Praising the God Who Provides
:: We praise you, Lord, for providing peace and grace through Jesus. Your forgiveness is perfect, leading to abundant and eternal life. We can trust you in days of trouble because we know that you will provide endurance, character, and hope that never disappoints. The birds don’t sow or reap, yet you provide food and shelter. The wildflowers don’t labor or spin, yet you cloth them more beautifully than Solomon in all his splendor. The eyes of all living things look to you and you give them food at the proper time. We are much more valuable to you than these. We will not worry about the details of life because we trust that you already know what we need. As we seek you with all our hearts, you will provide. (Romans 5, Luke 12:24, Psalm 145:15, Matthew 6:25-34)
Experience God’s Power
As the new year starts, we know our adult kids will face challenges, just as the disciples faced challenges. When the disciples were in the boat with Jesus, a storm came on them suddenly and ferociously…and they ran to you for strength. May our kids also run to you for help when they are scared and face hard times. When their faith is weak and they become overwhelmed by fear or anxiety, be gracious to them and hear their cries. Rebuke the waves and winds that threaten to overtake them, and show them your power.…the kind that brings peace in the midst of chaos. And may it cause them to draw closer to you on stormy nights and sunny days. Regardless of what the year brings, may they see your power in their lives and learn to trust you more. (Matthew 8:23–27)
Protection from Evil
Lord, protect our adult kids from anything that wages war against their souls. Open their eyes to sinful desires that threaten to destroy them and give them the wisdom to run from every evil temptation. We pray that they will run to you for wisdom and love and peace, so they will have pure hearts that lead to an abundant and fulfilled life. Destroy the plans of anyone who tries to lead our kids away from you, and stop any evil plans against them. Crush thoughts of sexual immorality, deception, envy, arrogance, foolishness, greed…and every desire to do evil to others. Instead, may the hearts and minds of our kids be so full of your light and truth that they cannot be spoiled by any destructive thought. (1 Peter 2:11, 2 Timothy 2:22, Mark 23:10-23)
Desire to Know God
Lord, by the power of your Spirit, fill our adult kids with the knowledge that you know everything that’s in their hearts – the good, the bad, and the ugly – and that you still love them more than they can possibly imagine. You know every thought they think and every word before they speak it. May this knowledge cause them to desire you more than ever before; to experience your love and to find comfort in your grace. Though we want them to enjoy life, we also pray that they won’t desire anything on earth more than they desire you. When they speak to you, fill them with faith that you hear them so they will talk to you about every detail of their lives. If they don’t want to speak to you, send your Spirit to change their mind. Be their friend, Jesus…a friend who they will trust to love them, listen to them, and guide them every day. (Psalm 139:1-4, Psalm 73:25, 1 John 5:14-15)
Healthy Relationships
Lord, you created our adult kids to need healthy relationships. Please lead them to friends and soulmates who will make them feel valued and encourage them to make healthy decisions that honor you. Wherever they go – in school, workplace, church, or community – guide our kids to connect with people who love you and cause them to walk away from people who are harmful. We pray for our kids to have marriage relationships that are full of laughter, love, and grace, so they will love each other passionately, faithfully, and unconditionally. Teach our adult kids to bless others, to be a light in this dark world, and to spread the sweet knowledge of you everywhere they go. (Genesis 2:18, Proverbs 13:20, 2 Corinthians 2:14)
Wisdom for Parenting
Perfect Father, teach our adult kids to make you the King of their homes. May they follow the same instructions you gave the Israelites; to love you with all their heart, all their soul, and all their strength…and to teach their kids to do the same. We pray that their homes will be a sanctuary, showing our grandkids the reward of loving you. Open the eyes of our kids to see the value of disciplining their kids with wisdom and grace, so they will raise children who act with restraint and treat others with love and respect. Finally, wherever the enemy causes busyness to threaten the hearts and homes of our kids and grandkids, send your Holy Spirit to convict them so they will see the importance of building time into their days to simply be still as a family. (Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Proverbs 22:15, Hebrews 12:6)
Live with Hope and Purpose
Jesus, fill the hearts of our kids with new hope as they walk into the new year. Cause their eyes to focus on you, so they will never be shaken by uncertainty and give them the wisdom to see new opportunities through the lens of your Truth so they will be protected from walking down wrong paths. When they are on a wrong path, wake them up so they will have the wisdom and courage to change course. You are able to make their best path known to them, so we ask for you to do that in a powerful way. Thank you for creating them with a good purpose. Please give them fresh revelation about your purpose for them so they will be filled with joy and peace, overflowing with hope by the power of your Spirit as they live out their purpose with bold conviction. (Ephesians 2:10, Romans 15:13)
Emotional and Physical Wellbeing
Jesus, we believe that you are able to heal the minds, bodies, and souls of our adult kids completely, so we ask for healing. When they don’t believe in your power to heal, we pray that your Spirit will invade their hearts and minds, and make your power known to them. Where their minds are broken from hardships, send your healing power to refresh them. Free them from anything that holds them captive to fear or depression and keeps them from enjoying a full and joyful life. When Job lost every single thing in his life – his family, his possessions, and his health – he never stopped talking to you. He never stopped trying to understand your plan for him, and everything he lost was eventually restored. We pray that our kids will do the same thing and that you will restore anything that they’ve lost. Help us to be patient, God, as we trust your purpose and timing for the healing of our kids. (Jeremiah 17:14, James 5:10-11)
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 20-21)
KRISTI is the author of the Before books and coloring books for children and the Your Soul To Keep one-year prayer book for parents of adults. She writes to inspire parents and grandparents to shine the joy of Jesus into the lives of their families and to laugh without fear of the future (Proverbs 31:25). She and her husband Tim live in Iowa where they love doing life with their sons and daughters-in-law, six grandbabies, and two very spoiled dogs.