It’s been a long time (too long) since we had a prayer day here at the MOB Society. But what better day could there be to have one than the first day of 2014?
Our normal prayer days consist of mothers of boy sharing their requests and concerns in the comments, then lifting up another commenter above them. It’s a cycle or sorts—moms sharing their hearts for their boys, but also taking a moment to care for the heart of another mom in prayer before leaving.
This time, we’d like encourage you to do it a little differently.
What if we got serious about praying for our boys in 2014?
As most of you know, one of my favorite things to do is pick a verse from the Bible (or a handful of them) to pray for my sons. For example, my favorite verses to pray for my sons are adapted from Numbers 6:24-26.
“May the Lord bless you, and keep you, and make His face shine upon you, and give you peace.”
Almost every single night I pray this prayer for them. When they were infants, I sang it to them. Now, at ages six and eight, they know it by heart, and will ask me for their “special prayer” if I somehow manage to forget it.
I have a handful of these favorite prayer verses that seem to make their way from my lips to God’s ears on a regular basis, but this year, as I look ahead to 2014, I thought it would be nice to just pick one verse for them to pray all year long.
As I look at our home—all that’s behind us, and all that lies ahead—there’s one word that comes to mind over and over again…something I know I’d like to ask God to deepen in our hearts this year:
Joy.
It’s not that we don’t have any—laughter is a constant in our home—but I desire for my boys to know the joy of the Lord, not just the joy of circumstances (<<—Tweet that!). I want their eyes to be opened to all of the ways the Lord has provided for us—and will continue to provide in 2014—and experience joy in knowing God loves them.
So I picked this verse to pray for them all year long:
“For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy.” (Psalm 92:4 ESV)
I’ll tweak it a little to make it sound more like a prayer:
“Lord, may my sons sing for joy at the works of your hands, and be glad as they see Your work!”
This will be my prayer, but your son’s needs might be different. So today, I’d like to encourage you to take a moment to pray, asking the Lord to bring to mind one word that describes something your family needs to have from Him in 2014.
Then search the scriptures for one verse that captures the heart of that word, and make it yours for 2014. Print it out. Hang it outside your son’s room. And pause to pray it over him morning and night, or any time you walk by.
After you’re done, would you take a moment to share what you’re praying for your boys in 2014?
Here’s how it works:
- Leave a comment telling us what verse you’re praying for your son in 2014. If you feel comfortable, tell us why.
- If you’re a blogger, why not write a post about the verse you’ve chosen to help spread the word and get more moms praying? You can link it up below.
- If you can, take a moment to bless another mom by leaving a written prayer for her in the comments.
As a treat for you, Franchesca Cox, of Small Bird Studios, has created a beautiful printable download for you based on the verse I’m praying for my sons this year. Who knows, maybe your home needs a little more joy too! If so, feel free to print it out and use it for your sons too.
Click here to download your free prayer printable!
*******
For more help in praying for your boys, grab a copy of my latest book, Praying for Boys: Asking God for the Things They Need Most, or take my latest prayer challenge for mothers of boys based on the Armor of God from Ephesians 6!
im praying psalm 92;4 MY 15 YEAR OLD SAYS GOS IS BORNING AND I CAN SEE HE HAS SOME INSECURITIES AND ANGER ALSO MY 4 YEAR OLD..I WANT MORE JOY WHAT A BETTER WAY TO PRAY FOR MY BOYS..
For my 2 year old little boy, I chose 1 Samuel 12:24, “Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you.” I pray that he will fear & serve the Lord with his whole heart, and always reflect on the sacrifice He made for him. I wrote about this in my blog, So Take Heart, here: http://s0takeheart.wordpress.com/ 🙂 I love LOVE this challenge by the way! I’m super excited to hang this verse in my son’s room so I see it every day!
I used this verse and made 4×6 art work to print out and put in both of my boys rooms. If you would like me to send this to you or anybody just let me know…I will be glad to!
I would love it if you would, please?! Crystalcohea@yahoo.comTHANK YOU!
sent 🙂
Oh I would love that!! Could you email it to me? My email is cecilliamarie@live.ca 🙂
April, would you mind sending it to me as well? Mrskarakent@hotmail.com Thanks so much!
April, can you send it to me too? Could I put it up on my blog? ( I write for a blog for Crossroads Pregnancy Center in Auburn Hills, MI.) My email is Meghan.zeile@gmail.com
Peace is the desire of my heart for my boys (ages 14, 12, & 10). They have wandered far from the comfort of God’s will, leaving chaos and destruction in their hearts. My goal for them, and us as a family, is to allow peace to resonate and dwell deep – my pray to God confirmed this and I feel hope from it already! “So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.” Romans 8:6
I am praying Colossians 2:7 “Let your roots grow down into Him,and let your lives be built on Him.
Then your faith will grow strong in
the truth you were taught, and you
will overflow with thankfulness.”
Oh I may borrow this!! My one word is balance this year and I keep talking about deep roots in Him in order to stay balanced!!! Thanks for sharing!!!
I’m going to “steal” your word. I was trying to come up with one and balance is perfect. Thank you.
No stinkin’ way! Kristi, my word is balance!!!! Ahhhhhhh!
Done you just love the “one word”! My word is priority! So needed right now!!!
Awesome! I would like to borrow this as well. MommaKristi, I agree. And with 4 sons, I need balance as well 🙂
Is there a way to download the just the printable that I am missing? I love it but don’t see a way to download it.
You should be able to just click on it, Lisa.
It seems to be non-clickable. 🙂
I just added a link to the PDF, Elizabeth! So sorry for the trouble. Just click the link and you should be able to get it.
I was able to right click on the image and print 🙂 Thank you!
I have been able to spend the last several hours praying for my boys (and girls,) and I am so thankful for this time. It’s amazing what you can learn about your children when you pour your heart out before God and ask Him to lead you in your prayers for them. God made each of my children so different, and I pray that He will use each of them in their own way to turn the world upside down for Him. I pray that He will equip them for the battles they are certain to face. I pray that He will keep them safe from physical harm and from the things of this world that will harm them deeply. Thank God that He hears our prayers! Thank God that He wants to show us how to pray for and to disciple our children. Thank God He is so personal! What a good God we serve!
Just discovered this amazing site, looking forward to being a part of the community!
The end of 2013 brought the end of my marriage as my husband left me and my three boys (9,7, and 2) to be with someone else. It’s been hard to
watch my boys struggle to understand why their dad is gone, what their
relationship with him and me looks like now, and why God would let this
happen. My prayer for them in 2014 is based on John 14:27: “Jesus, give
my boys Your peace. Not as the world gives. Do not let their hearts be
troubled or fearful.”
I feel your pain, I have 4 sons and divorced in 2009. God is faithful. He will guide and comfort you and bring you peace that passes all understanding. Stand Strong in Faith 🙂
I am so sorry! Hurting for you and praying for you right now. I am a daughter of divorced parents and Psalm 34:4-5 has been my greatest comfort and so has Zeph 3:17. What comfort to know our Abba Father holds us close in His arms, gives us comfort and peace when we hurt so deeply.
Crystal, If I may, I would like to write your family in my prayer journal and pray that scripture with you for your boys. My devotional to read that God is able to do exceedingly above all we ask or think! I know that he is faithful to his word and your boys will have the peace that passes all understanding to guard their hearts and minds in Christ Jesus!
May my son Delight himself in the Lord , and be given the desires of his heart. Psalm 37:4 ESVMy son is fourteen and in the struggle of adolescents. My prayer is for him to stay faithful and pure. He would delight & desire the relationship of his Abba above all else. He would seek the direction of the Spirit before gratifying his temptations. Thank you for this charge & your support. Happy New Year, boy moms! Lord, I pray all the moms before me would receive peace & blessings as they lift their sons up to you. May your Word be a powerful weapon to fight the attack waged at our sons in this world. Thank you for the gift of our sons. Thank you for sending your son to redeem us all. In his name we pray. Amen
[…] I got the idea (or challenge) for this over at The MOB Society site, here: https://www.themobsociety.com/2014/01/01/choosing-prayer-verse-2014-got-serious-praying-boys-year/ […]
I’m really glad I found this site through a friend on fb!! After reading your post I thought the word for my boys this year would be trust as our family and my marriage has been through trial this year but when I went to look up Prov 3:5, the preceding verses jumped out at me. My guys (almost 17 and 13.5) are good boys and have declared their own faith but adolescence and their Dad’s struggles with addiction and mental health have affected them. They’ve seen the faithfulness of God and the power of grace so perhaps this is time for them to focus on their own character so I’ve chosen Proverbs 3:3-4 NIV
Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.
Though I will likely adopt some of the others here too 🙂
“Jacob will again have peace and security, and no one will make him afraid.”
[…] at The MOB Society (a blog that I fell in love with in 2013), Brooke McGlothlin has written an excellent article about […]
God led me to choose the same verse that Brooke chose. It’s kinda neat how He did it, too. I followed your suggesting and blogged about it. Thank you for leading us “boy moms” in prayer for our sons and our families. http://eachdaygodsway.wordpress.com/2014/01/01/lets-be-intentional-about-prayer/
Prayer for my 3 boys for 2014…Romans 6:12-13…May my sons not give in to sinful desires, allowing sin to control the way they live. Instead, may my sons give themselves completely to You, God, using their whole body as instruments of righteousness for Your glory.
Thank you!! Happened on this site tonight. I just started reading Praying for Boys. I’m actually reviewing it for the company I work for- little knowing how much I would need it!! And I’m so encouraged to start really praying again. So- our word for the year is PEACE and the scriptures I choose are- “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7. I posted here- http://havingkidsisfun.blogspot.com/2014/01/new-years-resolution-and-prayer.html. Thanks!
Love, love, love the challenge! I chose Psalm 100:1,2 for my son. I have a full explaination on my blog post about the challenge.
http://thehometeams.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-mom-of-boys-society-prayer-challenge.html
I prayed about what verse to pray today and was lead back to a verse I posted about a few weeks ago,”‘And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’…” Mark 12:30-31. When trying to figure out how best to raise our boys in a world that’s changing so very fast, these verses seemed to be foundation principles that wouldn’t change, so we’ve just adopted them as our family “mission statement” if you will. What better verses to pray over our boys this year as we begin? Here’s my post about them: http://www.overacup.org/2013/12/when-rules-dont-work.htmlFather, I ask you to please be with Crystal as she and her boys begin this new year. Please send your people to love on them and be Jesus to them as they walk through this hard, hard time. Please give her the words to speak over and to her boys to help them. Please bless them with your peace in the midst of this storm. In Jesus name, Amen.
I don’t have any sons, or children for that matter, but me and my husband will be starting this for our marriage 🙂 to be more patient and loving towards each other, even when it is hard. For all you moms, I pray that you see the joy in your children, even when you are tired and feeling a little worn-out from all the things moms do. I know sometimes you must feel a little used, and wonder if anyone will ever stop to appreciate all the things you do, or do them for you in return. I pray God will take away those feelings, and replace them with a feeling of thanks for your task of motherhood, and that also your family will stop to thank you too. And that your strength will be renewed and that peace will overflow your heart as you do the million and one things moms do in a single day.
May he be filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. Galatians 5:22
Luke 2:52″Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people.” My son is 9 and has adhd. We have had many tests to see if he has aspergers or if he is on the spectrum. It has been a hard, beautiful road. He is either loved and understood or rejected and put to the side. Either people love him or can’t stand him. As a mom its heart breaking. I get frustrated so how can I expect others to not be as well. He is a marvelous work of our creator. he has so many talents and his mind blows me away daily, he is so tender hearted and always ready to love on you. When I was having an unusual hard day and praying to God for him, God gave me this verse and told me that He delights in my son Drew. That to pray that He will grow in wisdom, stature and in favor with God and all people. That God has created him for a very unique purpose, and chose us to be his parents, His guardians of this precious gift. So I press on!
After trying to have a baby for 5 1/2 yrs, we found out on Christmas that we were pregnant, although I had a hunch about a week before on my 36th birthday. Then on December 31st at 7 weeks our doctor tells us that I am having a miscarriage.
I miscarried on January 1st. I have two daughters ages 12 & 13 from a previous marriage and this would have been my husbands first.
We are sad, but rejoice in knowing that just the fact that we were able to get pregnant is a miracle in itself because just when we thought we could not, God came in and said yes.
Looking for a verse of hope for my family. Suggestions and prayers appreciated!
What comes to my mind for you is Lamentations 3, especially this part:
18 I cry out, “My splendor is gone!
Everything I had hoped for from the Lord is lost!”
19 The thought of my suffering and homelessness
is bitter beyond words.
20 I will never forget this awful time,
as I grieve over my loss.
21 Yet I still dare to hope
when I remember this:
22 The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
His mercies never cease.
23 Great is his faithfulness;
his mercies begin afresh each morning.
24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance;
therefore, I will hope in him!”
[…] On January 1st, they posted a blog called Choosing A Verse to Pray for 2o14. Here’s the link. […]
My husband and I chose Jeremiah 9:24, “but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.” Our boys are 2 and (almost) 4. Our prayer is that they will come to understand and know God. I blogged it here: http://rodgersrachel.blogspot.com/2014/01/praying-for-our-kids.html
My husband & I will be praying Romans 13:14 for our children. “Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.”
Thanks MOB! Absolutely love you guys! Here is my link up for the blog post I wrote. http://www.villagemoms411.blogspot.com/2014/01/praying-for-our-children.html.
I just found this wonderful site on pinterest and I will be searching for a word today and scriptures that go along with that word. I am really excited to do this and love the encouragement I have already received just from reading your scripture for the year and the way you lift up your boys all throughout the day.
I am another who recently learned of this website through a fb friend. My sons are a college freshman and a high school junior. They are good kids, but their relationships with God are not where they were when they were younger. They are living their lives without thinking WWJD. I have been searching for a verse for the last several days. I just read through the previous posts and looked up several of your verses. I am going to pray the following verses from Proverbs 3. NIV
1 My sons, do not forget God’s teaching,
but keep his commands in your heart,
3 Let love and faithfulness
never leave you;bind them around
your neck,write them on the tablet of your heart.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord and shun evil
11 My sons, do not despise the Lord’s discipline,
and do not resent his rebuke,
This year I will be praying Psalm 139:13-14, “May my son know that you formed his inward parts; you knitted him together in my womb. May he forever praise you, for he is fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; his soul will forever know it very well.” My son has low self esteem and sometimes views himself as a failure. I pray that God will touch his heart and allow him to see that he is God’s greatest creation, Fearfully & Wonderfully Made!
June 1, 2013 I married my wonderful, amazing husband. Along with becoming a wife, I am now a “stepmom.” Although I don’t prefer that word, since I do everything a real mom would, even though I have ZERO experience (Lord help me :)). We are a very close family though, and my stepson’s mother is still in his life. While it has brought some hardships, we manage with the situation very well I think. I love my stepson and he is such a sweet boy, with a tender heart for The Lord even at his young age of seven. With 2014 being my first whole year being a mom, my prayer for my stepson is 2 Peter 3:18 “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” Despite any negative circumstances that will be in his life, I pray that Jesus Christ will always be first and foremost. That he would keep God close to his heart and in his life all the days of his life, and that he would be able to look to his dad and I as good Godly examples.
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