Prayer is such an awesome gift that God has given us. I just love being able to talk to God anytime, anywhere, and with anyone! I’m so glad He allows us constant communication with him through this wonderful avenue. My prayer life has definitely grown over the years as I’ve matured in my Christian life. More recently, it has grown even more by my experiences of praying with others and by using a certain format of prayer.
Moms in Prayer
I’d like to share about my experience with a group called Moms in Prayer. It’s simply what it sounds like—moms praying together! We meet regularly with a group from our school (or perhaps a surrounding school if your school doesn’t have one yet) and we pray together, in an organized structure, over our kids, our school, and the teachers. You can learn more about this organization here: momsinprayer.org. All MIP groups follow the same format and I appreciate the consistency you can count on.
Each week focuses on a different attribute of God, including opening the Bible and reading scriptures pointing to that attribute. We start out all together as a group, praying short prayers of praise and thanksgiving. Then, we split into groups of two or three and pray specifically for our children one at a time. It is a very humbling and powerful experience for another mom to pray for your child!
This is also the time when you plug your child’s name into the chosen scripture that week. It is such a cool way to really feel the benefit of exactly what God has intended for us to experience through his Word. This has opened up a whole new meaning of the Scriptures for me as well, when I can put my own child’s name into it and pray that God gives them exactly what they need.
An example of an attribute and scripture to pray would be:
Attribute: God is eternal.
Scripture: May (insert your child’s name) trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal. (from Isaiah 26:4)
This has definitely impacted and directed my own prayer life. My kids have been impacted too, as I teach them by encouraging a specific format of prayer. This is slightly different than the actual format of MIP but has many similarities. The acronym PRAY helps us remember each part of how we should pray.
P.R.A.Y.
P for Praise—Take time to praise the Father for who he is, focusing on his attributes, his name, and his character.
R for Repent—Confess (silently or aloud) your sins so that he can forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
A for Ask—Ask God for what you need and thank him for what he has done.
Y for Yield—Remember that God is in control of our lives and we need to yield to His plan and let him lead us.
Prayer Presents Possibilities
In addition to deepening my own prayer life, I’ve found that meeting with this group is a great way to meet other moms with similar values, others who desire and make it a priority to pray for their children. It has been such a joy to meet new people who also love the Lord, and nothing breaks down the “getting to know you” barriers better than praying together! I love the fact that once you have prayed with someone, you automatically feel closer to them!
This has also been a perfect opportunity to share my faith with others as well as to invite fellow Christians to grow closer to God by joining us in prayer. Having this as a regular part of my routine and a weekly opportunity to invite others to come pray with us has been a huge blessing.
And finally, being part of Moms in Prayer has impacted my own kids! I usually try to remind them on the day I go to MIP. Afterwards, I tell them that I prayed for them and sometimes even what I prayed for them that week. It is an awesome example to set for your children. When your kids realize you regularly take time out of your week just to lift them up in prayer—THAT is a powerful impact! I pray that this will carry with them throughout their life. I pray they will always make prayer a priority in their own lives, which will in turn help them stay close to God and be faithful servants of His.
Be encouraged by these posts as well!
- Moms in Prayer - October 30, 2017
Praying with the scriptures and being a mom, having a spiritual authority over your kids, definitely paves an impact when we speak scriptural prayers over their lives. When we regularly pray and focus our lives in love for God and one another, God Hines it by making that trait become contagious to our kids too. Worth the read. God bless
Being a mom, having a spiritual authority over your kids, definitely paves an impact when we speak scriptural prayers over their lives. When we regularly pray and focus our lives in love for God and one another, God Honors it by making that trait become contagious to our kids too. Worth the read. God bless
Wow! I have never heard of this group! I WILL be checking out to see if they are in my local area! Also, thank you for showing an example! Sometimes I get caught up in not knowing what to say, which hinders me from even praying. (not good!) This is extremely helpful, and encouraging!
Oh, the power of PRAYING MOMS!! I love this and I agree 100% that by praying each week for your kids these prayers will have a major impact on their lives and how they react to things that go on around them.
I love the idea of walking around a school or a neighborhood and praying for everyone to know Christ. I would also pray for them to be protected and loved.
Insightful post. I needed this. Such a good idea
I really wanted to be part of this group when I lived in the Denver area, but there wasn’t one near me and my attempts to start one fell flat. I do love their system though and have used it in my own quiet time.
What an awesome group! I love the idea of getting together with other moms in prayer. I will have to see if there is a group in my area!
Such a neat group! That sounds like an amazing support group to connect over prayer and ask God to move in your lives and the lives of your children.
I love to pray, too! At first, praying in a group, week after week, can feel monotonous, or ritualistic, but, as we press in to pray, especially when we begin with praise and thanksgiving, Holy Spirit invades our space and our prayer time is filled with life! Thanks for sharing these great guidelines using the PRAY acronym. It’s good to know that people are praying for our kids and grandkids!
I remember reading about a similar group of women who poet and prayed over their husbands. At the end of a year, the men were serving regularly in church, had improved relationships with their kids, and had received promotion.
My friends and I pray for each other all the time. But I think this is a great idea!
Thank you for this resource! My kid’s and I Prayer life is definitely maturing as they’re learning to meditate on God before they “say their prayers”. I will definitely use this.
I love the acronym P-R-A-Y. My kids and I started doing that a few months ago and it is such a great reminder.