Children are nearest and dearest to the hearts and minds of their parents. In a series of visions, the Lord has revealed to us what we can expect when we pray for our children, especially as we place them before the Throne of Grace. This revelation can be applied to others outside our family as well. It was the prayers and determination of one mother that helped bring this revelation to light.
At our Tea and Coffee meeting, Jalo asked why things were getting worse for her son, Quin, when he was at the Throne of Grace. I gave this example of a natural application:
You have a young child who is prone to wandering. There is a highway on a hill nearby. You know that your child could be killed if they wander onto that road. You know the danger, but your child does not. In an attempt to keep your child from dying, you place barbed wire and other painful obstacles between your child and the road. The closer your child gets to the road, the more painful the obstacles. Some determined children will push through painful obstacles, but it is the grace and mercy of God that keeps putting more temporarily painful things between eternal suffering and His children.
We also warned her not to focus on her son but to focus on God. He should ALWAYS be our main focus. If our kids are the center of our world, we have placed them above God, and they have become an idol to us. We need to release them to God. Despite this warning and other reassurances, Jalo was not comforted at the meeting. Afterward, she wrote us:
Thank you for today’s teaching. It had me looking at my perspective on being under grace and mercy. After the meeting, I had to converse with Abba (God as Daddy or Pappa). After acknowledging my mistake, I had a vision in a Secret Place visit: a young man (my son at a much younger age) was walking together with Yeshua (Jesus in Hebrew) along the shores. His left hand was around Yeshua’s waist and Yeshua’s right hand over his shoulder. Joy has returned in my heart. It is well!
A few days later, the Lord impressed upon Jalo that she should bring Quin in for an intercession appointment. Life-changing decisions for him would be made; Jalo wanted to make sure God would be involved. We set up an emergency visit so that Quin could come to this meeting.
As we began to pray I saw a vision of Quin being escorted by an angel. He was shuffling along with us with his hands and feet bound in thick chains.
I explained what I had seen to Quin. With him aware of the situation, I then looked to the Lord and asked why this boy was chained. Wasn’t he before the Throne of Grace and Mercy?
Jesus crossed His arms over his chest, “He isn’t mine. He hasn’t submitted to me as Lord.”
“What?” I thought, “He said he was a Christian. I’m not supposed to judge him spiritually.”
The Lord just looked at me, and I knew that He had judged Quin, not me. My thoughts were scrambled as I struggled with what to say. Then peace came over me, and suddenly I had words from my Counselor, the Holy Spirit. I spoke slowly, one word at a time as He gave them to me. “What does the name ‘Lord’ mean to you? When you call Jesus “Lord,” what are you saying?”
After a few seconds of silence, Quin whispered, “It’s like, God, Holy Spirit, and Jesus, it is what we call them.”
“The word ‘lord,’” I explained, “actually means ‘owner.’ A landlord is a landowner. In order to be a part of God’s kingdom, we have to pledge ourselves to Jesus as Lord, meaning He is our owner and He is our Master. This is why the New Testament talks about Christians as bondservants: who choose to become pledged to a master of their own free will. Is it possible that you have never made this commitment to Jesus?”
“It is very possible,” Quin replied.
“The Lord told me that there is nothing He can do for you. You are not part of His kingdom until you make that commitment. Just like an earthly king or duke can only protect those who have pledged themselves to their kingdom.” I continued to explain, though I knew Jalo had him in church for many years, “Jesus is gentle and kind. He will never ask more of you than you can give, but you must be committed to doing things His way.
“It is no longer about what you want,” I said, “but what God has created you to be. He has a special destiny just for you that will bring others into His kingdom so His children can be with Him forever.
“Your calling may not be a preacher or even in the church. Whether you are a sports player, a lawyer, or working in an office, you must be willing to listen to Him and do what He says. When you find this destiny, it will be better than you could have ever imagined. Are you willing to give all of your life to God, so it isn’t your life anymore, but whatever He wants for you? Are you ready to be a willing slave to Jesus so that He is on your side and can help you in this life?”
Quin simply stated, “Yes, I am.”
I asked him to repeat after me, “Jesus, I take you as my Lord. My life is no longer my own. You just let me know what I need to do, and I will do it.” Quin already knew Jesus was the Son of God, so only the act of confessing Him as Lord was necessary. I told Quin what I saw, “The Lord drew His sword and touched you on your head. The chains holding you unlocked and fell to the ground, turning into dust. Light shone down upon your head. Now it is up to you to learn about His kingdom and remove any sins from your life. It’s not like jumping off a cliff. I see a lighted path before you; it will just be one step at a time. He will never ask more of you than you are able to give.”
One of our other seers, who didn’t know about Jalo’s vision, saw Quin put his arm around the waist of Jesus and Jesus put His arm around Quin’s shoulders. The Lord had shown Jalo what was happening right now. From this point forward, Quin would walk with the Lord. Jesus told me this young man had enough for one day. Quin just needed to focus on how much the Lord loves him. That is the meaning of a sandy beach; God’s good thoughts towards us are as numerous as the grains of sand along the shore.
There is much to learn from what Jalo experienced:
What grace and mercy looks like
Letting go
Walking in peace
Jalo struggled with what grace and mercy looked like for her son. When we place our loved ones before the Throne of Grace, it doesn’t necessarily mean their lives get better. In fact, sometimes the opposite may happen.
The most merciful thing God can do is bring a person into submission to Jesus as Lord so that they can be with Him (and us) for all eternity. It is appropriating the fullness of grace because of what Jesus has done. Often, in order to achieve this, God allows the enemy to attack us until we are on our knees and have no place to look but to Him.
That in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God… (Ephesians 2:7-8 KJV)
As we continue through eternity, we are proof of God’s great kindness because it is His gift, through grace, that we are in Heaven with Him. To let someone endure Hell is not kind or merciful. If you pray for a loved one for grace and mercy and their situation gets worse, it may be because they don’t yet know Jesus as Lord of their life. You must trust that God’s mercy will not take them from this Earth until they become part of His kingdom.
This is why we are to pray for our enemies. The biggest blessing is for God to be in our lives even though the process that brings us there may be quite painful. Once God really moves into a person’s life, they will no longer be our enemy but our brother.
The hardest part of interceding for grace and mercy for those we love is letting go of what we think it should look like. We must surrender them to the Lord and place our children upon the altar just as Abraham did with Isaac. Whatever idea we have of what God should be doing for our kids or even our spouse, we must trust in God. He has a plan, just as He had a ram hidden in the thicket for Abraham.
And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7 KJV)
You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You: because he trusts in You. (Isaiah 26:3 ESV)
Even if we say we trust in God, how can we be sure that He is directing our path? When we have fully surrendered our will to God’s will, the Holy Spirit will bring peace that passes our understanding. It may not be in the form of a vision as it was with Jalo, but the Lord always shows up. Once you release them to God, peace will come.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6 KJV)
Commit your way to the LORD; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass… (Psalms 37:5 KJV)
When we are committed to the Lord and place our trust in Him, we are inviting Him to move into the situation and direct our path. I have seen this in visions during Intercession:
A person handed a glowing blue ball over to the Lord. This ball represented a problem she was struggling with. After a few seconds, changing her mind, she grabbed it back. This happened several times in the next few minutes. The Lord continually stood beside her, patiently waiting for her to return it to Him.
Do you want your hands to dominate the lives of your children or husband, or do you want the Lord’s hands on them? To receive answers to prayers, we must:
Make Jesus as Lord of our life.
Trust in the Lord.
Place your problem in the Lord’s hands.
Know that for a time, it may not look perfect.
There are three types of intercession for our kids:
Children who are a legal adult
Children between the ages of 12 (over the age of accountability) - legal adult age
Children under the age of 12
Legal Adult
When kids are adults, we no longer hold legal rights to speak for them in our country or in prayer. Just like on Earth, when a child is an adult, they become legally responsible for themselves. For this reason, we should intercede for them for grace and mercy as we do anyone else. We cannot place them before the Throne of Grace unless they have dedicated their lives to the Lord, but we can intercede for grace and mercy as Daniel did.
The state of our hearts should naturally cry out to God to help them, so this part of the prayer is easier. However, we also need to release them to God, which can be much harder to do than for anyone else in our life. Please meditate on and consider the following:
God created them to be part of His eternal kingdom.
God sent His Son to die for them - this is how much God loves them.
It is God’s will for them to be with Him forever in Heaven.
When we focus on these aspects of our Heavenly Father, it is easier to place them in God’s hands. We must be ready to stand strong and know that:
Whatever happens after praying for them is only what is necessary to move them into God’s eternal Kingdom.
They may suffer, but it will only be for a short time when comparing it to eternity.
Keeping these principles firmly in mind will help us stand strong when our loved ones face challenges and difficulties. We need to rejoice that God is in charge; it is His mercy that is bringing them to where they need to be so that they will dedicate their lives to Him.
There are some “parental promises” that we can claim for our kids as we release them to God after praying for His grace and mercy.
But thus said the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contends with you, and I will save your children. (Isaiah 49:25 AKJV)
Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished: but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered. (Proverbs 11:21 AKJV)
This scripture allows us to place our kids in God’s hands with confidence. As long as we are righteous through our Lord, He will save our children. In Proverbs, the word “delivered” is translated as “saved” and means the same in some versions: freed from the enemy. At the end of the prayer for grace and mercy, simply add:
Your word says, “the children of the righteous shall be saved.” I am righteous, not by my actions, but through my Lord Jesus. I thank You, Father, for doing all that is necessary to bring my child into Your Heavenly Kingdom. I release this child unto You now.
Twelve to Legal Adult Age
There is an “age of accountability” according to Jewish tradition. A bar mitzvah celebration is held at the age of thirteen, celebrating the fact that kids are now fully able to comprehend the difference between right and wrong. It is at this point that they are able to choose who they wish to follow, God or Satan.
We see this supported in the life of the Lord when His parents took Him to the temple. When Jesus’ parents looked for him, they searched and found Him at the temple where scholars were amazed at the wisdom with which He spoke.
And He said to them, “How is it that you sought Me? knew you not that I must be about My Father's business?” (Luke 2:49 AKJV)
At the age of twelve, the Lord was able to begin doing His Father’s business. We, too, are able to choose who we will be in alignment with at this age. The age a child is mentally capable of understanding good and evil may vary greatly. If a child is mentally impaired, they may never reach that ability. Generally speaking, a child who is twelve years old is considered to be at the age of accountability.
At this age, children are now responsible for the sins they commit. For this reason, we cannot “plead the blood” for the sins of our children who are over the age of twelve. They are now able to choose, so they would need to confess the sin before the blood is applied.
There is still one great advantage they have until they reach eighteen; parents are still their “legal” representative. This means that as parents, we can represent them as their legal guardians and make confessions concerning the sins of their ancestors on both sides of their ancestral line. This will break the curses which may be pushing them in the wrong direction. A prayer of this sort would sound something like this:
Heavenly Father,
I come before You, as Your Word tells me to come boldly before Your throne; not in my own righteousness, but through the righteousness of my Lord, Jesus, on behalf of my child: [call them by name] I present myself before the Father as ________’s legal representative.
I confess that my child's ancestors’ ways were not God’s ways. Both they and their ancestors have sinned against You and Your kingdom, and because of this, they are rightly and justly being afflicted by Satan, who may even be hindering them from drawing close to You and learning Your Ways.
Father, my child (children) need(s) to know more about You and Your ways so they can remove sin and walk into their destiny for which You have created them. According to Your Word, Your blood, Lord Jesus, cries out from the ground, asking for mercy. I stand in agreement with the cry of the blood of Jesus.
I ask that You grant ______ a season of mercy; keep the enemy from pushing them away from You, and from the destiny You have for them. I ask that You shelter them at the Throne of Grace against any attacks of the enemy that would push them away from You, be removed.
Lord Jesus, Your Word says You will contend for our children and us. I ask that You contend for my child (children) in the Courts of Heaven should the enemy come against them. Remove any veils hindering their thoughts and open their spiritual eyes so they may see and understand the ways of Your Kingdom.
Your word says, “the children of the righteous shall be saved.” I am righteous, not by my actions, but through the Lord Jesus. I thank You, Father, for doing all that is necessary to bring this child into Your Heavenly Kingdom. Please prepare me and help me be ready and have the wisdom to know what my part is as You are bringing them into Your kingdom, for Your Word says that You grant parents wisdom to raise their children. I release this child unto You now.
I thank You for the grace and mercy granted through the blood of Your Son! Amen.
After you say this prayer, you must be ready to stand strong no matter what the situation looks like! Know in your heart that God wants them in His Kingdom more than you do, and He is able to use everything in their life to fulfill this purpose.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6 AKJV)
Under Twelve Years
Behold, I was shaped in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part You shall make me to know wisdom. (Psalms 51:5-6 AKJV)
No child is born “innocent” or free of sin except our Lord, who was conceived through the Holy Spirit. For this reason, we must intercede for our children even when they are under twelve. At this precious age, we can not only confess the sins of their ancestors but the sins that were attached to the child when they came forth or the sins they participated in afterward (such as lying).
Any time you are given legal responsibility for a child under twelve, you can pray this way for them. It has many components of the child's prayer above, with one addition; after you confess for the sins of the ancestors, also confess for the child’s sin and plead the blood of Jesus over it. A prayer of this sort would sound something like this:
Heavenly Father,
I come before You, as Your Word tells me to come boldly before Your throne; Not in my own righteousness, but through the righteousness of my Lord, Jesus on behalf of my child: [call them by name] I present myself before the Father as ________’s legal representative.
I confess that my child's (children’s) ancestors’ ways were not God’s ways. Both they and their ancestors have sinned against You and Your kingdom, and because of this, they are rightly and justly being afflicted by Satan, who may even be hindering them from drawing close to You and learning Your Ways.
I plead the blood of Jesus over these sins and ask that You blot out the sins of both the ancestors and my child, for Your Son paid for these sins when He hung on the cross, for Your Word says “cursed is he who hangs on the tree.” Lord, we know that the sins of our ancestors may be used as curses against us. I ask that You remove these curses now as the sins are blotted out.
Father, my child needs to know more about You and Your ways so they can remove sin and walk into their destiny for which You have created them. According to Your Word, Your blood, Lord Jesus, cries out from the ground, asking for mercy. I stand in agreement with the cry of the blood of Jesus.
I ask that You grant ______ a season of mercy; keep the enemy from pushing them away from You, and from the destiny You have for them. I ask that You shelter them at the Throne of Grace where any attacks of the enemy, which would push them away from You, will be removed.
Lord Jesus, the Word says You will contend for us. I ask that You contend for my child (children) in the Courts of Heaven should the enemy come against them. Remove any veils hindering their thoughts and open their spiritual eyes so they may see and understand the ways of Your Kingdom.
Your word says, “the children of the righteous shall be saved.” I am righteous, not by my actions, but through the Lord Jesus. I thank You, Father, for doing all that is necessary to bring this child into Your Heavenly Kingdom. We release this child unto You now.
I thank You for the grace and mercy granted through the blood of Your Son! Amen.
This will remove the extra push that comes from generational curses. If a situation arises in your child’s life after praying any of these prayers, make sure you rejoice in His grace and not give in to fear. There is nothing wrong with bending your knees and calling out the situation while praising God that His will shall be done for your child.
If you would like someone to lead you in a prayer for your kids, please schedule a Prayer for Kids on the Appointments page or click the button below:
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