It can sometimes feel like parenting duties end the moment our children grow into adults and walk out our front door to start their own lives. But parenting is a calling that goes on for life.
Yes, responsibilities change and, in one aspect, diminish, given that we no longer have the main job of providing for our adult children.
But then a new responsibility comes in. I haven't personally crossed that threshold of being a parent to an adult myself, but my parents did. And they were a blessing to me.
As a parent to an adult, do you take time to pray for your children? The truth is that they probably need it more than ever now.
Here are five areas to lift up to God for when praying for your adult children.
1. Deep Reliance On God
As our children get older, the goal is not only to teach them to be independent and self-reliant. More important than that is the responsibility of training our children to shift their reliance from us as their provider to God. 2 Corinthians 9:8 says, "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work."
We must pray that our children walk in this understanding.
2. Wisdom And Discernment
As parents, you were once not just a source of material provision for your children but also a source of wisdom and sound judgment for your child. But as they grow, they need to build wisdom on their own. And one way they can constantly grow wiser is through the Holy Spirit. We can stand in the gap and intercede for our children to walk in the wisdom of the Holy Spirit.
3. Provision
When our children grow up, their bank accounts will no longer be ours, and it can sometimes be a struggle to watch them hurt for money. But in all this, we must remember that it is God who gives the ability to produce wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18) and we must pray for that for our children.
4. Purpose And Direction
Psalm 127:4 says, "Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth."
Like arrows, our children have targets, and our goal in life is to direct them to those targets. Many times the best—and, sometimes, the only—way we can do that is through prayer.
5. Deeper Intimacy With Jesus
More than their relationship with you as their parent or guardian, what matters most is our children's relationship with Jesus. We can and should pray for our children to experience more of Jesus on a daily basis so they can learn to walk more and more in Him on a daily basis.
