Lord, Help Me Pray for My Kids
FROM
Focus On The Family
and
Tyndale House Publishers
What parent feels like they spend enough time praying for their children?
From the moment our children first arrive in this world, we begin to talk to God about their immediate needs – safety, protection, health… all good things. Yet the truth is there is so much more we want for them: salvation, a bold & growing faith, a virtuous life, blessings, godly qualities, love for the Bible, purity of mind as well as body & heart, heart for the gospel, godly friends, obedient spirit, freedom from family strongholds, tender heart to confess quickly, godly future mate, help as they struggle with comparison and peer pressure, strong prayer life, future vocation, good work ethic, courage, confidence, good relationship with siblings and teachers, reverence, discernment…
Years ago, as a new parent, I began to realize my tendency to largely pray about whatever was right in front of me. It occurred to me one day that since I was keeping a notebook with lists of people I wanted to remember to pray for on a regular basis, why not begin making a list to pray through of all the many things I’d like to see God do in the lives of my children.
That list grew through the years as my kids did and became the foundation for this book.
It’s my prayer that this book might help you pray more regularly and more purposefully for your children.
This book has been a faithful guide in helping us cover our four boys in prayer. It has led my wife and I as parents to pray powerful, future-forming, difference-making prayers through Tony’s supernatural insights on how and what to pray.
Tauren Wells: Grammy nominated and Dove Award winning artist
Praying for your children is one of the most important things we can do as parents and I’m living proof that those prayers work. Lord, Help Me Pray For My Kids is the perfect tool for the parent who struggles to know what to pray.
Zach Williams: Grammy and Dove Award winning artist
Tony has written a most unique and inspiring devotional. These daily prayers should be on the lips of every God-fearing parent as they are faced with the challenges of raising Christ centered children in today’s humanistic, self-centered, self-absorbed, secular climate.
Jay DeMarcus of Rascal Flatts: Owner/CEO of Red Street Records
When I was a kid, I remember seeing my mom kneeling by her bed and I could hear her whispering a prayer for me. I’ve never forgotten that moment and knowing that my parents were praying for me had a profound impact on my life. Now, I’m a parent and I pray regularly for my daughters. I’m so thankful my friend Tony has provided a way for me to continue being intentional in interceding on behalf of our kids and I believe this book is going to be a tremendous help to so many parents who are lifting up their kids every single day.
Matthew West: Grammy nominated and Dove Award, American Music Award and KLOVE Fan Award winning artist
Tony is one of the most prayerful and thoughtful people I’ve had the privilege to know and work with over the past decade. I’m grateful to call him a friend and thrilled to recommend this beautiful book of prayers for parents. As a busy working mom, this is a God-send!
Francesca Battistelli Grammy and Dove Award winning artist
I typically pray the same things every night over my little girl. However, these prayers have changed the game for me. It’s so exciting to pray the Word of God over my five month old and speak promises into her future. Hallelujah! Run, don’t walk to grab your copy of Lord, Help Me Pray For My Kids!
Taylor Cain Matz of CAIN; artist on Provident Music Group/Sony Music
Lord, Help Me Pray For My Kids encourages us to fulfill one of the most important assignments we will ever have on this earth, which is to be spirit led parents! Tony Wood has provided a powerful guide to prayers that invite God to mold and shape as well as protect and direct our children.
Jackie Patillo; President of the Gospel Music Association
My friend Tony has put beautiful words to the prayers I could not articulate for my own children, concise but so rich and deeply felt as I pray them over my family.
Darren Mulligan of We Are Messengers; artist on Curb/Word Entertainment
I fully believe in the power of prayer and Tony has so beautifully crafted prayers that put words to my heart’s desires for my children! I’m so thankful for such a wonderful guide in my prayer life over our family and would suggest Lord, Help Me Pray For My Kids to anyone who longs to ”pray without ceasing” for their loved ones.
Tasha Layton; artist on BEC Records
Tony is an amazing friend and an even better family man. I can’t think of a better gift to give your kids than entrusting them to the promises in God’s Word through prayer.
Todd Tilghman; winner of NBC’s THE VOICE (season 18) and author of Every Little Win
You may never get the opportunity to sit in a room and write a song with Tony, but having the ability to read a father’s prayers for his children and then pray them for yours … well, that may be better than any number one song any of us could ever dream of writing. I can’t recommend this book of prayers and the man who wrote them enough.
Chris Cleveland of STARS GO DIM; artist on Curb/Word Entertainment
I pray over my 3 daughters daily, but I’m ready to dive deeper into my prayer life for them! I believe this book will be the nudge I need to become more of a prayer warrior for my children!
Mikey Howard of 7eventh Time Down; artist on BEC Recordings
It doesn’t matter if your kids are infants, 5 years old or 50, when you pray these prayers for them you will find your heart resonating with every word. Tony has done the hard, loving work of giving us words that put shape to our sometimes inexpressible hopes and desires for our children. This book is more than a resource – it’s a pathway to loving our kids better, and a means of providing us genuine help with the most important job we will ever have.
John Mays; Sr. VP of A&R Centricity Music
When it comes to a book on prayer, only a true prayer who actually prays, has anything to say. Tony is a practitioner. I’ve watched and listened to him for 26 years. You will see, hear and feel that as you make these prayers your own.
Lloyd Shadrach; Co-Founder, Teaching Pastor Fellowship Bible Church, Brentwood TN
I love what my friend Tony has put together here! These daily prayers are such a helpful tool to be praying for our children with deeper intention, care and surrender to God’s will for their lives.
Ethan Hulse: co-writer of IN JESUS NAME (GOD OF POSSIBLE) by Katy Nichole and CHRIST BE MAGNIFIED by Cody Carnes
As a long time friend of Tony’s I know these prayers have already been prayed and proven in the lives of his own children. Rooted in scripture and overflowing with sincerity and passion these prayers put into words the desires I have for my children and help usher me before the Lord on their behalf. This book is a powerful tool for reminding us to take time to do one of the most important things a parent can do. PRAY for our children.
Don Poythress; co-writer of YOU REMAIN by Willie Nelson and A LITTLE MORE COUNTRY THAN THAT by Easton Corbin
Tony Wood did what a writer is supposed to do…He put in words what most of us don’t know how to say…if you want to pray for your kids but you’re not sure what to pray, Lord, Help Me Pray For My Kids is the perfect place to start.
Benji Cowart; co-writer of REDEEMED by Big Daddy Weave
If you listen to Christian radio, you have no doubt been greatly impacted by the lyrics of the songs of Tony Wood. A true wordsmith, with a father’s heart. How amazing now, to be able to hold some of those words in my hands and pray them over my own family. Whether it’s early hours before my children are awake, or late at night when I am spent, this book feels like a dear friend helping me to find my way back to the path of prayer. This book will always be on my bedside table.
Krissy Nordhoff; co-writer of YOUR GREAT NAME by Natalie Grant and FAMOUS FOR by Tauren Wells
Praying for my boys feels like one of the most vital & daunting responsibilities of parenthood. Tony helped make it simple, sincere and all-encompassing with this daily prayer guide. Applicable to all different stages of their development, this book is a timeless treasure that I can use to pray through the years with confidence, knowing “that if we ask anything, according to his will, he hears us.” (1 John 5:14b)
Meredith Boggs; author of THE JOURNEY HOME and host of THE OTHER HALF blog and podcast
If there were a required reading list for parents I’d put this book at the top of it. Tony’s book has been a daily gift to me as a dad by giving specific direction to pray for my children. This book has impacted me so much personally, I have purchased several copies to share with others and believe you will too.
Jonathan Mason: VP of Christian A&R and Publishing, CURB/Word Entertainment
The best gift we can give our kids is to pray over them and guide them in Truth. Tony has given us a priceless tool in doing just that!
Brian White: co-writer of WATCHING YOU by Rodney Atkins and BLAME IT ON YOU by Jason Aldean
Lord, Help Me Pray For My Kids by my friend Tony Wood is a treasure for any parent and their children. It is written with so many great nuggets of wisdom for God’s Word and the heart of a parent. Tony is an incredible writer of songs and now I have learned that he is simply a great writer!
Mark Harris of 4HIM; Grammy nominated and Dove Award winning artist and Pastor of Worship Artistry at Gateway Church, Southlake, TX
For years Tony has used his incredible word skills to bless the world with hundreds of hit song lyrics. Now he uses those same skills to help parents who want to effectively pray for their children. A great tool! Highly recommended!
Dan Dean of Phillips, Craig, and Dean: Dove Award winning artist
Tony had me from the first prayer! Is there anyone more precious to us than our children? Is there any challenge more daunting than raising our children? Tony’s words aid in fostering this indispensable act of our faith. We have given this book as a gift to every new parent in our congregation since its first printing!
Dr. Charles Weir; Founding & Lead Pastor Gateway Franklin Church, Franklin, TN
This book is going on my nightstand! My friend and fellow songwriter, Tony Wood, has given parents, in any season of life, an incredible gift in Lord, Help Me Pray For My Kids. I love that these devotions start with Scripture, focusing first on the attributes of God, then guide us in prayer over our children. What a beautiful and vital resource for raising up the future of the Church in our homes!
Christy Nockels; Dove nominated artist, worship leader for the Passion Conference and host of The Glorious in the Mundane podcast
These simple prayers will transform the way you talk to Jesus about your children. It’s helped me transform the way I pray for my own children in a way that’s real and practical. Simultaneously this book has worked to help put aside some of my own fears and anxieties about being a father. I highly recommend it! Also, I know the author. We’ve spent years writing songs together and I’ve seen him with his own daughters and I know these prayers come from the heart of hearts.
Matt Armstrong: co-writer of AT THE CROSS (LOVE RAN RED) by Chris Tomlin and ALWAYS ENOUGH by Casting Crowns
If tears filling my eyes after reading the first 3 sentences of this book is an indication of a heart connection – then this book has it! Tony Wood has somehow found his way into the heart and mind of the praying parent. Lord, Help Me Pray For My Kids has brought focus and intentionality to my daily efforts to pray for my daughter. With the general “busyness” of just BEING a parent, it’s really hard to gather my thoughts when I sit down to pray. This book gives me a jumping off point – and reminds me with every word that the number one priority in our lives as Christian parents should be passing on a real and living faith in Jesus. We must intercede on behalf of our children. Thank you Tony for this invaluable tool that I will likely use every day for the rest of my life.
Shelley Breen of Point of Grace; Grammy nominated and Dove Award winning artist
Being a father is one of the most precious responsibilities I have been gifted with. Tony has taken his God-given talents and has combined Scripture and his heartfelt testimony into an incredible daily devotional that reminds me how blessed I am to be a father and most importantly how precious it is to have a heavenly Father. This is a must read book!
Jason Crabb; Grammy and Dove Award winning artist
My friend Tony Wood, one of the great songwriters of our time, has written a beautiful collection of prayers for us parents. I use these prayers as starting points as I lift up our three daughters up to the Lord.
Greg Long of Avalon; Grammy nominated and Dove Award winning artist and worship leader at Cottonwood Creek Church in Allen, TX
I am learning that one of the most important things I can do for my two boys is to pray for them. Tony and his wife Terri have been wonderful role models for me on just how to go about praying Scripture over their children. Philippians 4:6-7 reminds us to not be anxious, but with prayer make our requests known. These devotions are tools to help lead me on that path of finding peace as I pray for specific needs.
Denise Jones of Point of Grace; Grammy nominated and Dove Award winning artist
The passion and humility that Tony brings to the prayers in this book are both powerful and inspiring. As beautiful as it is a peaceful read.
Cindy Morgan; songwriter, author, Dove Award winning artist
