Ten Ways to Pray for Children in Foster Care
Although the healing of the children in foster care is our greatest priority, the need for prayer is not limited to the children. There are biological and foster families, caseworkers, advocates and the many volunteers and other professionals involved in the welfare of each child. But it can be difficult to know the many needs of so many people. The following list, taken from the Christian Alliance for Orphans Foster Care Prayer Guide, will help guide you through the many ways you can be in prayer for all those involved in your communities Foster Care system. Please review the the Christian Alliance for Orphans Foster Care Prayer Guide for even more ways you can pray.
CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE
PRAY that children in your community would know they are loved by God and understand that He desires to be in relationship with them.
PRAY that children in foster care would experience a feeling of belonging in a foster family, a church community, or a group of friends within your community.
PRAY that God would lead them as they work through hurt they have experienced in their past and in their present.
BIOLOGICAL FAMILIES & KINSHIP CAREGIVERS
PRAY that biological parents in your state would have the strength they need to face their circumstances and that they always keep the best interests of their children in mind.
PRAY for the relationships between biological parents, foster parents, and the foster care system; that biological parents feel heard and that others are able to extend compassion.
PRAY that churches in your community learn how to support biological families and how to equip them to prepare for reunification with their children
PRAY that your church and your state would support kinship caregivers in your community well, whether they are informal, formal, or voluntary caregivers.
PRAY that these extended family members would have the emotional, spiritual, financial, and other resources to provide a safe home for children from their family.
FOSTER FAMILIES
PRAY for endurance and for strength for foster parents in your community as they invite children into their families.
PRAY that your community would rise up and stand by these parents while encouraging and supporting their needs.
PRAY for peace and understanding in every relationship — with the foster children, with their biological children, with the biological families of the foster children, with social workers, and with their community.
CHURCHES & ORGANIZATIONS
PRAY that your church will choose a specific way to care for children in foster care based on the strengths of those within your congregation.
PRAY that other churches in your community will seek out Biblical wisdom about children who need families and how to best care for them.
PRAY that churches in your area will come together to care for children in foster care in order to create movement within your community.
PRAY that the fruit of their hard work would serve as an inspiration to others in your community.
PRAY that they are able to balance ministry life and family life by making the time for their family.
PRAY that they would lead groups within your community to care for children in foster care with humility.
ADOPTIVE FAMILIES
PRAY that potential adoptive parents in your community listen to the Lord’s direction as they pursue adoption of a particular child.
PRAY that adoptive parents would seek Biblical wisdom and the advice of other adoptive parents as they walk with their children through healing.
PRAY that communities and churches in your area would come around adoptive parents in support and encouragement.
CHILD WELFARE PROFESSIONALS
PRAY for the safety and emotional well being of social workers in your community as they come face to face with difficult situations.
PRAY that churches in your community would commit to care for and to support child welfare professionals.
PRAY that social workers and administrators would fight discouragement and burnout by continuously seeking and finding joy, hope, and peace in Christ.
COUNSELORS & THERAPISTS
PRAY that counselors and therapists in your community would work hard to discover what is best to help children in foster care, foster parents, social workers, birth families, and other individuals involved in foster care.
PRAY that counselors and therapists would make time to care for their own physical and emotional well-being.
PRAY that therapists would listen to God’s Word and His promises as they help others walk through hardship.
EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS
PRAY that education professionals in local schools in your community would be aware of the unique needs children in foster care may have and that teachers would have the tools and knowledge needed to respond to these needs.
PRAY that education professionals at your local schools are able to experience rest and renewal outside of the classroom so that they have the capacity to fully engage with students.
PRAY that education professionals, and foster, adoptive, or birth parents would all make the effort to work together so that children can excel in school.
LAWYERS, JUDGES & LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS
PRAY that they would have the eyes to see the specific needs of children in foster care in your community.
PRAY that they would take an active role in initiating repair of what is broken in families and in the foster care system.
Pray that they would seek out Biblical wisdom when defending children.
Pray that the law enforcement officers in your community would be well equipped to engage in their roles as protectors of the weak, including children who experience abuse or neglect.
PRAY that officers in your community would have wisdom and empathy as they interact with children who come from hard places.
PRAY for the safety and emotional well being of law enforcement officers as they come face to face with difficult decisions and experiences on a weekly basis in your community.
COURT APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVOCATES (CASAs)
PRAY that God would raise up groups of people within your community to become CASA volunteers so that every child has someone to speak up for them in court.
PRAY that CASA volunteers would be well equipped to support children in foster care and have the knowledge needed to speak up for the children.
PRAY that CASA volunteers would build meaningful and lasting relationships that would communicate love and worth to children in foster care.