7 Ways to Pray for Parents at Your Church

Some parents may not realize the importance of teaching the faith at home. Here are some simple ways to support these families through prayer.

Finding Strength in the Body of Christ

It would be hard to remember what we ate at every meal in our life. But eating all those meals has helped our bodies to grow healthy and strong. It is a slow—yet vital—lifetime process for obvious reasons. That’s how it is with God’s Word too. Feeding on His Word each day helps our faith to grow up healthy and strong. When we gather with the fellowship of saints every week, our faith is nurtured and we find unity and strength together in Christ. What an awesome experience to worship the One who has saved us and cares for us!  Attending church and Sunday School every Sunday is beneficial and builds up the Body of Christ. Sometimes that isn’t what gets first priority though. Instead, we often tend to follow after what’s convenient and comfortable.

Helping Parents Teach the Faith

Disappointingly, parents sometimes rely on Sunday School to teach their children about the things of God instead of teaching it themselves. There may be some parents who don’t realize that Sunday School is there to supplement and reinforce what is being taught at home about Scripture. When those parents don’t see expected and instant results in their children after attending Sunday School, they may wonder why they even bother to take their children every Sunday.  Oh, what misconceptions! Since we live in a world where everything is quick and instant (communication, transportation, gratification, entertainment, oatmeal, coffee, etc.) the value in corporate Christian learning every Sunday is not immediately apparent—especially when Christian education is missing from the parents’ lives as well. Yes, Satan enjoys playing around in this area. Time to pray!

The Holy Spirit works faithfully in His people. So, let’s ask Him

1. to show us ways in which we can come alongside parents and help them discover the responsibility God gave to them to raise their children in the faith;
2. to work in the hearts of parents for regular church attendance for the spiritual health of their family and the whole Body of Christ;
3. to help parents recognize the value of bringing their children to Sunday School every week and then attend adult Bible study themselves;
4. to help us set time aside to personally encourage and invite parents to adult Bible study on Sunday mornings;
5. for motivation and courage to continue to talk with parents face to face and on the phone—knowing that He will give us His power to bravely share and listen;
6. to help pastors pray in worship time, thanking God for parents who teach their children His ways; and
7. to help parents continue to follow Jesus by being a model in their Christian lives for their children.

The list is ongoing for other things to pray about in this area. I am sure you have many on your mind and heart as well. The Holy Spirit will work through you.

Pray for parents.

Pray for children.

Pray with others.

You will be blessed and so will everyone else. Pray. It is the first step in partnering with parents of children in your Sunday School.

Read more tips for ministering to families in my book, Blueprints for Children's Ministry.