Any of us who are parents understand the desire to protect your children from harm. When they are little we say “don’t talk to strangers” and we of course put boundaries around them to protect them.  As they get older, we want to know who their friends are, where they are going, and what they are going to do to help protect them.  Unfortunately, too many Christian parents forget that the greatest protection we can give our children is the covering of prayer.

The Bible reminds us that “we fight not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12).  It tells us that we have an “adversary, the devil, who prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).  God’s Word also reminds us that we have “power and authority over every unclean spirit, to cast them out” (Matthew 10:1).  And with those things in mind, Paul says that we are “to put on the full armor of God and to fight with all prayer and petition, to pray at all times in the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:18).

One of the things I have learned as my children became teenagers and now as they have moved into young adults, is that I am commanded to fight for my children through prayer.  Here are some things we have learned and seen God honor through prayer:

1) PRAY FOR your teens – Now I understand that most parents do this, but what do you pray for? Protection, favor, blessing and success are all good things, but the one thing David prayed for his son Solomon, was for him to have a “Perfect Heart” (I Chronicles 29:19).  I encourage you to pray that God would do whatever He has to do in order to break their heart for Him and His Word.  Pray that He would do this so their heart would be a “perfect heart” towards Him.

2) PRAY WITH your teens – Make prayer ongoing with your teen – and not just at a mealtime.  Our children always knew that they could not leave the house for school until we had taken their hand and prayed with them.  Even today as young adults, they don’t leave the house until we have prayed with them.

 3) PRAY OVER your teens – When your teen is not at home, go into their bedroom and pray over them.  Put your hands on their car and pray over them.  When you do pray with them, put your hand on them and pray over them, asking God to protect and give them a perfect heart.

4) PRAY INTO your teens – When you are praying with your teens, speak what you want for them.  Many times I would pray “God thank you for my child. Help them always to have a perfect heart for you.  Help them always to do what is right and to treat others the way you would want them to.  Use them to reach hundreds and thousands of people for you.  Keep them pure sexually in what they do and look at.  Use them today.” By saying that out loud in a prayer, your child is hearing the prayer and you are praying into them the standard you have for them.

5) TALK TO SATAN about your teens – This is a foreign concept for most parents, but it is vital if we are to fight for our children. Do you believe satan has a goal for your child?  Do you think satan talks to your teen?  Absolutely.  Because of this, you need to talk to satan about your teen!!!  Notice I did not say talk “with” satan, but to talk “to” satan. You & I need to remember that we have the keys to heaven and authority over satan.  That being said, when I am done talking WITH GOD about my teen, I talk TO SATAN about my teen.  I tell him, “let me remind you who you are and who I am.  You have no authority over my teen.  I have authority over you and I command you to take your hand off my child in every way.  You have no right to discourage, defeat or keep them from the purpose God has for them.  Take your hands off of them now in the name of Jesus”.

In closing, I believe that if you will do these things, God will do wonderful things in the lives of your teens.  Last thing, Galations 6:9 states: “don’t get tired of doing what’s right”. None of your prayers are lost or forgotten. They are all heard, so be diligent in praying for your teen and fight the good fight of prayer for your teens!