I’ve never prayed harder than I did during my children’s teenage years. Not only did I pray for them, I prayed for my husband and me. I asked God to strengthen and instill trust in our relationships, keep our children from harm, grant all of us patience and understanding, and . . . the list went on and on. I prayed in my favorite chair, on my knees, face down on the floor, in my closet, on the front porch, and over the stove. I prayed so hard that tears sometimes streaked my cheeks.
I prayed when there were car accidents, sibling fights, broken bones, surgeries, and failed tests. I prayed for our kids’ shattered hearts after breaking up with their first loves and discovering untrustworthy friends. I even prayed for their pimples to disappear. Nothing was too insignificant for my prayers.
We learn from 1 Peter 5:8 that “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” My experience with two children and three godchildren taught me that Satan constantly prowls around our teens. He schemes, using every cunning trick in his arsenal, to steer them away from faith-filled influencers. Each day our teens, whether or not they realize it, face life-changing spiritual battles.
Satan, the great deceiver, considers teens to be low-hanging fruit, easy to pick. Our enemy banks on their lack of life experiences, impulsiveness, and willingness to please anyone but their parents. Charismatic demons with interesting offers can easily charm teens into accepting their evil lies. The impact of regrettable decisions and life choices burdens many teens.
I implore those who love teens to pray for them without ceasing. You don’t have to be a parent of a teen to pray for their success over the darkness. They need spiritual support from all believers—extended family members, friends of the family, teachers, church members, and peers.
Please join me in praying for our teens. I’ve compiled a list of scriptures you can use to pray over them. And if you’d like me to pray for a teen in need, please comment below and I’ll add them to my prayer list. I don’t even need a name.
May Almighty God, Leader of the Angel Armies, bless our teens.
What a wonderful post – and so true.
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As you know the praying doesn’t stop at the teen years. The prayers just change. Then you’ll start praying for their sweet babies. Thanks for the list of scriptures.
So true! Thanks for the reminder.