There are many facets to equipping our children to be emotionally stable individuals, which is why we’d like to give you several scriptures to pray for your child’s emotions. As adults, many of us would agree that learning how to understand and process emotions wasn’t something modeled for us. Let alone, in a godly way. May these scriptures lead you as you teach your children how to understand and handle their emotions in a Christlike way.
Understanding Children and Emotions
A lot of times, parents – even Christian parents – rarely think about being intentional teachers of their children’s emotions. The truth of the matter is, that we should pay close attention and teach valuable lessons in every aspect of our children’s lives – especially when it comes down to their emotions.
Related: Heavy Feelings Series for Kids and Teens
Maybe you and your spouse had good parents or other adult influences who showed you how to properly manage emotions. However, if you were like me (Carlie), I grew up with a lot of abuse and emotional neglect. What happens in these instances, is emotions are not properly dealt with and it becomes misinterpreted and misguided.
As Christian parents, we should be just as intentional about fostering godly emotions in our children as we are about helping them learn the fruit of the Spirit, abstaining until marriage, and the like. The earlier they learn how to deal with emotions in a godly, the better outcome they will have when faced with different obstacles, situations, and circumstances.
10 Scriptures to Pray for Your Child’s Emotions
Use the Scriptures below to guide you during prayer specifically for your children’s emotions.
A Prayer for Joy and Praise
Isaiah 61:3 says –
“…and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.”
Pray this Scripture over your child to help foster emotions of joy, praise, and beauty – especially in times of unfortunate circumstances, mourning, and despair.
A Prayer to Refrain from Anger
Anger is something that even young children (I’m talking toddler age) can deal with. However, what typically happens is children are taught that they can’t be angry, which isn’t true. Scripture says to be angry but sin not. The principle to teach and understand is that it’s okay to feel angry, but how you respond and/or react to it is where intentional godly character comes into play. When you notice your child experiencing any level of anger, pray the following Scripture –
Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil. (Psalm 37:8)
A Prayer for Anxiousness
Philippians 4:6 is a great verse to pray when your child is experiencing any form of anxiousness:
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
This Scripture is a reminder that no matter what we can make our requests known to God and should with boldness and thanksgiving (both in prayer and petition).
Prayer for Godly Wisdom
Learning how to properly deal with emotions doesn’t come naturally, and sometimes we as parents may drop the ball in the instructing correctly. To help ensure your child’s heart is open to hearing from the Holy Spirit, especially when dealing with emotions, remember to pray this Word-
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. (Proverbs 9:10)
A Prayer for a Guided Heart
Mind, will, and emotions are usually spoken of in the same sentence, and rightfully so. They are all connected and directly affect one another. This is why it’s important to pray for our children to guard their hearts, because as Scripture says, everything we do flows from it. Regardless of how our children are feeling, it will come out through their actions.
Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. (Proverbs 4:23)
A Prayer for Fearlessness
1 John 4:18 is a great Scripture to pray and assist in leading your child to live a fearless life and to always trust God through love. The only healthy fear is one toward Heavenly Father –
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
Prayer for Godly Transformation
Emotions are an attribute that is taught to children. Whoever they spend the most time with will ultimately be their teacher and model emotional characteristics. In some cases, children spend a lot of time in school, daycare, or around teammates for sports. Pray Romans 12:2 over your child often to ensure they do not conform to those around them but be transformed in a godly way –
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will.
A Prayer for Discernment
If there’s one thing I’ve always wanted my children to embrace sooner than later, it’s the ability to discern in all matters, including emotionally. Being able to apply discernment to emotions will help your child correctly feel and react to whatever the situation calls for. Here’s a Scripture to help with just that –
I am your servant; give me discernment that I may understand your statutes. (Psalm 119:125)
Prayer for Forgiveness
Although forgiveness can be seen as more of an emotion-focused coping strategy, it’s still an important aspect to consider praying for. If your child has been wronged, they will need the emotional strength to forgive, hence why Matthew 6:14 is the perfect Scripture to pray –
For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
A Prayer for the Fruit of the Spirit to Manifest
When in the thicket of dealing with emotions, children may not understand how to fully grasp them or hone in on the self-control needed to overcome them. Pray for your children to embrace the fruit of the Spirit so they can deal with emotions properly and with a godly outcome –
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things, there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)
Final Thoughts
These scriptures to pray for your child’s emotions isn’t a fix-all answer to helping your child understand, process, and deal with emotions. Meet your prayer with modeling how to deal with emotions in a godly way for your children. You know how the saying goes, children will do half of what they hear and all of what they see!
More to Consider
