Drawn from 1 Samuel 1–3: A Tale of Two Families

Praying for Your Children, Grandchildren or Anyone Else Whom You Love

1. That the Lord would reveal Himself to them through His Word.
Samuel “did not yet know the Lord” until the Lord revealed Himself to him by His word (1 Sam. 3:7, 21). Pray that your children would encounter God Himself, not just information about Him.

2. That they would truly know the Lord.
Pray they would know His covenant faithfulness and redeeming work. Hophni and Phinehas were priests by title (1:3) but “had no regard for the LORD” (2:12). Proximity to religion is not the same as knowing God.

3. That they would worship the living God, not the idols of their culture or the lusts of their hearts.
Samuel was given over in worship (1:28). Eli’s sons used worship for greed and immorality. Pray that your children would be worshippers, not consumers of religion.

4. That God would grant them repentance unto life.
Eli’s sons would not listen to correction, because the Lord willed to put them to death (2:25). Pray for soft, repentant hearts before hardness sets in.

5. That they would have ears to hear and hearts to obey.
Samuel’s response was “Speak, for your servant is listening” (3:10). His willing, prompt obedience (rising three times in the night) shows self-discipline formed as a habit. Pray for receptive hearts and the habits that nurture them.

6. That their identity would be defined by their relationship with the Lord alone.
Samuel called himself “your servant” (3:10). Pray that their security and worth would rest in belonging to God, not in achievement, approval, or peers.

7. That they would receive and discern God’s calling on their lives.
Pray for clarity and faithfulness as God’s call is tested and confirmed over time, as Samuel’s was (3:19-21).

8. That the Lord would guard them in a corrupting environment.
Samuel grew up amid the sins of Eli’s sons, yet “grew in stature and in favor with the LORD and with men” (2:26). Hannah and Elkanah could not shield him from every influence. They entrusted him to the Lord’s keeping power. Pray the same for your children in a culture that is not neutral.

Praying for Yourself

1. That you would not honor your children above the Lord.
Eli’s fundamental sin was honoring his sons above God (2:29). Pray for the courage to discipline in love, to refuse to let sin go unchecked (3:13), and to resist the idol of your children’s approval, comfort, or happiness.

2. That you would not be ruled by the approval of others.
Eli’s rebuke was driven by reputation (“the report is not good,” 2:24) rather than by zeal for God’s honor. Pray that your parenting would be anchored in the Lord’s promises, not in how your family looks.

3. That you would repent of your own idolatry and believe the gospel.
“All of our hearts are idol-making factories” (John Calvin). Pray for ongoing repentance as a parent, not only for your children.

4. That you would hold your children with open hands.
Hannah’s “I gave him to the LORD” (1:28) models dedication. Pray for willingness to surrender your children to God’s purposes, trusting that the Lord is no man’s debtor.

5. That you would be a praying parent.
Hannah’s prayer (1:10; 2:1-10) shaped Samuel’s life and became her enduring legacy. Pray that prayer, not control, would be your primary parenting strategy.

6. That you would be smitten again with Christ.
Pray you would look to Jesus, the faithful High Priest (1 Sam. 2:35; Heb. 3:1; 4:14-16), and receive His strengthening grace to lead your children to worship and adore Him alone. Eli’s failure was real, but where we fall short, our children’s hope rests in the perfect Priest and anointed King – Jesus Christ our Lord!

A Short Prayer for Daily Use

Lord, reveal Yourself to my children by Your Word. Give them hearts that know You, ears that hear You, and lives that worship You alone. Grant them repentance, and define them by being Your servants. Keep them in a world that is hostile to their faith. And Lord, keep me from honoring them above You. Free me from the fear of man, forgive my idols, and make me smitten again with Jesus, my faithful High Priest. Amen.