As a mother, I want to protect my daughter from all harm – both physical and spiritual. In today’s world, there are so many negative influences vying for her attention and threatening her faith. Though I cannot completely shield her from these attacks, I can fight for her in the spiritual realm through prayer.
Prayer is a powerful weapon against the forces of darkness trying to steer our children off course. By crying out to God and covering my daughter in His divine protection, I can help guard her mind and her spirit.
Understanding the Nature of Spiritual Battles
Behind the scenes of our visible world is an invisible spiritual realm where cosmic battles rage. The Bible tells us our real fight is against demonic powers and principalities seeking to devastate lives and separate people from God (Ephesians 6:12). Our daughters face threats from worldly philosophies opposed to biblical truth as well as accusations from Satan, the “accuser of the brethren” (Revelation 12:10).
As a parent, I must remember my daughter’s true enemies are not her friends, teachers, or culture influencing her but rather the demonic forces using these avenues to warp her thinking and disrupt her faith. I cannot remain passive but must take an active stand against these schemes of the devil by praying for her protection.
Covering Her Mind
One key area the enemy targets is our daughters’ minds. From media messages telling them how to look to peers pressuring them to compromise their values, the world is constantly assailing their thoughts. As 1 Peter 5:8 warns, Satan prowls around seeking someone to devour through lies, discouragement, temptation, and condemnation.
We can counter these mental attacks by asking God to guard our daughters’ minds. Praying Scripture verses like Philippians 4:8 over them, asking God to help them focus on things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. We can also plead the blood of Jesus over their thought lives, rebuking any lies or accusations trying to take root in their hearts.
Safeguarding Her Identity
Another vital area needing protection is our daughters’ identity and self-worth. The forces of evil know if they can diminish their value in God’s eyes or cause them to doubt His love, they can gain a foothold. This is why we must regularly affirm our girls’ identity in Christ – that they are handcrafted by God (Psalm 139:13-14), dearly loved by Him (1 John 3:1), and called to bear good fruit (John 15:5).
Praying Scriptures about who they are and what they have in Jesus helps counteract the constant messages the world sends about measuring up, finding value in popularity or success, or basing identity on anything temporal. God’s Word aligned with prayer shields their hearts from destructive comparison and insecurity.
Employing Our Spiritual Armor
Not only can we pray covering over our daughters, but God has also given us spiritual armor with which we can wage war on the evil forces targeting them. Ephesians 6 lists the different elements of this protective equipment, including the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith and more.
As we intercede for our daughters, we can envision each piece fortifying them. Putting on the helmet symbolizes protecting their minds from doubts and lies. Gripping the sword of Truth equips them to refute deception. Raising the shield of faith deflects condemnations meant to crush their spirits. Taking up this armor in the Spirit bolsters us both for battle.
The Shield of Faith
The shield of faith is essential for deflecting “flaming arrows” shot by the enemy (Ephesians 6:16) – harmful words, false guilt, destructive comparisons, and other assaults intended to exacerbated insecurities and fears in an attempt to undermine faith.
Praying for God to extinguish these dangerous missiles in mid-air before they can embed themselves in our daughters’ hearts. Asking Him to guard their spirits and self-image. Renewing their confidence in who He says they are. Wielding this invisible shield and watching as faith prevails!
The Sword of Truth
Another vital spiritual weapon is the Word of God – referred to in Ephesians 6:17 as “the sword of the Spirit.” Just as Jesus used Scripture to counter enemy lies when tempted in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11), we want our daughters equipped with verses enabling them to combat deception.
We can pray for God’s Truths to take root in their hearts so they can readily recognize and refute anything contrary to sound doctrine. Asking for discernment to differentiate truth from worldly philosophies masquerading as wisdom. For their minds to be renewed and lives aligned with biblical principles as they wield this mighty sword!
While spiritual warfare can seem intimidating, we fight from a place of victory through Christ and the power of prayer. Jesus assured us He has overcome the world (John 16:33) and greater is He in us than anything we battle (1 John 4:4). As we petition heaven on our daughters’ behalf, we must have faith in God’s ability and willingness to defend them.
Standing in the gap for our girls aligns us with God’s purposes and invites His supernatural intervention. Though unseen battles rage around them, we can have confidence these skirmishes will produce steadfastness of spirit and draw them closer to the Lord who fights for them.
Through prayer, we take our rightful place as guardians and intercessors, combatants clothed in divine armor fighting alongside the King of Kings for the spiritual wellbeing of the daughters He has entrusted to our care.