Praying Circles Around the Lives of Your Children
Key Takeaways
1. Prayer is the greatest legacy parents can leave their children
Your prayers for your children are the greatest legacy you can leave.
Prayer transcends time. The impact of parental prayers extends far beyond the present, shaping the destinies of future generations. These prayers create a spiritual inheritance that outlasts any material legacy.
Consistency is key. While perfection in parenting is unattainable, consistent prayer covers a multitude of parental mistakes and shortcomings. It's not about being a perfect parent, but about being a praying parent.
Prayer shapes destinies. By interceding for their children, parents become prophets who influence the future. These prayers can:
- Guide children's life choices
- Protect them from harm
- Open doors of opportunity
- Shape their character and faith
2. Circling the promises of God empowers parental prayers
When we know we are praying the promises of God, we can pray with holy confidence.
Biblical promises provide a foundation. By identifying and praying specific promises from Scripture, parents can align their intercession with God's will. This practice:
- Increases faith and confidence in prayer
- Provides specific focus for intercession
- Reminds parents of God's faithfulness
Personalize the promises. Adapt biblical promises to your children's unique needs and circumstances. For example:
- Praying Luke 2:52 for wisdom, stature, and favor
- Claiming Psalm 91 for protection
- Applying Philippians 1:6 for God's ongoing work in their lives
Persistence is crucial. Continue circling these promises, even when answers aren't immediately visible. Trust that God's Word will not return void.
3. Creating prayer lists ensures intentional and consistent intercession
I believe that every blessing, every breakthrough, every miracle in your life traces back to the prayers that were prayed by you or for you.
Organize your intercession. Prayer lists help parents:
- Pray with specificity
- Maintain consistency in prayer
- Track answered prayers over time
Diverse approaches to lists. Consider various ways to create and maintain prayer lists:
- Daily or weekly prayer journals
- Digital reminders or apps
- Visual prayer boards or posters
- Shared family prayer calendars
Record and celebrate answers. Documenting answered prayers builds faith and creates a lasting testament to God's faithfulness in your family's life.
4. Prayer mantras reinforce key truths and blessings
There is something powerful about a single God-inspired prayer repeated throughout a child's lifetime.
Develop memorable phrases. Prayer mantras are short, powerful statements that:
- Encapsulate important truths or blessings
- Are easy to remember and repeat
- Become ingrained in a child's heart and mind
Personalize for each child. Create mantras that speak to:
- Your child's unique personality and needs
- Specific character traits you want to develop
- God's promises for their life
Consistent repetition is key. Incorporate these mantras into:
- Daily blessings or prayers
- Significant life moments or milestones
- Times of encouragement or correction
5. Praying a hedge of protection balances safety and purpose
Don't just pray that God would keep our kids safe, but we also need to pray that God would make them dangerous!
Balance protection and purpose. While it's natural to pray for safety, also intercede for:
- Courage to face challenges
- Wisdom to make godly choices
- Strength to resist temptation
- Passion to pursue God's calling
Recognize spiritual warfare. Understand that there is an enemy who opposes your children's well-being and purpose. Pray for:
- Discernment to recognize spiritual attacks
- The armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18)
- God's intervention in spiritual battles
Trust God's sovereignty. While praying for protection, remember that:
- God may allow difficulties for growth and maturity
- Challenges can develop character and faith
- Ultimate safety is found in God's presence, not circumstances
6. Forming prayer circles involves the whole family in intercession
Prayer is the difference between you fighting for God and God fighting for you.
Create a family prayer culture. Involve all family members in prayer by:
- Establishing regular family prayer times
- Teaching children to pray for each other
- Sharing prayer requests and answers
Leverage extended family and community. Expand your prayer circle to include:
- Grandparents and relatives
- Close friends and mentors
- Church family and small groups
Practice various prayer methods. Incorporate different approaches to keep family prayer engaging:
- Prayer walks or drives
- Creative prayer activities (e.g., prayer jars, prayer walls)
- Taking turns leading family prayer times
7. Praying through the Bible aligns intercession with God's Word
Reading is how you get through the Bible, but praying is how you get the Bible through you.
Integrate Bible reading and prayer. As you read Scripture:
- Look for promises to claim for your children
- Identify character qualities to pray for
- Find examples of godly men and women to emulate
Create personalized prayer Bibles. Consider:
- Underlining verses specific to each child
- Writing prayers in the margins
- Journaling insights and applications
Use Scripture to guide intercession. Pray through:
- The Lord's Prayer as a model
- Psalms for various emotions and situations
- Paul's prayers in the New Testament epistles
8. Passing on blessings creates a powerful generational impact
Your destiny is inextricably linked to your parents' and your grandparents' legacy. And my legacy will influence the destiny of my children, my grandchildren, and my great-grandchildren.
Understand the power of blessing. Intentional blessings:
- Affirm a child's identity and worth
- Speak God's purposes over their life
- Create a spiritual inheritance
Create blessing rituals. Incorporate blessings into:
- Daily routines (e.g., bedtime, meals)
- Significant milestones (e.g., birthdays, graduations)
- Times of transition or challenge
Leave a lasting legacy. Consider ways to pass on your faith and values:
- Write letters or journals for your children
- Record video messages or testimonies
- Create family traditions that reinforce spiritual truths
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FAQ
What is "Praying Circles Around the Lives of Your Children" by Mark Batterson about?
- Focus on Prayer for Children: The book centers on the transformative power of intentional, persistent prayer for one's children and family.
- Circle Maker Concept: Batterson introduces the concept of "praying circles," inspired by the legend of Honi the Circle Maker, as a metaphor for praying with faith, persistence, and specificity.
- Practical Strategies: The book provides seven practical "prayer circles" or methods to help parents pray more effectively and creatively for their children.
- Legacy and Generational Impact: It emphasizes the idea that prayer is the greatest legacy parents can leave, shaping the destinies of their children and future generations.
Why should I read "Praying Circles Around the Lives of Your Children" by Mark Batterson?
- Empowers Parental Prayer: The book equips parents with tools and inspiration to pray more intentionally and powerfully for their children.
- Addresses Parenting Challenges: Batterson candidly discusses the struggles and failures of parenting, offering hope and practical advice rooted in faith.
- Builds Spiritual Legacy: It encourages readers to think generationally, showing how prayers can impact not just children, but grandchildren and beyond.
- Accessible and Relatable: The book is filled with personal stories, biblical examples, and real-life testimonies, making it easy to connect with and apply.
What are the key takeaways from "Praying Circles Around the Lives of Your Children"?
- Prayer is a Parent’s Highest Privilege: Consistent, faith-filled prayer is more important than perfect parenting.
- Seven Prayer Circles: The book outlines seven specific ways to pray for your children, including circling God’s promises, making prayer lists, and forming prayer circles with others.
- Prayers Shape Destiny: Prayers are described as prophetic, shaping the future and leaving a spiritual legacy.
- Practical Application: The book offers actionable steps, such as writing prayer journals, creating prayer mantras, and praying through the Bible for your children.
What is the "Circle Maker" method in Mark Batterson's book, and how does it apply to praying for children?
- Inspired by Honi the Circle Maker: The method is based on the story of Honi, who drew a circle in the sand and prayed persistently for rain until God answered.
- Metaphor for Persistent Prayer:"Drawing circles" means praying with determination, specificity, and faith, refusing to give up until God responds.
- Application to Parenting: Parents are encouraged to "circle" their children in prayer, covering every aspect of their lives and futures.
- Not Magical, but Biblical: The act is symbolic, rooted in biblical stories like the Israelites circling Jericho, emphasizing perseverance in prayer.
What are the "Seven Prayer Circles" described in "Praying Circles Around the Lives of Your Children"?
- 1. Circling the Promises of God: Praying specific biblical promises over your children’s lives.
- 2. Making Prayer Lists: Creating and maintaining lists of prayer requests and answered prayers for your children.
- 3. Creating Prayer Mantras: Developing short, memorable prayers or blessings to repeat regularly.
- 4. Praying a Hedge of Protection: Asking God to protect your children spiritually, emotionally, and physically.
- 5. Forming Prayer Circles: Praying with others—family, friends, or church community—for your children.
- 6. Praying Through the Bible: Reading and praying scripture specifically for your children.
- 7. Passing On the Blessing: Intentionally blessing your children and leaving a spiritual legacy.
How does Mark Batterson suggest parents can "circle the promises of God" for their children?
- Identify Relevant Promises: Parents are encouraged to find and claim specific Bible verses that align with their children’s needs and destinies.
- Pray with Confidence: Praying God’s promises gives parents assurance that they are praying in alignment with God’s will.
- Personalize Scripture: Batterson suggests turning verses into personalized prayers, such as praying Luke 2:52 for children to grow in wisdom and favor.
- Document and Remember: Writing down these promises and prayers helps track God’s faithfulness and encourages persistent prayer.
What practical advice does "Praying Circles Around the Lives of Your Children" give for making prayer a daily habit?
- Leverage Daily Routines: Use natural rhythms like bedtime, mealtime, or school drop-off as cues for prayer.
- Short, Consistent Touchpoints: Even ten minutes of prayer or devotion with children each day can have a lasting impact.
- Creative Reminders: Use prayer journals, lunch box notes, or posters with scriptural blessings to keep prayer central.
- Model and Involve: Let children see and hear you pray, and involve them in the process to teach them how to pray themselves.
How does Mark Batterson address the challenges and failures of parenting in his book?
- Honest Acknowledgment: Batterson openly shares his own parenting mistakes and feelings of inadequacy.
- Redemptive Perspective: He emphasizes that mistakes are opportunities to model humility, apology, and growth for children.
- Prayer Covers Shortcomings: The book reassures parents that while they will never be perfect, their prayers can cover a multitude of sins and shortcomings.
- Encouragement to Persevere: Parents are encouraged not to give up, but to keep praying and trusting God’s grace for themselves and their children.
What role does community and forming prayer circles with others play in "Praying Circles Around the Lives of Your Children"?
- Tag-Team Parenting: Batterson highlights the importance of spouses, extended family, and church community in supporting children through prayer.
- Shared Burdens: Forming prayer circles with other parents, especially those with similar struggles (e.g., parents of prodigals), provides mutual encouragement and powerful intercession.
- Laying on of Hands: The book encourages physical acts of blessing, such as laying hands on children while praying, to create spiritual bonds.
- Children as Prayer Partners: Parents are also encouraged to let their children pray for them, fostering a two-way spiritual relationship.
How does "Praying Circles Around the Lives of Your Children" by Mark Batterson encourage parents to leave a spiritual legacy?
- Prayer as Legacy: The book asserts that prayers outlive the pray-er, impacting children, grandchildren, and beyond.
- Documenting Faith: Writing letters, keeping prayer journals, and even gifting Bibles filled with personal notes are suggested ways to pass on faith.
- Blessing the Next Generation: Parents are urged to intentionally bless their children at key life stages, following biblical examples.
- Breaking Negative Cycles: Even if parents did not inherit a spiritual legacy, they can start one for future generations through prayer and faithfulness.
What are some of the best quotes from "Praying Circles Around the Lives of Your Children" and what do they mean?
- "You’ll never be a perfect parent, but you can be a praying parent." – Emphasizes that prayer, not perfection, is the most important parental responsibility.
- "Prayer turns ordinary parents into prophets who shape the destinies of their children." – Suggests that parents’ prayers have a prophetic, future-shaping power.
- "Our prayers never die. They live on in the lives of those we pray for." – Highlights the enduring impact of intercessory prayer across generations.
- "God honors bold prayers because bold prayers honor God." – Encourages parents to pray with faith and audacity, trusting God for big things.
What are some advanced or less obvious concepts in "Praying Circles Around the Lives of Your Children" that parents should understand?
- Prayers as Prophecies: Batterson teaches that prayers are not just requests but prophetic acts that script the future.
- Praying Through Pain: The book addresses how to pray through suffering, disappointment, and unanswered prayers, trusting God’s greater purposes.
- Spiritual Warfare: Parents are encouraged to plead the blood of Jesus over their children and recognize the reality of spiritual opposition.
- Holy Complications: Blessings often bring new challenges, but these "holy complications" are evidence of God’s work and should be embraced with faith and prayer.
How can parents practically implement the teachings of "Praying Circles Around the Lives of Your Children" by Mark Batterson in their families?
- Start Small and Specific: Begin by choosing one or two prayer circles to focus on, such as making a prayer list or creating a family prayer mantra.
- Adapt to Your Family: Customize the methods to fit your family’s routines, personalities, and needs, rather than trying to do everything at once.
- Involve Children: Teach children to pray, let them participate in family prayer times, and encourage them to pray for others.
- Persevere and Trust: Keep praying persistently, even when results are not immediate, trusting that God is at work in ways you may not see right away.
Praying Circles Around the Lives of Your Children received mostly positive reviews, with readers appreciating its emphasis on prayer for children and practical strategies. Many found it inspiring and a valuable reference for enhancing their prayer lives. Some readers noted repetition and mixed theology about prayer. The book encourages long-term, intentional prayer and offers ideas for incorporating prayer into daily routines. While some felt it lacked depth, others praised its engaging stories and transformative concepts.
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