Prayer is one of the most powerful tools we have as children of God. It connects our soul to the very heartbeat of God. We must express this vitally important life-line to our children; especially to our teenage children. Maybe you have a tween/teen that sees their friends giving in to society’s false idea of how love is portrayed. Pull them aside and have a chat with them. Share with them the importance of praying for their future spouse. Start with these four questions to see where they are at:
1) What are the three most important qualities you want in a future husband/wife?
2) How do you think praying for them now could impact their life/your life?
3) What are some mistakes you see your friends making that you might want to avoid? If so, why?
4) Would you like to start journaling these prayers and thoughts even now? If they decide they want to start a journal, take a trip to the store with them and pick out a journal of their choice. Express to them the importance of taking this venture seriously. Maybe you could even write a little note in the front with a few verses of encouragement before they begin.
While it’s important for us to pray for our children’s future spouse, it is even more important for them to do it! Why? If they take this seriously, it will hopefully help them avoid some of the dangerous pitfalls of temptation that are vying for their attention every day! John Luke Robertson (oldest son of Willie and Korie Roberston of the show Duck Dynasty) has written a compelling book called Young & Beardless. 
This book will definitely inspire your teenager! Sometimes they will be more inclined to listen to a younger voice, than Mom or Dad. As your child weaves and navigates through their teenage years, I’m sure they could definitely relate to what John Luke talks about in his book. Questions like:
- What do I want to do with my life?
- How do I discover my God-given calling?
- How can I make my dreams a reality?
We all want and desire the very best for our children. If we could get inside our child’s brain, we’d make all the right decisions for them. But that’s not always the way it happens. Many times, they need to find out the hard way, make some mistakes, and truly grab hold of the faith that is personally their own. I’m praying for your children! Would you pray for mine as well? We are in this together. I refuse to let our children be handed over to the enemy. Fight for them, on your knees. Fight with them, in a warm embrace instead of harsh words. Fight the enemy together. Turning your child’s heart towards prayer for one of his/her deepest desires (love and relationship) is an important step in fighting the good fight with our teenagers.
YOUR TURN!
Do you encourage your children to pray for their future spouse? What ways have you taught them to pray?
