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Today’s article is the last in a four-part series on praying for your children. You can read the other articles in this series here:
Part 1: A Mother’s Persistent Prayer: Lessons from the Syrophoenician Woman (Matthew 15:21-28)
Part 2: Lord, I Believe: Help My Unbelief (Encouragement for Parents in Hard Seasons) Mark 9:14-29
Part 3: When Jesus Feels Late: Praying for Your Child Like Jairus
Part 4: Praying for God’s Best for Your Children: Trusting His Plan
Praying for Your Child’s Future: Trusting God’s Plan
One of the greatest privileges we have as parents is bringing our children to Jesus.
Today’s post is the final of a four-part series about bringing our children to Jesus through prayer. Throughout this series, we’ve looked at several stories in Scripture where parents did exactly that. They brought their children to Jesus in moments of crisis—when healing was needed, when hope felt lost, when faith was all they had left.
But today, I want to look at a different kind of prayer.
Not a desperate prayer for rescue.
A bold prayer for the future.
A Mother Who Asked Big Things
In Matthew 20:20–28, we meet the mother of James and John.
She approaches Jesus with her sons and makes the following request:
“Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit one on Your right and one on Your left.” (Matthew 20:21)
You have to admire her boldness.
She wanted the very best for her sons. She wasn’t shy about it either—she went straight to Jesus and asked for it.
She saw that Jesus’ kingdom was coming, and she wanted her boys to have a place of honor in it.
In many ways, that’s exactly what mothers do.
We pray for our children’s future.
We ask God for the best.
The best friends.
The best opportunities.
The best spouse one day.
The best path for their lives.
And those are great prayers to pray.
Jesus’ Response
Jesus answered her with a surprising question:
“You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” (Matthew 20:22)
James and John confidently replied:
“We are able.”
But they didn’t yet understand what that meant.
They didn’t know the suffering that would come before the glory. They didn’t realize the trials ahead.
Jesus knew.
Notice something important.
Jesus did not correct or scold this mother for asking such a huge blessing for her sons.
He didn’t criticize her for asking. He didn’t say her prayer was wrong.
Instead, He gently reminded her that the final plan belonged to the Father.
“To sit on My right and on My left… is for those for whom it has been prepared by My Father.” (Matthew 20:23)
In other words:
There is a plan.
But it isn’t ours to control.
God Has a Plan for Your Children
This story reminds me of something every parent must learn.
We can pray for our children.
We can ask for good things.
But we cannot write the entire story.
God already has a plan.
Before your child was ever born, before they ever took their first breath, God knew the path He had prepared for them.
He has not forgotten them.
Even when it feels like they’ve wandered off the path.
Even when it feels like they’ve slipped out of reach.
Even when it looks like God has somehow overlooked them.
He hasn’t.
When we pray for our children, we are bringing them before the Lord and saying:
“Lord, remember my child.”
And He does.
It’s Okay to Ask for the Best
Sometimes when our children are in crisis, prayer feels urgent and desperate.
But there are other seasons when things are going well.
Your child may be walking with the Lord. They may be doing well in school, work, or relationships.
In those seasons, it’s still good to pray.
It’s good to ask God for the best things for them.
Pray for:
- godly friendships
- wise decisions
- strong faith
- good opportunities
- future spouses
- meaningful work
Those are beautiful prayers.
But we must also hold them with open hands.
Because sometimes the job we prayed for doesn’t happen.
Sometimes the path we expected takes a turn.
And in those moments, we must remember: God’s plan is better than ours.
When God Uses Hard Things
James and John were about to face trials they could not yet imagine.
If their mother had fully understood what was coming, she might have prayed differently.
But God was doing something deeper than giving them positions of honor.
He was forming their character.
And that’s often what God is doing in our children’s lives too.
As moms, our instinct is to protect and rescue.
When they were little, we could run in and fix things.
But as they grow, there are moments when we cannot rescue them—and sometimes we shouldn’t.
Because God may be working in ways we cannot see.
Trials shape faith.
Challenges build character.
Hard seasons deepen trust in God.
And sometimes the very thing we want to protect them from is the thing God uses to strengthen them.
Learning to Let Go
One of the hardest parts of parenting is learning when to step back.
Not because we stop caring.
Not because we stop praying.
But because we trust that our children have a Father in heaven who loves them even more than we do.
There comes a moment when we say:
“Lord, I’ve brought them to You. Now I trust You with the rest.”
That’s not giving up.
That’s faith.
Keep Bringing Your Children to Jesus
If there’s one lesson I hope this series has encouraged in your heart, it’s this:
Bring your children to Jesus.
Ask Him for the best things for them.
Pray boldly.
But trust Him with the outcome.
Because even when His answers look different than we imagined…
He still has a plan.
And it’s a good one.
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