For each of our three daughters, we remember the day they were born like it was yesterday. Each of those moments felt like the greatest blessings. At the same time, there was an understanding of the holy responsibility we had as parents to guide them, lead them, and support them. Prayer is one of the most powerful ways to receive wisdom from God in how we lead our children, but also to release control back to God for their futures.

I’m sure you feel that way as well. From the moment your little girl was born, you knew you were going to be doing a lot of praying. So you may wonder, How exactly should I be praying?

Let’s be honest: It can be hard to understand your daughter sometimes. But God always does! It’s important that we regularly ask Him for guidance, protection, and blessings.

This week on the blog, we wanted to pull a few prayers from our Powerful Prayers for Your Daughter and 101 Prayers for Your Daughter books to share with you. If you’d like more prayers like these, be sure to grab a copy of those!

Here are 10 prayers for your daughter:

1) Pray for Happiness & Joy

“May the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful.” – Psalm 68:3

Father, Fill my daughter with happiness and joy. Open her eyes to see Your gifts and her heart to rejoice in Your love. Give her a cheerful spirit that is grateful in every situation, trusting that You are with her. Use her positive attitude to encourage others when they’re feeling down. Be her greatest delight – knowing You is better than any pleasure this world can hold. Amen.

2) Pray for Contentment & Gratitude

“You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God.” – James 4:2

Lord, Guard my daughter’s heart from jealousy. Fill her with gratitude instead of craving the blessings of others. Let her bring every desire to You in prayer instead of fighting for what she wants. Give her patience to wait for every good thing You have in store for her. Thank You for lavishing Your love on my daughter – may she praise Your name! Amen.

3) Pray for Assurance of 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?’” – John 11:25-26

Lord God, I pray that my daughter would believe in Jesus with all of her heart. Open her eyes to see that life is found through faith in You alone. Let my precious child become Your child as well. Give us the hope of eternity spent together with You – and each other – as we put our trust in You. Amen.

4) Pray for Her Worries

“Why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.” – Matthew 6:28-29

Lord Jesus, Guard my daughter’s heart from worry about clothes. She longs for acceptance and could place hope in her appearance instead of You. Set her free from the pressure to keep up and fit in with the world’s definition of beauty. Give her contentment and a thankful heart for what You’ve provided in her closet. Let her trust You to meet her needs since You care for every detail of her life. Amen.

5) Pray for Intimacy with God

“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are Mine.” – Isaiah 43:1

Father God, I confess that I am terrified my daughter will never know You. Replace my fear with trust, to believe that You will call her to Yourself. Claim her as Your own – may her name be written in heaven in the Book of Life. Give her ears to hear Your words of love, and eyes to see Your presence. Break down every barrier that is keeping her from running to You. Replace her doubts with faith that will last. Amen.

6) Pray for How to Discipline Her

“Discipline your children, and they will give you peace; they will bring you the delights you desire.” – Proverbs 29:17

Lord, Show me how to discipline my daughter with wisdom and love. Use the consequences of her actions to train her in obedience. Keep me from anger that seeks to punish rather than to help and guide. Make me courageous in holding to what’s right, even if she argues and complains. Reward us with peace and joy as my daughter does what’s right. Amen.

7) Pray for Her Understanding of True Beauty

“Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” – 1 Peter 3:3-4

Righteous Father, Guard my daughter from defining her beauty by what she sees in the mirror. Let her look past the outer display of fashion, hair and makeup, and value what’s in the heart. Help her to be gentle and quiet instead of showing off to get attention. Keep her from judging other girls by their appearance. Give her a peaceful, tender spirit that is lovely for all to see. Amen.

8) Pray for Compassion Like Jesus

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” – Colossians 3:12

Father, Give my daughter Your heart of compassion for everyone. Soften her heart for the hurting. Use her to care for the sick, the poor and the outcast. Let her treat others as special and important. Help her to be gentle, even when she’s treated harshly. Give her patience when she’s provoked or treated unfairly. Bring Your kindness and love to the world through her life. Amen.

9) Pray for Easing Her Anxiety

“Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.” – Proverbs 12:25

Lord, My daughter can become paralyzed by stress and fear. She worries about her friendships, her grades, her safety and her future. Doubts and insecurities steal her happiness. Let Your love and peace melt away her anxieties. Help her to trust You in every situation. Give her joy as she finds You faithful. Give me encouraging words to build her up and put a smile on her face. Amen.

10) Pray for Safety

“The LORD will keep you from all harm – He will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” – Psalm 121:7-8

Lord God, Thank You for Your constant watch over my daughter. She is never out of Your reach, never out of Your sight, and never too far for You to bring her home. Continue to protect her by Your love and power. Surround her with angels and shield her from the evil one. Guide her steps and let her cling to You as her loving Father. Keep her under Your wing forever. Amen.

—

My friend, we know life is tough and stress is real for all of our kids in these days. It would be a privilege to pray with you for whatever your child is struggling through right now. Reach out any time and know that Rob and I will take your prayer requests to God, together. Thank you for meeting us here on the blog today—we’re grateful to be walking the journey of parenthood with you!

Looking for more? Take a look at our prayer books for sons and daughters: