Praying Scripture over Your Child with Special Needs

by Nov 10, 2020Spiritual Support8 comments

Sandra Peoples believes praying scripture over your child with special needs is important. She's created a resource to help you do it.

Praying scripture over your child with special needs is important, but we often struggle with how to do it. Today my friend Sandra Peoples explains the resource she created to help us. You can even enter a drawing to win a free copy.Ā 

When my son James was a baby, I searched Scripture for just the right verse to pray over his life. As I would rock and feed him at 2:00 am, I wanted to whisper a verse that he would remember as he grew. One that would be true of him when he was two, twenty-two, and forty-two. After reading and praying, I finally picked a verse.

“And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.” -Luke 2:52

That is exactly what I wanted for himā€”to grow smarter, stronger, and for God and others to show him favor.

When he was diagnosed with autism in 2010 at age three, this verse became even more important. The truth wasĀ he wasnā€™t growing smarter or stronger.Ā At that pointĀ he was losing communication skills and was well below average for weight and height. Others werenā€™t showing him favorā€”he was excluded from friendsā€™ birthday parties and kept to himself around others.Ā 

As we struggled with our new role as special-needs parents, juggled doctors, drove toĀ therapies, tried new diets, and learned acronyms, I continued to pray:Ā ā€œGod, Iā€™m begging youā€”help him to grow smarter and stronger. Show favor on him. Cause others to include him, be patient with him, and love him.ā€ Night after night. Again and again.

And over the last ten years, I’ve seen my prayer being answered. He is learning. He is growing. And overall, people are patientĀ and kind with him. So I will continue to pray this verse over James. To ask God for more. To remind myself of what Heā€™s done in our lives. To give Him all honor and glory.

Sometimes it can be hard to know how to go about praying for your child with special needs. It can feel overwhelming to list out every worry we have for them and their futures. Or, we can feel like our prayers aren’t effective. They aren’t being answered the way we wished they were. (If you can relate to that, check out the podcast episode I did a couple weeks ago, An Invitation to Those Who Have Stopped Praying.)

That’s why I love praying Scripture over James (and his big brother David too). I say back to God the words He has said to us. God says His Words won’t return void, they won’t be ineffective. So I can have confidence that praying Scripture aligns with God’s purpose for James and my entire family.Ā 

Here are some of my favorite passages to pray:

  • “For youĀ formed my inward parts;Ā youĀ knitted me together in my motherā€™s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.Ā Wonderful are your works;Ā my soul knows it very well.” Psalm 139:13 & 14
  • “May the God of hope fill you with allĀ joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Romans 15:13
  • “The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed I have a beautiful inheritance.” Psalm 16:6
  • “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” 2 Corinthians 12:8-10

I think praying Scripture over your child with special needs is so important that I partnered with Million Praying Moms to create a prayer journal for moms of children with special needs. It includes twenty focus verses, prayers that go along with each verse, and reflection questions, plus there’s space for you to write what’s on your heart as you pray for your children.

You can order your copy today for $10 + $5 shipping by emailing me at sandra@sandrapeoples.com and letting me know how many copies you want, if you want an invoice via PayPal or Venmo, and your address! Or you can enter to win a giveaway copy just for Different Dream readers by leaving a comment below by midnight on Friday, November 20, 2020.

Praying Scripture over our children doesn’t just matter in their livesā€”it changes us as well! Grow closer to God as you lift up what’s on your heart in prayer. He answers His children and works out His plan for their good!

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By Sandra Peoples

Sandra Peoples is a special needs mom and sibling. She and her family live outside of Houston, TX where she serves her church as the director of special needs ministry. Sheā€™s the author of Unexpected Blessings: The Joys and Possibilities of Life in a Special-Needs Family and the host of the podcast, Self Care and Soul Care for the Caregiver. You can connect with her at sandrapeoples.com.

8 Comments

  1. Jennifer Hines

    I love Sandra’s podcast and enjoyed hearing her speak at the virtual retreat put on by Rising Above Ministries.

  2. Carrie Mastenbrook

    What a great and much needed resource, way to go! Iā€™d love to check this out, not only as a parent of a child w/special needs but as a ministry leader always looking for ways to encourage families in our church!

  3. Karen

    I have two daughters with special needs and this looks like something that would be a helpful tool in praying for my girls. Thanks!

  4. Lindsay Fleisher

    I still hold my 6 year old son, who has CP, is nonverbal, and is blind, and pray over him or sing hymns to him. Recently, he has started humming along when I sing to him and it just melts my heart!

  5. Natalie Brouse

    I hope I win šŸ™‚

  6. Leslie Ainsworth

    This sounds so sweet and well done! I definitely want one, so if Iā€™m not chosen for the giveaway, Iā€™ll be ordering. šŸ¤— (did I just disqualify myself?)šŸ˜…
    Funny thing is, Ethan laughs, hysterically, when I pray for him. I have a specific nighttime prayer (to help him sleep) that just cracks him up. Not helpful. šŸ¤Ŗ

  7. Joscelyn Campbell

    This is so encouraging to me as a mother! It can be so overwhelming, with the continuous and often changing development of a special needs child. Thereā€™s so much to learn and implement at the same time and thereā€™s so many different hats to wear as a caregiver. Sometimes praying can sound like a plea of help or an utterance of despair. Being reminded that God is always with us, in the big things and in the silent moments, when we become tired and feel inwardly defeated by circumstances. He knows us. He knows exactly what we need. He communicates with us to encourage us to continue going forward. He is with us and will help us in the midst of the struggle. He will not leave us and will put our foot on a firm rock. Thank you for the this important reminder!

  8. Dina Swank

    I find your posts to be very encouraging. I am a caregiver in a different situation but your insights apply. Thank you.

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Meet Jolene

Jolene Philo is a published author, speaker, wife, and mother of a son with special needs.

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