Prayers for Back to School Week, Part 3

Pray that your child will have godly friends.

When my wife was growing up, she had a close friend who was very committed in her relationship with God. The two were inseparable in school. They played together, spent the night at each other’s houses, studied together, went shopping together, and were cheerleaders together. They also kept each other out of trouble. Susie credits their friendship with helping her to make wise choices as she was growing up. Throughout elementary, middle, and high school, as the temptations increased and as more of her friends were making bad choices, Susie knew that she had a friend who was standing with her in her commitment to the high road.

There is no doubt that Susie and her friend helped each other avoid the traps that many young girls fall into. Sociologists tell us the influence of peers in children’s lives is the number one influence of their behavior. In their early, formative years, the influence of friends has even more impact than the moral boundaries that accompany faith.

A Canadian study of peer influence found that the behavior of friends was the biggest influence in twelve- to fifteen-year-olds’ decisions to use drugs or alcohol. Only 8 percent chose to use drugs on their own, without the pressure from a friend. Four-fifths of kids who had tried marijuana said they had done so because most or all of their friends had.

A recent US study showed that kids who believed their friends had had sex were much more likely to experiment with sex themselves than those who believed their friends had never had sex.  Statistics also show that peer relationships can be a powerful positive influence in the lives of children and teens.

That’s why you want to pray for your child’s friendships. That’s why you want to know your child’s friends, have them in your home, and get to know their families. It’s scary to think about, but there will be times when your child’s friends will actually have more influence on your child’s decisions than you do, and a bad influence can easily lead an otherwise moral kid astray. The apostle Paul stated this truth in succinct biblical stated this truth in succinct biblical language: “Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character’” (1 Cor. 15: 33).

We pray for our boys to have good friends who point them to God, and we pray that they will be good friends to others. We pray that they will be leaders who point others to God. We pray that they will make friends easily and be welcoming to others.–A praying dad

Again, I turn to the example of Daniel. He stayed faithful to God while in the midst of severe temptation in Babylon. But remember, Daniel wasn’t alone. In his wisdom God sent three other equally committed young men with Daniel to Babylon. When Daniel heard that they were all going to be executed along with the other wise men of Babylon, he went home to his friends, and they prayed to God for their deliverance (see Dan. 2: 13– 18). Later, when the king ordered everyone in Babylon to worship a golden statue, Daniel’s three friends stood together and refused to commit idolatry. Would any of these young men have had the same courage and tenacity if they had been standing alone? There’s no doubt that they gained strength from their shared commitment to God.

Pray for your child’s friends. Pray that your son or daughter will have a large group of peers who love God and are highly committed to living for him. Pray that your child’s friends will encourage him or her to stay faithful to God.

Pray Psalm 119: 63 for your child: Father, please help my child to befriend and be influenced by those who fear you and who seek to follow your Word.

From–Pray Big for Your Child: The Power of Praying God’s Promises for Your Child’s Life

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