New Favorite Verse to Pray Over my Toddlers Daily

In my most recent posts I have explained when I started praying for my children and how we incorporate prayer into our daily life.

While I would say I’ve developed a good habit of praying for my children, my prayers sometimes feel repetitive. Though they are still powerful and God hears them, I strive to know Scripture well so I can more consistently pray Scripture over my children, because I know those are the truest words I can bless them with—and that pleases the Lord.

I was reading Psalm 5 today and was FLOORED about how I can pray it over my boys.

But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love,
    will enter your house.
I will bow down toward your holy temple
    in the fear of you.
⁸ Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness
    because of my enemies;
    make your way straight before me.

⁹ For there is no truth in their mouth;
    their inmost self is destruction;
their throat is an open grave;
    they flatter with their tongue.
¹⁰ Make them bear their guilt, O God;
    let them fall by their own counsels;
because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out,
    for they have rebelled against you.

¹¹ But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
    let them ever sing for joy,
and spread your protection over them,
    that those who love your name may exult in you.
¹² For you bless the righteous, O Lord;
    you cover him with favor as with a shield. – Psalm 5:7-12 (ESV)

This verse contains so many phrases that left me in awe—they are perfect and so beautiful to pray over children. I feel like any believing mother or father would naturally want to use this passage to pray over their son or daughter—it’s a no-brainer.

How to Pray This Verse Over Children

Obviously my children don’t have enemies like David is referencing in the passage above so my prayer wouldn’t necessarily feature how David declares the fate of his enemies. Here is what my prayer is for my boys. This is an example of praying Scripture over your children:

Lord, I just pray the sons you blessed me with recognize the abundance of your steadfast love — that they will be led in your righteousness, and that your path is made straight before them. May they not stray from the way you have laid out for them.

May they take refuge in you and rejoice. May they sing for joy and worship you daily, through all the years of their lives.

Lord, please spread your protection over them. Please cover them with the shield that is your favor.

I will continue to share and update you all on some of my favorite verses that I lean on when praying over my boys, but this one moved me so much today that I had to share it. I wrote the verse down in my prayer journal, read it with my oldest, and now I’m writing to reflect on how the Lord granted me the privilege of coming across this Psalm today.