Powerful Prayers for Your Daughter: Praying for Every Part of Her Life

Praying for your daughter is one of the most important things you will ever do in your life. I have seen God do amazing things in my daughter’s life by committing to praying for her. If you’re a parent with daughters, you’re going to want to read this book.

Mark Batterson, New York Times bestselling author of The Circle Maker; lead pastor of National Community Church

All daughters want to be ‘seen’ by their parents. They long to know they are special and loved by them. Rob and Joanna Teigen’s prayers in this book will help you see your daughter in a new way and do the most powerful thing: love her through your prayers.

Chris Fabry, author; host of Chris Fabry Live

Rob and Joanna Teigen have written the ideal book to help parents pray for their daughters. They’ve covered virtually every area that a daughter needs prayer coverage in. Then they’ve given parents the perfect words to use. Want to be a better parent? Pray for your kids. This book will help.

Rick Johnson, bestselling author of That’s My Son, That’s My Girl, and Better Dads, Stronger Sons

Is there any sweeter legacy that a parent can leave for their little girl than the knowledge that her parents prayed for every area of her life? Rob and Joanna Teigen give parents the tools they need to make that hope a reality. I love their warmhearted but practical approach to equip parents in their pursuit to be the parents they want to be.

Kathi Lipp, bestselling author of The Husband Project and Clutter Free

Our girls are inspired when they know they are loved, hear encouraging words, and know we are praying for them. Rob and Joanna Teigen have crafted a great book to help parents succeed in these vital areas with their daughters. I highly recommend this book!

Bill Farrel, coauthor of Men Are Like Waffles—Women Are Like Spaghetti; www.love-wise.com

"Powerful Prayers for Your Daughter works on so many levels. Well-chosen Scripture and heartfelt prayers make this an invaluable resource. But the hidden benefit is how Rob and Joanna have opened a surprising window into your little girl’s world. The future is undeniably filled with moments of blessings and brokenness, love and loneliness, the need for courage and the need for compassion. And parents must be prepared. These inspired pages will help caring parents guide their daughters through every season of life."

Jay Payleitner, national speaker; bestselling author of 52 Things Kids Need from a Dad and The Jesus Dare

© 2014 by Rob and Joanna Teigen

Published by Revell

a division of Baker Publishing Group

PO Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287

www.revellbooks.com

Repackaged edition published 2019

Previously published in 2014 under the title A Dad’s Prayers for His Daughter

Ebook edition created 2019

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

ISBN 978-1-4934-1654-7

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc. ™

Scripture quotations labeled ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2007

Scripture quotations labeled GW are from GOD’S WORD®. © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations. Used by permission of Baker Publishing Group.

Scripture quotations labeled NASB are from the New American Standard Bible®, (NASB) copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.Lockman.org

To our daughters,

Emma, Leah, and Anna.

You are loved!

Contents

Cover    1

Endorsements    2

Half Title Page    3

Title Page    5

Copyright Page    6

Dedication    7

A Word from Rob    15

A Word from Joanna    19

1. When She Needs God’s Salvation    21

2. When She’s My Treasure    22

3. When She Feels Inferior    24

4. When She Covets More    25

5. When She’s Afraid    26

A Prayer Story    27

6. When She Thirsts for God    29

7. When She Needs Peace    30

8. When She’s Angry    32

9. When Her Life Is Set Apart    33

Her Relationship with Her Dad    35

10. When She’s Rejected    37

11. When She’s Finding Her Treasure    39

12. When She’s Going through a Storm    40

13. When She Needs to Tell the Truth    41

14. When She Needs Wisdom    43

15. When She Needs Courage to Live for God    45

A Prayer Story    46

16. When She’s Falling into Addiction    49

17. When She’s Worried    50

18. When She’s Proud    51

Her Blessings    53

19. When She’s Grieving    56

20. When She Needs to Stay Pure    57

21. When She Needs to Honor Her Parents    59

22. When She Must Submit to Authority    60

23. When She’s Making Plans    62

24. When She Hears False Teaching    63

25. When She Needs Good Advice    65

A Prayer Story    66

26. When She Needs to Give    67

27. When She Needs to Work    69

Her Identity    70

28. When She Needs Self-Control    73

29. When She’s Looking for Fun    74

30. When She’s Choosing Her Words    76

31. When She’s Preparing for Marriage    77

32. When She’s Doubting God    79

33. When She Needs Healing    80

34. When She Needs to Confess    82

35. When She Struggles with Gossip    83

A Prayer Story    84

36. When She’s Facing a Change    86

Her Purity    87

37. When She’s Finding Her Identity    91

38. When She Needs Community    92

39. When She’s Rebellious    93

40. When She’s Bored    95

41. When She’s Feeling Bitter    96

A Prayer Story    98

42. When She’s Lonely    101

43. When She Needs to Pray    102

44. When She Needs Discipline    103

45. When She Needs Modesty    105

Her Failures    106

46. When She Needs to Serve     108

47. When She Can Share Her Faith    110

48. When She’s Unique and Special    111

A Prayer Story    112

49. When She’s Using the Internet    115

50. When She’s Dreaming about the Future    117

51. When She Needs My Influence    118

52. When She Needs Comfort    120

53. When She’s Depressed    121

54. When She Needs Humility    122

Her Protection    124

55. When She’s Managing Her Money    126

56. When She Considers Dating    128

57. When She Needs a Friend    129

58. When She Needs a Mentor    131

A Prayer Story     132

59. When She’s Bullied    133

60. When She Connects with Her Parents    135

61. When We Need Time Together    136

62. When She Feels Pressure to Achieve    138

63. When She’s Choosing Who to Worship    139

Her Idols     141

64. When She Needs to Abide in God    145

65. When She’s Growing in Maturity    146

66. When She Has a Need    148

67. When She Needs Peace and Rest     149

68. When She Needs to Laugh    150

A Prayer Story    152

69. When the Enemy Is Attacking    153

70. When She’s Discovering Her Spiritual Gifts    154

71. When She’s Critical of Others    156

72. When She’s Pressured to Fit In    157

Her Gifts and Talents    158

73. When She’s Discontent    161

74. When She Doubts Her Worth    163

75. When She Tries to Be Perfect    164

76. When I’m Losing Hope in My Daughter    166

77. When She Expresses Herself     167

78. When I Give Her Too Much    169

A Prayer Story    170

79. When She Needs to Love God with All Her Heart    172

80. When She Needs Compassion    173

81. When She Goes through Trials    175

Her Relationship with God     177

82. When She’s Feeling Guilty    179

83. When She Compares Herself to Others    181

84. When She Longs for Beauty    183

85. When She Needs to Hang In There    184

A Prayer Story    186

86. When Her Reputation Is at Stake    188

87. When She Shows Favoritism    189

88. When She Needs the Word of God    191

Notes    195

About the Authors    197

Back Ads    199

Back Cover    204

A Word from Rob

Prayer goes where a parent can’t. It softens hard hearts, enlightens darkened minds, and guides lost souls. Prayer is a parent’s way of taking matters into God’s hands.

Will Davis Jr.1

EVERYBODY KNOWS ME as the dad who likes to have fun. I’ve written joke books for kids and a whole book of daddy-daughter date ideas. My wife rolls her eyes every time I get rowdy with the girls when I’m supposed to be settling them down for the night. My favorite time of the day is when I walk in the door after work and head straight out to the trampoline to jump around with the kids. We go to concerts, have Starbucks dates before school, and demolish the kitchen every Christmas baking cookies together.

I spend all this time with my kids because I love them. They make me laugh. They’re my favorite people! But I also invest the time because I believe their relationship with me is crucial to their future. If they feel loved and cherished by me, they won’t be as likely to meet their needs in the wrong places. If we’re comfortable and open with each other, I can share my faith and speak truth into their lives. Most of all, the love they receive from me is their first taste of the love of God himself.

I realize, though, that no matter how much time we spend together, I can’t control who they will ultimately become. All the instruction, advice, and protection I give won’t ensure that all will go well in their lives. No matter how often I take them to church and have family devotions at the dinner table, I can’t make them embrace my faith in God and live for him.

This is why I have to put my daughters in God’s hands. It encourages me to know that even though I’m not a perfect dad, God will always be a perfect Father. I don’t always know what’s best for my girls, but God does. The best thing I can do is bring my daughters and their needs to him in prayer. It’s not our last-ditch effort to make things come out okay—it’s the first thing we should do because it invites the power of God into their lives.

Sometimes, though, it’s hard to know exactly how to pray for a daughter. I can’t always relate to her emotions. She has struggles and experiences that I’m not always aware of. I’ll see an attitude or perspective that needs adjusting, but I don’t know what to say. It can be hard to know whether she needs more limits or greater freedom. That’s why we wrote this book—to offer some insights about parenting and prayers that put words to the concerns dads feel for their girls.

This book is a tool to help you as you bring your daughter to the Lord in prayer. It may be useful to pray through a prayer every day or every week, or to pick it up when a specific topic is on your mind. Take time to read and meditate on the Scriptures included with each prayer so God can speak to you through his Word. Don’t feel limited by what’s written on the page—the Lord is eager to hear your needs and praises in your own words too.

I’m encouraged as a dad when I see God responding to the prayers of other men I know. Several prayers and stories are included in the book that show how other men have prayed and seen God respond in their daughters’ lives.

Prepare to be changed as you commit yourself to praying for your daughter. God will give you greater strength and wisdom in your parenting. Your faith will be stretched as you wait on him to work in her life. You’ll find yourself letting go of your own expectations and asking God what his priorities are. You’ll become a stronger parent as you experience God’s influence in your own life. You’ll begin to release your dreams and hopes for your daughter as you realize God has had plans in mind for her life since before the creation of the world! You’ll find more grace for her mistakes. More patience in waiting for her to mature. More courage in knowing the Lord will go through every challenge by her side. More delight in her individuality. And more gratitude as you see she is truly a gift from God just for you.

It is a privilege to share this book of prayers with you. May you be blessed as a father as you bring your daughter’s needs before the Lord. I pray you will find a helper and friend in him that you’ve never fully known before. God bless you and your family.

Rob

A Word from Joanna

I AM SO VERY GRATEFUL that I have a praying husband. Knowing that he faithfully brings our needs to God gives me security and makes me feel loved. It reassures me that we’re not walking this parenting journey alone. The burden of responsibility for our kids can feel too heavy to bear on our own.

What I’ve noticed as we’ve prayed over the years is that God does just as much work in changing me as in caring for my girls. I know a lot of us moms tend to worry. We work ourselves up over their grades, health, manners, organizational habits, and social lives. Our emotions run high over their weaknesses, and it can be hard to celebrate their successes when so many fears are constantly running through our minds. When Rob and I pray for our daughters, it settles me down. I put all of my concerns in God’s lap and am able to let them go.

My girls know how to push my buttons too. They know if they roll their eyes when I’m talking I’m probably going to lose it! It’s really difficult to see our daughters struggling with bad attitudes. Again, when I’m tempted to get angry about their choices, prayer lets me release them to God’s control. He gives me patience and understanding. I’m able to see the big picture instead of fixating on minor issues. He reminds me of all the many, many things I enjoy in my girls and the privilege it is to be their mother. He rekindles my joy and fills me with hope for the future. Basically, God makes me a better mom when I pray.

Prayer also keeps a lot of tension out of our marriage. If I’m looking to Rob to fix our girls when they mess up, he starts feeling pushed (okay, nagged) about how he should handle things. When we pray and trust the Lord for wisdom and help in raising our kids, then I can relax and be thankful that Rob is parenting them God’s way instead of mine.

We’ve seen God move through our prayers to change our daughters’ lives—we’ve seen them grow in confidence, discover their talents and passions, and come to know the Lord as their Savior. We’re in the trenches just like you, raising our children the best we can and praying God will hold on tight to each of us. My hope for you is that you’ll find him to be all you need as you parent your own daughter. Discover how near he is to you. He wants to bless you both as you reach out to him.

Joanna

1

When She Needs God’s Salvation

Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this? Yes, Lord, she replied, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.

John 11:25–27

See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the