/she is capable of obeying the moral laws of God and can be held accountable for sins. And it is at this point, that a child is capable of understanding and accepting the plan of Salvation.

Salvation is not a "feel-good" experience where we are simply filled with "God's Love."
Salvation is an experience of genuine repentance.
Salvation is not possible until we know we're lost!

It's important to remember that when a child professes faith in Jesus at any age -- regardless of their ability to fully grasp the concept of sin and redemption -- we need to encourage them in ways appropriate to their age and developmental stage.

"Train up a child in the way he should go. . . "
~ Proverbs 22:6

The idea of an "age of accountability" should never undermine our duty as Christian parents to lead our children to Christ because God's Word is clear on this: We cannot save our children. We are all guilty through Adam. Even children . . .

"Just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all have sinned."

~ Romans 5:12

Children, like adults, are accountable for their sins. This is why Paul says that by nature we are all "children of wrath." (Ephesians 2:3) In the case of our children, we trust God for their salvation and are at the same time called to exercise our duty to raise them in the knowledge and fear of the Lord so that when they do reach an age of understanding their child-like faith can become saving faith.

When children do profess faith in Jesus -- in ways appropriate to their age and developmental stage -- we should rejoice while continuing on with our duty:

"Train up a child in the way he should go. . . "
~ Proverbs 22:6

And as they grow, Christian parents need to continue to encourage a child's understanding of salvation.

God inspired John to write these words:

"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth."
~ III John 4

"Sanctify them through the truth: thy word is truth."
~ John 17:17

And the Apostle Paul writes this:

"So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
~ Romans 10:17

In other words, our children need vital exposure to the Word of God. In his second letter to Timothy (who was probably a teenager at the time of his salvation), Paul wrote,

". . . from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."
~ II Timothy 3:14-17

Note Paul's words: ". . . Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation."

See, simply reading or hearing God's Word will not save us. Salvation requires an awareness of our depravity and a mature understanding of sin, righteousness and judgment before Almighty God.

It is possible that the deeper a child's immersion in Scripture in his early years, the easier the salvation experience will be. . . .

"How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to Your Word.
I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.
I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you."
~ Psalm 119:9-11

~ Esthermay Bentley-Goossen
©2009 The Heart of a Pastor's Wife

For the entire plan of salvation:
Kids Need HIM
Teenagers Need HIM
Twenty-Somethings Need HIM
Women Need HIM
Men Need HIM

Questions?
Leave a comment
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