Praying Over Our Families: Trusting God With the Ones We Love Most

Have you ever wondered if your prayers for your children and family are really making a difference?

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A Love That Reflects God’s Heart

The power of prayer never ceases to amaze me.

When my children were born, I was completely besotted with them. That deep love only grew stronger with each passing day. And yet, as incredible as that love is, God loves them, and us, even more.

He is a good Father.
He desires every good thing for our lives and for our families.

Simple Prayers, Lasting Impact

When my three children were young, I began praying a simple prayer over them every day:

“Dear God, bless my children. Keep them safe. Protect them and, in time, bless them with loving and supportive partners. People they will love and who will love them in return.”

It wasn’t complicated.
But it was consistent.

I prayed this prayer for years… even decades.

Through the Teenage Years (and Beyond!)

Now, let’s be honest, there were moments when it didn’t look like those prayers were being answered!

There were seasons of teenage chaos:

Hair so unwashed it seemed to defy gravity
Oversized black clothing and dramatic eye-rolling
Emotional outbursts like, “Why are you trying to ruin my life?!”

And just when you think it’s over… teenage-hood seems to stretch well into their twenties!

There were many times we had to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and keep going. And yes, there may have been a few extra wrinkles and grey hairs along the way!

But through it all, we held on.

God Is Faithful

I am so grateful to say: God answers prayer.

Each of my children has been blessed with a loving, supportive partner.

My daughter-in-law—affectionately known as “the magical unicorn”—not only looks amazing, but more importantly has a beautiful, kind heart. She is a wonderful partner to my son and a loving mother.

My son-in-law, who was once surprised by how loud and lively our family is, has embraced us fully. He is thoughtful, steady, and devoted to his family.

And my other son-in-law brings kindness, humour, and joy. He is a loving husband and a fun father.

When I look at them all, I see answered prayer.

Trusting God With What Matters Most

“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
Mark 11:24 (ESV)

Prayer is powerful.

Not always immediate.
Not always in the way we expect.

But always heard.

God sees your children.
He knows your family.
And He is at work, even when you cannot see it.

An Invitation to Pray

If you are in the thick of parenting… or even praying for adult children, don’t lose heart.

Your prayers matter.

Even the simple, repeated prayers whispered in faith are shaping something far greater than you can imagine.

Prayer

Lord, thank You for the gift of family.
Thank You that You love our children even more than we do.
We place them into Your hands today, trusting You to guide, protect, and bless them.
Lord, bring the right people into their lives. Surround them with love, wisdom, and support.
Strengthen us as we continue to pray and trust You.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Activation

Today, take a moment to pray intentionally for your family:

👉 Speak a simple blessing over your children or loved ones
👉 Pray for their future, their relationships, and their faith
👉 Write your prayer down and return to it regularly

Consistency matters more than complexity.

Right now is always the best time to begin.

If this message encouraged you, consider sharing it with someone who may need it today.

I would love to hear how God has answered your prayers—feel free to share your story in the comments below.

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If you would prefer to listen to this message click on the link below and listen for free on Podbean. Alternatively, you can listen to The Jesus 4 Generations Podcast on your favorite streaming platform, e.g. Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc.

https://ozsazzles.podbean.com/e/the-power-of-prayer/

The power of prayer never ceases to amaze me. I know each of my children are a blessing from God. When they were born, I was besotted with them. My love for them has grown daily since then. We have a good God and as hard as it may sound, He loves us even more than we love our children and grandchildren. He wants every good thing for us and our family.

When my three children were born I prayed for them daily. A simple prayer along these lines –

Dear God, Bless [name of child or children]. Keep them safe. Protect them and bless them with a loving and supportive partner when they grow up. Someone they love and care for and who loves and cares for them.

I prayed this prayer nightly for decades. At times it seemed as though it might fail, when my teenagers’ engaged in behaviours that seemed unlikely to appeal to anyone, let alone a great partner, i.e.:

Refusing to wash their hair when it was so dirty it could stand up by itself and the plants wilted as they walked by.

Wearing black oversized clothes and acting sullen and moody all the time. Rolling their eyes at me whenever I said anything at all.

Having no emotional regulation skills at all and screaming “Why are you trying to ruin my life!” at me and my husband.

But somehow we muddled through teenage-hood and surprisingly, everyone survived! Don’t be fooled by the experts. In my experience teenage-hood can last well into their late twenties! At times you will have to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and try again. It’s likely you will accumulate a few extra wrinkles and grey hairs in the process.

I am happy to say my God answers prayers. Each of my children have attracted lovely supportive partners into their lives.

My daughter-in-law, affectionately known as “the magical unicorn”, because she always looks amazing but more importantly is a lovely young woman, with a kind and caring heart. She is the perfect partner for my son and a loving mother to my grandson.

My son-in-law who was initially blown away by how loud and raucous our family is, has grown used to us over the years. He is a considerate and insightful young man and is a wonderful husband and devoted father to my grandson.

My other son-in-law has a generous and kind heart with a great sense of humour. He is an affectionate husband and fun father, who will take the time to play with his children.

So as you can see from this post, my prayers have been granted. As it says in the bible:

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Mark 11:24 ESV

If this message encouraged you, consider sharing the link with someone who needs it today.

I would love to hear how God has answered your prayers. Please share your story in the comments.

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