Do you ever get stuck in a rut in prayer? Please tell me that you do! I sometimes fall into the trap of praying the same, predictable way for people. My wife, Chris, and I made it a practice early in our marriage to pray regularly for our two kids. We often prayed for them using the exact words each day–for God’s blessing and protection.
Bob Hostetler found himself in a similar pattern of praying the same way for his children. He heard a woman testify in the church that she prayed the nine fruits of the Spirit for her children. Paul writes in Galatians, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Gal. 5.22-23). A light went on in Bob. Why not pray for specific character traits he longed to see flourish in his children?
Bob came up with thirty-one Biblical Virtues to Pray for your Kids, one for each day of the month. He prayed for these virtues to be instilled in his children—virtues like honesty, integrity, generosity, and courage. (This resource is also available as an iPhone/iPad App). This intentional practice deepened Bob’s prayer life and drew him closer to his kids. Bob and his wife, Robin, are parents to two adult children, Aubrey and Aaron, five grandchildren, and ten foster boys (though not all at one time!).
His prayer, in slightly altered form, serves as today’s featured prayer: