Book Review: Praying the Scriptures for Your Adult Children

The Bible is the best resource available for guiding and directing our steps. Why don't I spend more time using it when I pray daily for my sons? I want to remedy that. Jodie Berndt, in Praying the Scriptures for Your Adult Children: Trusting God with the Ones You Love, provides Scripture's tailor-made prayers both for yourself, as parent, and for your child. The book is well-structured and well-supported. Each section takes on a different aspect of grown children's lives: relationships, work, child-bearing, health, and temptations. Berndt offers prayer principles and a host of personal stories illustrating the effective use of prayer.

It surprised me how the book resonated with similar concepts and sentiments to another recent read, Prayer in the Night. While I prefer more personal prayers, I can see the vast benefit to praying rote prayers when based on God's holy Word. He has given us structured ways to approach Him concerning our children and their needs. Why not use them? If I remember correctly, Tish Harrison Warren also included a passage asking, "Is Jesus enough?", as Berndt's epilogue poses. In the end, God's love for our children far surpasses the love we can muster (even when tempted to think we love our children more than is possible). Moreover, He can carry them when we cannot. You cannot go wrong if you "tether your prayers to God's promises." As Berndt reminds, "God doesn't want us to trust in an outcome, he wants us to trust in him." This is an outstanding resource for any parent wishing to support their children with prayer.