5 Prayers for Babies
Pray for Them to Know and Follow Christ
It is never too early to pray for your baby’s salvation. As parents, we have many hopes for our babies – that they’ll be happy, healthy, successful – but our greatest hope should be that they grow up to know and serve the Lord. Everything our babies do brings us joy, from the first smile, "coo" and every new milestone that they hit. But we see in 3 John 4 that we should have "no greater joy than to hear of my children walking in the truth.” We have a huge opportunity and responsibility in raising our little ones, and our main goal should be to guide them in the truth.
Surrender Them to God
However your baby came to be yours, whether biological or through adoption or foster care, they are a gift from God and ultimately belong to Him. In 1 Samuel 1:26-28, Hannah recognized this when she had Samuel after praying for a child for many years. Her first response was to thank God for the gift of her son and her very next action was dedicating his life to the Lord. With the gift of a baby comes responsibility, and it can be easy to worry about everything. But we should remind ourselves daily that they belong to the Lord and He has a plan for their lives that might be different than what we have in mind.
Pray for Them to Experience the Love and Grace of Christ through You and Your Community
This is as much of a prayer for parents as it is for babies. As parents, we have the opportunity to demonstrate Christ’s love in new ways. Pray that the love of Christ would flow through your actions and words, and that your interactions would be fueled by grace. Pray that they would be surrounded by this love and grace not just in your home, but among your friends and family as well, that they would never doubt Christ's love for them.
Pray for Them to Make Wise Decisions
James 1:5 says we have the freedom to ask God for wisdom, because He gives generously without reproach. We can also pray this on behalf of our babies, that they will grow up seeking the Lord's guidance in decision-making. While we may be with them almost every moment for the first few years, we can start praying now for their future days in school, the friends they will choose, the activities they will participate in and eventually who they will marry. Pray that they learn to seek God first when faced with decisions, and pray for the grace to model this in your home as they grow up.
Pray for Them to Have Confidence and Boldness
We should pray for our babies to grow up with boldness, never afraid to speak the truth from a young age. Pray that they will point others to Christ with their speech, life, faith and purity, as Paul encourages us in 1 Timothy 4:12. Pray that they wouldn't deal with a spirit of fear or timidity, but that they would live with a spirit of power, of love and a sound mind.
