3 Biblical Prayers You Should Pray for Your Children

Prayer is an incredibly important part of any Christian’s life. We use it to ask for forgiveness, to give thanks, to ask God to intercede when problems arise, and to petition God for His support. Few people know more about intercessory prayer than parents. Intercessory prayer for our children is one of the most important ways we can care for them, both now and in the future. While many Catholic parents already pray the Rosary and the Lord’s Prayer with and for their children, there are at least three other Biblical prayers you should know to pray for your children. Keep reading to learn about these three prayers you can pray over your little ones as they grow up.

Numbers 6:24-26

This section of Numbers conveys a trickle-down prayer that God gives to Moses, who gives it to Aaron and his sons who, as priests, were supposed to recite the prayer over the Israelites. While we aren’t priests, this is still a powerful prayer that we can pray over our children—asking the Lord to bless and keep them, make His face shine upon them, be gracious to them, and give them peace. Since this is a relatively simple prayer, it’s easy for children to learn. Numbers 6:24-26 can also provide a great opportunity to teach your children how Scripture influences their everyday life.

Psalm 103:2-4

The Psalms are full of beautiful prayers that we can pray over ourselves and others. This section of Psalm 103 praises the Lord for His forgiveness, healing power, redemption, love, and compassion—all things that we hope for our children. You can customize this prayer for your little ones with slight adaptions, asking that the Lord help your children “forget not all His benefits” and so on throughout the verses. And since this prayer is so short, it’s a great one to pray throughout the day.

Proverbs 2

Proverbs is full of advice that we should apply in our own lives and help our children understand. Proverbs 2 is especially poignant for its teachings on wisdom, and you can easily turn this scripture into a prayer to recite over your child. While this is the longest of the prayers we’ve described, other than the Rosary, there are only 22 verses—and since it’s written in poetic form, it’s surprisingly short. You should have plenty of time to pray this over your little one at some point during the day.

Numbers 6:24-26, Psalm 103:2-4, and Proverbs 2 are three Biblical prayers you should pray for your children so they will receive blessing, healing, and wisdom. While there are many other prayers we can recite from the Bible as we pray for our children, these three make great additions to the prayers we already use—such as the Rosary and the Lord’s Prayer. Take some time to include these prayers in your daily routine and, as your children get older, invite them to pray with you. Teaching your children to pray by praying over and with them will help them understand the importance of prayer and act as a great demonstration of your love for them.