After ministering to children and teenagers for more than twenty years and raising three of our own, my wife, Cathy, and I can tell you that there is nothing too hard for God—but you have to pray! We pray for our kids on a regular basis, but we don't have a set ritual or meeting time. Prayer is part of our family life. We pray as a couple, we pray as a family, and we pray for each other as the Holy Spirit leads us during the day.

But one day I sat down and asked the Lord to show me the principles that He had us praying for kids all these years. That is when He revealed seven powerful absolutes to pray over kids. If you are a parent, you have a love and a concern for your kids.

You want to help them to excel, to pursue greatness, and to enjoy life as they do exploits for God. While you are helping them along the way, I encourage you to pray these seven principles over them. The Word of God tells us that prayer is what moves mountains and calms storms, so praying for your kids is one of the most important things you can do to assist them in life.

You might be saying, "This is totally irrelevant to my life. I don't have kids and never plan to have them." So I challenge you: has there never been a kid in your life? Every human being deals with kids, whether you actually parent them or not. If you are young, you may change your mind later and have kids.

But even if you don't, as you grow older your brothers and sisters will have kids. Your friends will have kids. When you go to church, you are around kids. The people in your neighborhood or apartment building have kids. And no matter what your relationship is with those kids in your life, you can have a tremendous impact on their lives by simply praying for them.

Maybe your kids are grown and are rebellious toward you and toward God. As far as you can see, nothing you say or do affects their thinking or behavior. They may not listen to you, but God does! Start praying these prayers and principles over their lives, and believe God to move your kids into right relationship with God and with you.

And don't leave yourself out! These principles are just as effective for you as they are for the kids you pray for. You can practice these principles and pray these prayers for yourself, then see tremendous benefits in your own life—but there's much more.

The greatest joy in the Christian life is praying for someone and seeing their life transformed by the love and power of God. That is the adventure you enter into when you begin to pray for your own children, for the teenagers down the street who drive you crazy, for that nephew or niece that needs a miracle, or that grandchild who is in rebellion. Personally, I have seen many miracles because a parent or grandparent—or a neighbor or teacher—prayed for a young person.

One of the greatest impacts you can make on the next generation will happen because you prayed for them. If you are dissatisfied with the world in which you live; if you have problems with your own kids or the kids "coming up" in your church or on your block; then it's time for you to learn and pray these over your kids:

• Wisdom
• Protection
• Favor of God
• Boldness
• Find and Fulfill Their God-Given Assignment
• Find the Right Mate
• Strength To Resist Temptation
  
  Source: 7 Absolutes to Pray Over Your Kids by Blaine Bartel
  Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers