When we began home educating our children, we were introduced to APACHE, our local homeschool support group. This article was in the first APACHE newsletter we received; it is dated October 1999. Appreciating the truth of these words, I cut it out and put it in my prayer journal. I cannot say I prayed thusly every single day, but I will say that I did do it very often, and I still do. Lately I’ve noticed that the ink is starting to fade on my well-used newsletter page, so I asked Tori to type me a new copy and decided to post it here as well. This list is not exhaustive; I don’t know if such a list ever could be, but it is certainly a valuable starting point – at least it has been to me. May these words bless you as they have blessed me over the last decade or so, and may your fervent prayers be answered as so many of mine have been.
In conclusion, NEVER underestimate the power of prayer. Our God is ALIVE!
~Pray that nothing will hinder your children from accepting [receiving] Christ as their personal Savior early in life. (Matthew 18:6; 19:14)[John 1:12]
~Pray that your children will learn to know their God, the true and living God, and will have a deep desire to do His will for their lives. (Psalms 119:27,30,34-35)
~Pray that as your children hear stories from the Bible, a genuine love for God and His Word will become such a part of their lives that it will be the basis for all their decision making throughout life. (Psalms 7:17; Ecclesiastes 12:1; II Timothy 3:15)
~Pray that your children may develop a keen sense of what’s right and wrong – that they will truly abhor evil and cling to that which is good. (Psalms 51:10; 139: 23-24; Romans 12:9)
~Pray that your children will increase in wisdom mentally, in stature physically, and in favor with God spiritually and man socially. (Luke 2:52) This prayer covers children’s total development to their full potential.
~Pray that your children will develop a thankful heart and a fine, confident mental attitude. (Psalms 126:2-3; Romans 8:31)
~Pray that God will protect your children from Satan and his wiles in every area of their lives. (Psalms 121:8; John 17:15)
~Pray that God will destroy the enemies in your children’s lives, whatever they may be – weaknesses, lying, selfishness, disobedience, etc. (Psalms 120:2; Philippians 2:4)
~Pray that God will make your children successful in the work He has planned for them to do. (Psalms 118:25; 139:9-10)
~Pray that your children will have a strong sense of belonging to a family that is loving and dwells together in unity. (Psalms 133, Colossians 3:12-14)
~Pray that your children will respect those in authority over them. (Romans 13:1; Ephesians 6:1-6)
~Pray that their entire lives will be a testimony of the greatness and love of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 2:15-16; I Thessalonians 5:23)
~Also pray that your children will be caught when guilty, will desire the right kind of friends, will be kept from the wrong mate and saved for the right one, and will, along with those they wed, remain pure until marriage.
from the book Faith Training by Joe White, Focus on the Family Publishing
Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. James 5:16
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