Seven Simple Prayers To Pray for Your Spouse and Kids

Ideas To Incorporate Praying for Your Spouse in Your Day-To-Day

How often would you say you spend time praying? We’re not necessarily talking about an hour of secluded time, in a prayer closet, where it’s completely silent and you’re only interceding—though, what a beautiful practice of spiritual discipline if you do this. We’re speaking generally. How often do you talk to God throughout your day? In the morning? While you’re at work? When you’re loading the dishwasher? On a run? In the shower? Before bed?  

Prayer is such a powerful tool that God graciously gifts us so we can access Him throughout our day. He longs to walk with us, hear from us, and speak to us, and the best way to do so is through prayer. In his book, “Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools,” Tyler Staton says it like this, “Prayer—in any form, by anybody—is God’s invitation to pull up a chair to the table and enjoy restful, intimate, unbroken conversations with the triune God.” 

So, consider asking God to pull up a chair to your table in small ways throughout your day. We know how easy it is for prayer to take a back seat to family and work demands. We’re speaking to ourselves! But we also know how sweet it is when we know our spouses are praying for us throughout the day and how meaningful it is for our team when we take moments to pray over each other and our families. Praying for your spouse and kids doesn’t require massive, significant shifts to your schedule. Simply, invite God into what you’re already doing. 

One way to think about it is to reflect on your habits. What’s something you do daily that can trigger thoughts about praying for your spouse? Maybe you pray for them on your drive to or from work or on your walk around the block during lunch. Maybe you commit to praying for your kids after you drop them off at school or whenever you fold their laundry. These simple habits can have an eternal impact on your family.

If you’d like some help getting started, we’ve put together seven simple prayers you can begin praying on behalf of your spouse and your children. Periodically, we’ll update this post with additional prayers. We chose the number seven as a great place to start, so that it isn’t overwhelming. Bookmark this post, or screenshot each section, and consider starting with one prayer each day of the week—seven simple prayers for seven days of the week. 

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” —Romans 12:12

To Pray for Your Spouse 

1. Health—pray for their physical, mental, and emotional well-being, asking for protection from illness and injury. 
2. Wisdom—pray for their ability to make wise decisions—at work, in their relationships, and for their personal growth. 
3. Joy—pray that the joy of the Lord would overflow from them and that their days would be filled with happy moments. 
4. Confidence—ask God to remind them of their value. Pray they would have a strong sense of worth and confidence rooted in Christ. 
5. Patience—pray for patience and understanding in difficult situations and grace when responding to them. 
6. Faith—pray for a deepening of their faith and that they would encounter God in new ways throughout their day. 
7. Work—ask God to guide their day-to-day work and that they would find peace throughout their day. 

To Pray for Your Kids 

1. Friendship—pray for the development of healthy and meaningful friendships that give them a place of belonging. 
2. Education—pray for learning motivation, and continued intellectual growth and development. 
3. Protection—pray for their safety and that they’d be shielded from physical, emotional, and spiritual harm. 
4. Faith—pray for your children to develop a relationship with Jesus and trust Him throughout their day.  
5. Gratitude—ask God to help your children be grateful and pray that they would value the blessings in their life. 
6. Health—pray for their overall well-being, strength, and immunity, especially during times of illness or stress. 
7. Future—ask God to bless their future and shape their character to be men and women who love the Lord. 

To Pray for Your College Student 

1. Faith—pray for your young adult’s spiritual development and for them to continue to deepen their faith. 
2. Discernment—pray for them to develop a powerful sense of discernment, helping them make wise choices. 
3. Responsibility—pray for your student to grow in personal responsibility and accountability as they navigate independence. 
4. Joy—pray for joy and happiness in their daily life and to share that joy with others around them. 
5. Encouragement—ask God to help your child stay motivated and encouraged even when they’re faced with setbacks. 
6. Peace—ask for God’s comfort and peace to fill their hearts and minds and for freedom from stress and anxiety. 
7. Future—ask God to help them trust in His plan for their life and pray that they would be confident about their future.