5 Prayers For Moms With Struggling Teens

As our kids enter this time, they are just shy of adulthood, and we struggle to let them go while they struggle to achieve independence. How do we protect them now? The first line of defense, Mama, is the same as when they were tiny.

We pray.

Here are scriptures to encourage you and prayers for seven situations moms with struggling teens may face.

Peer Pressure

Scriptures

• 1 Corinthians 15:33 (NIV): “Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.'”
• Romans 12:2 (NIV): “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Prayer

Father God, I know I can’t protect my child from everything in this world. When he finds himself in situations with his peers, please guide his heart and keep him from being misled. I pray that he will know that he doesn’t have to conform and fit in, that it is not only okay to say no to people and things, but that it is good to stand up for himself and not allow others to push him to do things he feels uncomfortable with or that go against You.

Father, please help him find a good circle of friends who share and respect his beliefs. Give him the discernment of what is or is not Your will and help him keep company that encourages and uplifts his good character. Amen.

Bullying

Scriptures

• 2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV): “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”
• Ephesians 4:29 (NIV): “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”

Prayer

Dear heavenly Father, please let our child feel your spirit and not be afraid. Help her stand up for herself and for others who can’t speak up for themselves. I pray that she will feel Your presence and know that she is never alone.

Please help her to be kind to others, to build them up rather than tear them down. If someone hurts her, whether it be with words or injury, please give her the courage to seek help from an adult and help her to know that her dad and I are a safe place for her. Amen.

Trouble With School

Scripture

• James 1:5-6 (NIV): “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.”

Prayer

Father, God, please wrap your loving arms around our child and help him know that even when something is hard to learn or difficult, we can bring those weaknesses to You and lay them at Your feet. Please give us the wisdom to help him navigate the sea that is school in a way that protects him from the wind. Help us instill in him that he can bring all his worries to You without fear of you finding fault in him. Amen.

Anxiety

Scriptures

• Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV): “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
• Isaiah 35:4 (NIV): “Say to those with fearful hearts, ‘Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.'”

Prayer

Father, please help my anxious heart. How am I to relieve my child’s anxiety when my nerves are always on high alert? Your word says to be anxious for nothing and to fear not.

My child is scared. Please rain peace into her spirit. We live in a scary and uncertain world. Please help us to see past our fear so that we may walk through it together and feel Your divine retribution and grace. Father, God, thank you for all of our blessings. Please give us strength and safety. Amen.

Social Media

Scripture

• Matthew 12:36–37 (NIV): “But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words, you will be acquitted, and by your words, you will be condemned.”

Prayer

Father God, the internet brings knowledge to our fingertips on the computer and even on our phones. With so many online predators and schoolyard bullies, our kids can fall victim without ever leaving the house.

Please give us discernment so that we may choose the right time to allow our son access to social media. Place it on his heart that the words he uses and information he shares matters, the account of which, once out in the world, can never be taken back. Keep him safe, Lord, when he is out, and please keep him safe when he goes online. Amen.

Pray For Them

As hard as it is in these teen years to let them go out into the big bad world, we must allow them to live their lives. They have been listening, Mama—even when you think they weren’t. Pray for and with them.