How To Pray The Armor of God Over Your Kids - Little Shoots, Deep Roots
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links. See my full disclosures, Terms of Use, and privacy policies on my “privacy” page. I never recommend a product I don’t love.
Our world is in a constant state of chaos and fear and our kids are definitely feeling it too. They’re not immune. Every few days I get an email from another mom whose child is struggling with anxiety because of our crazy world.
But even though it might look like politicians, teachers, siblings or even viruses are our enemy, Paul reminds us in Ephesians that:
“Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
Ephesians 6:12, NIV
The spiritual forces of evil. *shiver*
While I don’t know exactly what that phrase means, one thing I do know is that the spiritual world touches ours. I’ve experienced enough encounters with God to know that our world goes far beyond the physical.
And if the holy and beautiful spiritual world touches ours, that means the evil parts do too. ?
Thankfully, Paul gives us an example of how God protects us, and it’s right there in Ephesians.
“Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
Ephesians 6:14-17
We are invited, no, commanded to put on God’s Armor.
But your kids don’t know (and don’t care) that there’s a spiritual battle going on all around them, and it affects their lives every day!
But it’s tough to know how to pray the armor of God over our kids, or to teach them about it. Maybe you have a vague idea about it, but you don’t want to scare your kids. Maybe you’ve given up because when you try to talk about it with your kids, they just start sword-fighting and you give up. (??♀️ ) Maybe your kids just roll their eyes when you talk about God.
Or maybe you don’t know much about the Bible yourself and are uncomfortable leading your kids or praying for them.
The good news is that we were never designed to put on the armor of God on our own. Did you know that it’s actually God’s armor?
The Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice.
He saw that there was no one,
he was appalled that there was no one to intervene;
so his own arm achieved salvation for him,
and his own righteousness sustained him.
He put on righteousness as his breastplate,
and the helmet of salvation on his head;
he put on the garments of vengeance
and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak.Isaiah 59:15-17 NIV
When Paul wrote about the armor of God, it was God’s armor he was talking about. And because it’s God’s armor, it’s powerful enough to protect us from evil AND he will help us put it on.
He does this for us when we ask for him to to do it. (ie, we pray!)
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
Ephesians 6:18 NIV
Our kids count as the Lord’s people, so we need to keep praying for them! We can help our kids physically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually by praying with and for them.
Related: Check out this Armor of God Family Bible Study!
I have seen my children move past anxiety as I pray over them. I have seen their faith grow through prayer. I have seen them grow socially through their own prayers. And I have seen them protected spiritually through prayer.
HOW TO PRAY THE ARMOR OF GOD PRAYERS FOR PROTECTION:
1. Understand the armor of God.
It’s awfully hard to pray something for our kids that we don’t have or understand ourselves. The more passionate you and I get about following God, the easier time we’ll have passing that onto our kids! When God fills us up with his goodness, it naturally overflows to our family.
Here’s the thing: you can find tons of cute resources online that will help your kids visualize what the armor looks like. But putting on God’s armor isn’t just about memorizing the parts of the armor, singing a catchy song, or coloring a picture of a Roman soldier with the parts of the armor labeled.
Cute graphics and coloring pages and catchy songs are great, but they don’t really contribute to our kids’ understanding of the incredible power they have in Jesus.
Our families need to truly UNDERSTAND what salvation, righteousness, faith, truth, and the gospel of peace are so that we can do as Paul commands: “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” (Ephesians 6:13 NIV)
Once we understand how God’s armor works, we can wear it with confidence and truly experience “his incomparably great power for us who believe.” (Ephesians 1:19)
We have the power to conquer lies, unrighteousness and evil. We have the power to live a life of power, peace, and patience. And we have power to defeat our ultimate enemy.
HOW can you learn about the Armor of God? Read the book of Ephesians for clues! A huge portion of Ephesians speaks directly to the different aspects of the Armor of God.
This graphic shows a 6-week reading plan that can help you see how each piece of the armor works, within the larger context of the full book of Ephesians. (Want a printable version? It’s available here.)
2. Pray specific Bible verses over your kids
As you read through Ephesians, take each verse and format it into a specific prayer for your child. Here’s an example:
For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
Ephesians 1:4-6 NIV
Here’s what I would pray:
Thank you God for choosing ___ before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in your sight. I know that in love, you predestined him/her for adoption into your family through Jesus Christ, and that this was your choice, made in your great wisdom. I praise you for the grace you have freely given _____ in Jesus. Please help _____ to wear the truth of their eternal salvation like a helmet, protecting their mind from the lies of the enemy. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
WHY PRAY THE ARMOR OF GOD OVER OUR KIDS?
In Ephesians 3:7, Paul says this:
“I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power.”
It’s about HIS power, not mine. I can’t put on God’s armor on my own. I can’t create my own salvation. I can’t force myself into truth and righteousness, I can’t make myself be peaceful.
As I learn to pray these aspects of the armor of God onto myself and my kids, God does the heavy lifting. He is faithful to do as he has promised, and he has promised His armor as an inheritance for his children.
To help with that, I created a printable journal that helps families pray strategically through the Armor of God over a 6-week period.
This downloadable prayer journal contains a 30-day guided journey through the book of Ephesians, with prompts for Scripture writing and praying over your child.
In less than 5 minutes per day, you can learn to pray powerful Scriptures over your child and have amazing conversations about your child’s spiritual life.
The Armor of God Bible Study for Families!
A 30-day Bible study for families that want to transform their lives through the Armor of God through the book of Ephesians. Perfect for busy moms, dads, grandparents, and even Christian school teachers.
As you study the Armor of God as seen through the book of Ephesians, you will:
- Learn what salvation, peace, righteousness, truth, and faith truly are, as seen through SHORT passages from the book of Ephesians.
(So you can stop procrastinating, because it just takes 5 minutes!) - Engage in meaningful discussion with your kids about what the verses mean for them.
(No more eye rolls!) - Discover how to simply but creatively invite your kids deeper through interactive extension activities.
(So your kids beg to do Bible study.) - Understand how to pray Scripture through specific, daily example prayers.
(No more floundering in your prayers.) - Pray power-packed blessings straight from Ephesians over your child.
(Perfect for families who want amazing blessings to post in your child’s room.) - Become equipped to read directly from the Bible with your kids.
(Even if you don’t know much about the Bible.)
What’s inside the Armor of God study?
30-Day Daily Bible study (value $17)
Each short passage (1-4 verses) will help you understand the Armor as seen through the whole book of Ephesians. Each day has a passage, engaging discussion questions for all ages, daily, Scripture-based prayers, and a simple but interactive element to solidify learning and keep kids engaged.
Printable prayers of blessing (value $7)
Each power-packed prayer of blessing is pulled straight from the Scripture passages we studied the previous week, and focuses on one aspect of the Armor of God. Perfect for posting in your home!
Daily reminder email (value $7)
Worried you’ll forget about it? Get each day’s study right in your inbox, first thing in the morning.
Printable posters of Ephesians 6:13-17 (value $7)
Want to memorize the Armor of God verses with your kids? Visual aids help! Verse posters are available in NIV, NKJV, NASB, NLT, and ESV)
Want more? Check out the Extended pack, which includes everything above PLUS:
EXTENDED PACK ONLY: 6-week at-a-glance calendar of readings (value $3)
Don’t want to print off the whole study? Simply print off the at-a-glance calendar instead.
EXTENDED PACK ONLY: LITTLE habits mini-course (value $27)
It can be daunting to do something like this for the first time. If you’re worried you won’t be able to fit it into your life, access my brand new “LITTLE habits mini-course”, which will fully equip you to find the time, even if you’re a working mom or if your kids are at school all week!
EXTENDED PACK PRICE: $68 $10
My friend, the “days of evil” are here. (They’ve been here for a long time actually, and likely aren’t going away anytime soon!) We live in a time of unfaithfulness, unrighteousness, and lies. Equip yourself, and equip your kids to stand their ground.
Got Questions? See if yours is below:
How much time will this take?
Expect to take about 5 minutes per day. If the conversation goes longer, great. If not, that’s still 5 minutes of investment into your child’s spiritual life!
What if I have kids of different ages? Will this work for me?
I specifically write my studies so they can be used by families, together. Whether your child is 3 or 13, they will get something out of the discussion questions because they’ll be able to reflect and answer at their own level. I do very minimal teaching, relying mostly on thoughtful discussion instead.
My kids aren’t interested in Bible study. Will this work for me?
If your children are younger than 3, not interested in the study, or if you don’t even have kids, it is completely appropriate to use on your own. The same discussion questions will lead you to deeper insights into the Armor of God as well, and when God starts changing your heart, it naturally ripples out into your family. You may find that as you tell them your insights, their own hearts become softened and they’ll be more likely to join you.
Will anything be mailed to me?
No. This is a downloadable PDF. You can use it on any device, or print it off. After purchasing, please watch for an email with your download links!
What Bible translation do you use?
The downloadable Bible study itself has Scripture references instead of direct quotes so you can use whatever translation you like. I have provided memory verse posters in several common translations. The optional email series takes quotes from the New International Version (NIV).
I’ve studied the Armor of God before. Is this the same?
This study specifically goes through key Scriptures from all throughout the book of Ephesians, not just through the armor section in chapter 6. The included reflection/discussion questions will help you dig deeper than ever before, and the suggested activities will have your kids begging to keep going!
Do I need lots of supplies?
Nope! I’m all about simplicity. The optional interactive extension activities are all very simple, and can be done with whatever you have on hand. I give general suggestions, but rely mostly on your child’s imagination, which is always on hand.
Can I print off multiple copies?
You are welcome to print off a copy for everyone in your house, but please don’t share with anyone outside your home. If you are a Children/Family Pastor, please contact me for a bulk rate!
Are you ready to dig deeper into your faith with your kids than you ever thought possible? Stop wasting any more time and money on cute pictures armor and get ready to dig deep while having fun.
30-Day Daily Bible study (value $17)
Printable prayers of blessing (value $7)
Daily reminder email (value $7)
Printable posters of Ephesians 6:13-17 (value $7)
TOTAL VALUE: $38
TODAY’S PRICE: $7
