A searchable, downloadable PDF of the original article appears below. Esther Mcllveen is a freelance writer living in Richmond, B.C.

My husband and I were invited to spend a week at a friend’s cottage which was in a secluded spot near a lake surrounded by mountains. We had not had a vacation for some time, so we eagerly looked forward to the rest and the solitude.

Early one morning as I sat on a log to have my quiet time, I decided to take some time to pray for our three children. I was watching the gulls swoop back and forth over the calm lake when I sensed the Holy Spirit impressing upon me the strategy I should take in interceding for them. It came simply and clearly. Both my husband and I were to take separate sheets of paper and write out our aspirations for our children in detail – I knew it should not be done hurriedly but with thoroughness and much thought. Then we were to come together and share our findings and compare them and agree upon those things we wanted to pray for. Unitedly we were to pray them into existence, with faith and expectation, knowing that our Heavenly Father loved our children even more than we could possibly love them.

Separately we wrote and then compared. Our lists were very similar, but written from the different perspective of a mother and father.

All three of our children, ages 20, 17 & 17 were entering a new phase in their lives. Our eldest was entering a nursing program and the twins were graduating from high school and wondering what direction their lives should take.

We prayed large prayers.

– we prayed for our eldest daughter as she entered into nursing that God’s power would flow through her hands as she ministered to patients.
– we prayed that each child would come to know God in a deeply personal way and that his power, security and peace would flow through them to others.
– we prayed for the areas in their lives where they had been wounded by the words and actions of others.
– we prayed for character qualities such as being tolerant and generous with others and that they would have discipline and right priorities, fidelity and a good use of time, and sexual purity. that they would be honest and have integrity.
– we prayed for their friends and the graduating class, that God would draw each of them to Himself.
– we prayed that they would be given Godly discernment with which to filter music, T.V. and books and not to absorb everything indiscriminately.
– we prayed for the various gifts and talents in each child that these would grow, flourish and expand.
– we prayed for mechanical and cooking and sewing skills.
– we prayed for protection as they were using the car and that they would be kept from the evil one. and his many devices.
– we prayed for God’s highest and best for them, that they would be guided in education, employment and in relationships, and that if marriage was to be their lot, that God would begin to prepare them and their partners.
– we prayed that all three would make a significant contribution for God and towards society and if possible, that they could serve Him in a Third World country.

Then we gave thanks for the fruit and the gifts of the Spirit we were already seeing … for their cheerfulness, their thoughtfulness and the sense of forgiveness we had for each other.

We deliberately spent a good period of time working through their lives in prayer, but were deeply convinced that it was well worth the effort and investment of time and energy. We also realized that we must not limit God in any way – that His ways of manifesting His love to them would be as uncountable as the stars of the firmament. We also knew it was important not to feel responsible for our prayers and that if we as parents would delight ourselves in the Lord, He would give us the desires of our hearts.

We ended our prayer time (which took a day and a half) by singing and thanking God for the children he had entrusted to us…

We also asked the Holy Spirit to give us a special chapter from the scriptures for each child that we could claim for their lives. We ended our prayer time (which took a day and a half) by singing and thanking God for the children he had entrusted to us, and our insight into the bent of their hearts and for all that they had taught us. Then we sought to release the children into His sovereign care.

Job was a parent who covered his children in prayer, especially while they were partying. We recognized that perhaps the most important parenting we would ever do, would be on our knees.