Prayer...

Tonite I was convicted about how little I pray for my children. I feel like I work so hard to teach them and train them and be a good examle to them. It's not that I don't ever pray for them, but I have been struggling lately with just being a mom and I have rarely lifted my little ones up in prayer. I was reading the book "The Stay At Home Mom" and the chapter I was reading was talking about praying for your children and I read a quote that hit me hard: "The only assurance I have of access to my children's hearts is through prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit." How have I missed this? I mean I know it but how have I let it slip passed me? I love them so much. And I have been looking to my own strength to raise them and I am realizing that I can only do it through the power of God's Holy Spirit. The book gave a list of things to pray for your children about and I found it very helpful:
1. Pray that your children will fear the Lord and serve Him. (Deut 6:13)
2. Pray that your children will know Christ as Savior early in life. (Ps 63:1)
3. Pray that your children will hate sin. (Ps 97:10)
4. Pray that your children will be caught when they are guilty. (Ps 119:71)
5. Pray that your children will have a responsible attitude in all their interpersonal relationships. (Dan 6:3)
6. Pray that your children will respect those in authority over them. (Romans 13:1)
7. Pray that your children will desire the right kind of friends and be protected from the wrong kind. (Prov. 1:10. 15)
8. Pray that your children will be kept from the wrong mate and saved for the right one. (2 Cor 6:14)
9. Pray that your children and their prospective mate will be kept pure until marriage. (1 Cor 6:18-20)
10. Pray that your children will learn to submit totally to God and actively resist Satan in all circumstances. (james 4:7)
11. Pray that your children will be single-hearted, willing to be sold out to Jesus. (Romans 12:1-2)
12. Pray that your children will be hedged in so they cannot find their way to wrong people or wrong places and that wrong people cannot find their way to your children. (Hosea 2:6-7)
13. Pray that your children will have quick, repentant hearts. (Ps 51:1-3)
14. Pray that you children will honor their parents so all will go well with them. (Eph 6:1-3)
15. Pray that your children will be teachable and able to take correction. (Isaiah 54:13, Prov 13:1)
16. Pray that your children's lives will bear the fruit of the Spirit. (Gal 5:22-23)
17. Pray that your children will live by the Spirit and not gratify their flesh. (Gal 5:16)
18. Pray that your children will trust in the Lord for direction in their lives, including their occupation.