You’re standing in the kitchen, and your friend asks, “How can I pray for you?”
You freeze. Your mind goes blank.
Maybe you mumble something about health or work. Or perhaps you feel awkward, wondering if they’re being nosy. But here’s the truth: they genuinely want to know how to help you through prayer.
Now flip the question. Do you know how to pray for someone else? More importantly, do you know how to pray effectively for your children?
If you’re like most parents, you’ve probably said prayers like “Lord, bless them” or “Help them grow up to be good.” These prayers come from a loving heart.
But what if there was a specific prayer—one straight from Scripture—that you could pray with complete confidence? A prayer that doesn’t require you to wonder if it’s God’s will?
There is. And it’s found in Colossians 1:9-14.
This prayer has the power to shape your children’s eternal destiny. It will impact their character, their choices, and their relationship with God. Best of all, you can pray it knowing God will answer because it aligns perfectly with His will.
Let me show you how to pray effectively for your children using this biblical model.
Key Takeaways
- The Colossians 1:9-14 prayer is God’s will for every person. You can pray it with absolute confidence.
- This prayer covers six essential areas: knowing God’s will, walking worthy, bearing fruit, increasing in knowledge, spiritual strength, and joyful thanksgiving.
- Start praying this prayer early—even before your children understand the words.
- Two conditions make prayer effective: a clean heart and faith in God’s promises.
- Your prayers have the power to bend your children’s hearts toward God throughout their lives.
Why This Prayer Changes Everything
When you pray for your children, you’re not just saying words into the air. You’re participating in shaping a life that will spend eternity somewhere. That’s an awesome responsibility.
The Colossians prayer gives you a framework that covers every essential area of spiritual growth. You don’t have to guess what to ask God for. You don’t have to wonder if you’re praying the right things.
Here are two reasons this prayer works:
First, it’s clearly God’s will. You don’t need to add “if it be Thy will” like some magic phrase. Scripture makes God’s desires for His children crystal clear in these verses.
Second, you can pray with absolute assurance. First John 5:14-15 says, “This is the confidence that we have in Him: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. If we know that He hears us, we know that we have the petition that we desire of Him.”
God is committed to answering prayers that align with His will. This is one of them.
The Six Parts of Effective Prayer for Your Children
Let’s break down Colossians 1:9-14 and see how each part applies to praying for your children.
1. Pray for Knowledge of God’s Will
Paul writes,
“For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.” – Colossians 1:9 (NKJV)
Start here. Ask God to show your children His will for their lives.
You can begin praying this before they’re even born. Kneel by their beds when they’re toddlers and talk about God’s will, even though they don’t understand yet. You’re programming their minds with truth.
The Spirit of God understands. He takes that truth and works it into their hearts.
Think about the major life decisions your children will face. Two of the biggest are discovering God’s purpose for their lives and marrying the right person. These prayers, prayed consistently over years, prepare them for those moments.
When you pray for your children to know God’s will, you’re praying that they’ll understand the direction God has set for their lives. Without this understanding, they’ll flounder. With it, they’ll walk confidently in their purpose.
2. Pray for a Worthy Walk
The prayer continues:
“That you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him.” – Colossians 1:10a (NKJV)
You’re asking God to shape their daily lifestyle to be patterned after Jesus. This doesn’t mean they’ll walk around preaching on street corners. It means His character will be evident in their lives.
Their conduct. Their language. Their choices. Their behavior. All consistent with Christ.
Remember, when Jesus left earth, He told His disciples the Holy Spirit would live in them, with them, and upon them. Every follower of Jesus is an extension of His life. That includes your children.
This is a godly prayer that makes a real difference. You’re asking God to work in the way they live their lives—pleasing to Him, honorable to Him, characteristic of Christ.
Who in your life do you care about enough to invest time praying this way? How much value do you place on your children’s spiritual walk?
Many parents don’t get serious about prayer until their kids are in trouble. Don’t wait. Start now. Pray consistently that their lifestyle would honor Christ in every respect.
3. Pray They Bear Fruit in Good Works
Paul adds,
“Being fruitful in every good work.” – Colossians 1:10b (NKJV)
This means you’re praying that your children will live wisely invested lives. Not wasted lives. Lives that make a contribution.
Ask yourself: In what way is your life making a contribution? What are you teaching your children about living for something bigger than themselves?
Most people wrap their lives up in “my job and my possessions and what I want and my pleasures and my plans.” It’s all “me, myself, and I.”
Where is God in all that?
When you pray for your children to bear fruit in every good work, you’re asking God to help them think about others more than themselves. To consider what they can contribute. How they can help. How they can motivate and encourage others.
You’re praying that their lives will count for something beyond their own comfort and pleasure.
4. Pray for Increasing Knowledge of God
The verse continues,
“Increasing in the knowledge of God.” – Colossians 1:10c (NKJV)
This should happen every time your children go to church. God should speak to them in some way. They should grow in understanding who He is.
Look at the world you’re raising children in today. They desperately need biblical truth early in life. They’ll be attacked by everything imaginable.
Where will they learn about God? A Christian school can help. But most public schools won’t teach them anything about the Lord. There are wonderful public school teachers, but they’re not allowed to talk about Jesus.
If you don’t teach them at home, forget it.
The best ways to pray for increasing knowledge of God include:
- Taking them to a church which teaches the Word of God.
- Reading the Bible at home.
- Talking about what you’re learning from Scripture.
- Making Jesus part of your daily conversations.
If you can live a full day without mentioning Jesus, something is wrong. You’re a follower of Him. Nothing is more important than the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Children who grow up in families where they talk about the Lord develop a hunger for God’s Word. Start early. Read Scripture with them using translations they can understand. Let them talk about what they’re learning.
As you pray for them and give them guidance, you bend their hearts toward God. They hear the truth over and over again. It shapes them.
5. Pray for Spiritual Strength
Paul prays they would be,
“Strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power.” – Colossians 1:11a (NKJV)
You’re asking God that your children would live in the power of the Holy Spirit. This is crucial because we can’t live godly lives apart from Him. It’s impossible.
When you were saved, the Spirit of God came into your life. He indwells you to give you power to live for Christ.
Some parents think, “I don’t have much education. I can’t really teach my kids too much.”
Listen carefully. You’re teaching them whether you plan it or not. You teach by how you live, what you say, how you pray—or whether you don’t pray.
Ask God to fill your children with His power. Pray they’ll learn to depend on the Holy Spirit for strength to make right choices, resist temptation, and walk in obedience.
6. Pray for Joyful Thanksgiving
The prayer concludes beautifully:
“12 Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and [a]conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.” – Colossians 1:12-14 (NKJV)
You’re praying that your children will have joy, happiness, and peace because they understand what God has done for them.
When a person begins to grasp what God has really done in their life, thankfulness follows. Joy wells up that you cannot explain.
Pray that your children will be thankful for:
- Being qualified to share in the inheritance of the saints.
- Being rescued from the domain of darkness.
- Being transferred into Christ’s kingdom.
- Having redemption and forgiveness of sins.
These are all past tense. Done. Finished. Accomplished.
You can also pray this for someone walking in darkness, asking God to transfer them into His kingdom of light. Will God answer that prayer? Yes. He’s committed to it.
Two Essential Conditions for Effective Prayer
This prayer works. But there are two conditions you must meet.
1. A Clean Heart
Psalm 66:18 says,
“If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear.”
To regard iniquity means you hold on to sin. You know it’s there. You practice it. You’re ignoring God about the whole issue. You’re allowing sin in your life.
God says, “I’m not gonna hear you.”
Here’s the question: Do you value the person you’re praying for enough to live a godly life so God will hear you?
This is serious. You cannot pray effectively for your children while harboring sin in your own heart. Deal with it. Confess it. Turn from it. Keep your heart clean before God.
2. Faith in God’s Promises
You must believe God will do what He says. This isn’t wishful thinking. It’s confidence in His Word.
Do you believe that what God says, He will do? Do you trust His promises?
If you have a clean heart and genuine faith, there’s no limit to the impact you can have through prayer. Your prayers can literally change the trajectory of your children’s lives.
Practical Ways to Pray This Prayer
Now let’s get practical. How do you actually implement this prayer model?
1. Start before they’re born. Begin praying these things over your children while they’re still in the womb.
2. Make it a nightly practice. Kneel by their beds and pray this prayer out loud. Let them hear you asking God for these specific things.
3. Talk about what they’re learning. After church, discuss the message with your children. Ask them what they thought about different points. Let them talk without correcting every little thing. You’re finding out what they’re thinking.
4. Model Bible reading. The best way to teach your children to desire knowledge of God is to let them see you reading Scripture. Read it with them. Use translations they can understand.
5. Make Jesus part of daily life. I can’t imagine any day in any family where the Lord’s name shouldn’t come up about something. If you can go a full day without mentioning Jesus, something is wrong.
6. Choose your church carefully. Go where they teach the Word of God. If a pastor says some of Scripture is true and some isn’t, leave. You’re teaching your children that God’s Word isn’t reliable. Why would they grow up believing it or wanting to follow God?
The Long-Term Impact
When you start praying for your children early in life, something powerful happens. As you pray consistently and give them guidance, you bend their hearts toward God.
Little by little, they hear truth. Over and over. It shapes them.
Here are three essentials that work together:
- Read and study the Word of God.
- Apply it to your life.
- Observe what happens as a result of obedience.
Your prayers create an environment where God’s truth takes root. Your children see you living what you believe. They experience the fruit of obedience in your home.
This combination is powerful. It shapes eternal destinies.
Your Children’s Eternal Destiny
When you bring a child into this world, you bring a life that will spend eternity somewhere. You have the privilege as a parent or grandparent of helping to mold that life.
You’re the molder. You have an awesome responsibility and an incredible opportunity.
Prayer is one of your greatest tools. When you pray the Colossians prayer for your children, you’re partnering with God in His work in their lives.
Do you value your own life enough to pray this prayer for yourself? Do you value your children’s lives enough to keep your heart clean and your faith strong so God will hear you?
The smallest child and the eldest person can be impacted by this prayer. There’s no estimation of the kind of difference you can make in someone else’s life when you pray according to God’s will.
Final Thoughts
Your prayers matter more than you know. When you pray effectively for your children using God’s Word as your guide, you’re investing in their eternal destiny.
Start today. Pray with confidence. Watch God work in ways you never imagined possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How often should I pray for my children?
A. Pray daily. Make it part of your routine. Paul says in Colossians 1:9 that he had “not ceased to pray” for the believers. Consistent, ongoing prayer creates the most impact in your children’s lives.
Q. What if my children are already grown?
A. It’s never too late to start praying this prayer. God can work in their lives at any age. Begin today and pray with faith that He will accomplish His will in their lives.
Q. Can I pray this prayer for children who aren’t saved yet?
A. Absolutely. Verses 13-14 specifically mention being rescued from darkness and transferred into Christ’s kingdom. This is a powerful prayer for children who don’t yet know Jesus.
Q. What if I have sin in my life? Does that mean my prayers won’t work?
A. Psalm 66:18 is clear that regarding iniquity in your heart blocks prayer. Confess your sin to God, turn from it, and keep your heart clean. God is faithful to forgive when you repent.
Q. How long before I see results from praying this way?
A. God’s timing varies. Some changes happen quickly. Others take years. Your job is to pray faithfully and trust God with the results. He is always working, even when you can’t see it.
Q. What’s the difference between this prayer and generic prayers for my children?
A. This prayer is specific and biblical. It aligns perfectly with God’s will, so you can pray with confidence He will answer. Generic prayers like “bless them” are fine but lack the focused power of praying Scripture.
Q. Do I need to pray the exact words from Colossians?
A. You can pray the passage word-for-word or use it as a framework to guide your prayers. The key is covering these six areas consistently and praying according to God’s revealed will in Scripture.
