The Contenders

Years ago, I wrote a post entitled Six Prayers for My Daughter that listed a few important prayers for my daughter which are still on my heart. So as my son’s first birthday is coming up, I wanted to share six prayers that I have for him as his father. Though some of the prayers for my daughter also apply to my son, there are a few unique ones that also remain on my heart.

1. Praying for His Salvation in Christ

Lord, I pray that my son would find all of his worth in Jesus Christ. May all of his life’s values, joys, affections, and ambitions be consumed by the eternal joy-giver. Lord, there is no greater prayer that I can pray than for his salvation. Help us as parents to preach the goodness of the Gospel daily to him. Everything that he accomplishes in his life will not matter unless he is born again. So please, be gracious to my beloved son, and save him so that he may spend eternity with You. Save him so that I may spend eternity with him, no longer as father and son, but as brothers in Christ forever. Save him, Lord.

2. Praying for His Purity

God protect my son from the unique temptations that face many men of this age. I pray for protection from impure thoughts, sinful passions, unrighteous desires. Be gracious, O Lord, and spare him from the enslavement to pornography, lust, adultery, and sins like these. Guard his heart. Lord, if he ever fails, help him to run to the cross where he can find forgiveness, cleansing, and help for every future temptation. May his passions be directed toward Christ and may he experience greater pleasures in serving You.

3. Praying for Him to Love His Local Church

I pray that my son would be a churchman. Guard him from the hypocrisy of claiming to love Christ but showing no love for His bride. Lord, please help him to endure, forgive, and love when he experiences pain from fellow sinners saved by grace. May being the pastor’s son not hinder him from loving the church from his own heart. May his deepest friendships, greatest encouragements, and necessary corrections all come from his beloved local church. And Lord, please bring a faithful, mature man to disciple him in the things of the Lord so that he may grow in spiritual maturity.

4. Praying for Him to Have Good Friends

Father, I ask that You give my son good friends. Lord, guard him from bad friends and poor company that may corrupt character. But bless him with godly and righteous friends. Friends of good character and responsibility—friends who love Christ. Give him friends who love him enough to correct him rather than affirm him in his error. Give him friends who will encourage him in discouraging times, counsel him in confusing times, and love him in lonely times. Lord, you have blessed me with good friendships, so please answer this prayer to bless him with good friendships too.

5. Praying for Our Relationship with Him

God, may we as parents have a healthy relationship with our son. Make us godly parents who love, correct, forgive, teach, and point to Christ. May we communicate well and understand each another. May he never be afraid to approach us with any internal concern. Help us all to be honest. Lord, help us to do enjoyable things together and cause our relationship to flourish. Cause him to love, honor, respect us as parents. But also make us teachable, willing to grow, willing to listen to him, and willing to be sanctified. Make us better parents day by day as we live out these years with him.

6. Praying for Him to Find a Wife Who Is His Best Friend

Lord, if it is your will, please grant him a wonderful wife who fears You. If it is your will that he be single, may his contentment in Christ be his joy! But if you have planned that he have a helper, please give to him a woman of the Lord. May they have a true friendship and genuine love for each other. May it be a marriage founded upon Christ. Thank you, Lord, for blessing me with a wife who is my best friend, and I pray that my son would experience the same joys I experience daily. I pray that they serve together, love one another, correct each other, have fun together, and endure through difficulty together. May he love and sacrifice for her as Christ loved the church, and may he lead his family, future children, in the ways of the Lord.