Praying For Our Sons: 3 Important Things to Consider

As mothers we are constantly praying for our children. Being a mother of both sons and daughters there are certain things that I’ve discovered are important to pray for individually. 

Prayers more fitting to my sons than to my daughters. This goes both ways, but today I’m sharing with you a few things I specifically pray for my sons. 

Maybe they’ll guide you on your son-raising journey as well. 

Specific Prayers for Our Sons 

LORD, May Our Sons Learn to Manage Their Big Emotions.

Everyone has emotions, and this isn’t a bad thing. 

It’s important for our sons to understand that having emotions is acceptable, and in fact necessary to a healthy and Christ-centered life. What is equally important is that our sons understand how to manage their emotions, because while emotions are important, they’re not supposed to be in control. 

There are endless parenting books that discuss how to help our sons learn to manage their emotions which seem so much larger than our young sons should possibly be able to have. While these books have their place, I’ve discovered that they aren’t always helpful. Many of them focus solely on how the parents can help their sons, not on how God can help them. 

Though it may often feel like we’re alone in this journey, we’re not. 

That’s where prayer comes in. 

Each day (usually multiple times a day) I find myself turning to God in prayer, because my six-year-old son’s HUGE emotions have gotten the better of us both. No words or emotional  ‘parenting toolbox’ tricks have helped. 

What we can’t accomplish, God can. 

Every time my son’s emotions get too big; he basically shuts down. He goes from a strong, can-do, rough and tough young man, to a crying, screaming, unwilling little boy. It can happen instantly. 

It does happen instantly. 

We can’t change our sons. We don’t have the ability to get them through these emotions, to grow, change or mature through them. 

That’s not our job. 

Our job is to turn it back to the Heavenly Father who loves our sons even more than we ever could. We can provide simple tools to help our sons, but we can’t fight the battle for them. We can’t fix the underlying cause of their big emotions. 

With God our sons will have the strength to overcome the overwhelm of their emotions, to control them so those precious boys don’t go through life being controlled by their emotions. 

Here is a sample prayer:

Heavenly Father, 

When [son/sons’ name] emotions begin to take over, may they turn to you for peace. 

Amen. 

LORD, May Our Sons Be Prepared to Lead a Household of Their Own 

It doesn’t matter what age our sons are, this is an important prayer. 

Even if, as in the case of my son, our future men are deeply involved in the stage of boyhood focused on rolling around in the dirt and playing with dinosaurs, praying for their future abilities as a leader, husband, and father are vitally important. 

As mothers we can teach them skills they’ll need to know–how to wash laundry, pay bills, correctly vacuum, and prepare food that doesn’t come out of a box. We can teach them how to hold doors open for others, to work as part of a team, to accept responsibility for their choices and actions, and to expect to work hard for the things they want. 

What we, as mothers, can’t do is soften their hearts, grow their love for Jesus, guide them to the future God has planned for them, or make them love their wives the way Jesus loves the church. 

So, we pray, because those are the things God can do; the things He will do. In His time, and in His way–beginning the day our sons are born and continuing on until they’ve gone home to be with Him–He can prepare them for their future; including leading their own household, whether that household includes a wife and children or not. 

Sample Prayer: 

Heavenly Father, 

While my son is enjoying his childhood, and learning about the world around him, may he learn 

to be the Godly man You have designed him to be. 

Amen. 

LORD, May Our Sons Be Men After Your Own Heart 

“I have found David, the son of Jesse, to be a man after My own heart, who will carry out My will.” Acts 13:22b 

It’s easy to look around and see the type of men the world is drawn to; rich, powerful, famous. 

As Christ-centered mothers those men are not the men we desire our young men to be. At least not in the way society has them. 

The most important thing we can pray for is that our sons will become men truly focused on God. Men who love God more than themselves or anyone else; who desire to do God’s will no matter what society around them thinks. When they stumble, as even David did, they turn back to God in repentance. 

These are not easy desires; they’re not the societal norms our sons are faced with each day. 

Putting God first has been pushed aside in favor of putting self-first, and of showing the world a version of success that shouts, “look at what I can do”. 

David may not have always kept God forefront in his mind, and there were times he didn’t just stumble, he fell flat; when that happened, David always went back to pursuing God. He wasn’t perfect, and our sons don’t have to be either. 

When our sons pursue God with all their hearts and follow His commands, those other prayers we make to Him will fall into place. Putting God first–loving God first, is the ultimate ‘push goal’ that will accomplish all the other ‘goals’ we desire for our sons. 

We have very little (if any) control over our sons’ relationships with God. All we can do is pray, and trust God to complete the good works He’s started in our sons. 

Sample Prayer: 

Heavenly Father, 

May my son(s) pursue You with all their heart, that they may carry out Your will in all things. 

Amen. 

Something to Consider: 

First and foremost, our sons belong to God, we’re just taking care of them here until the day they go to be with Him. The best lesson we can teach them is always to turn to God in all things and, our best tool to help them is prayer. 

Something to Pray: 

Heavenly Father, 

Thank You for blessing us with sons who will grow to be men. We pray You’ll give us strength 

through these times and struggles, and that we remember to turn back to You in prayer each 

day. 

In Your glorious name, 

Amen