Sign Up My Profile
Prayers

Prayer for my children

A prayer Russian Orthodox parents say at home for their children. It asks Christ to shelter them and guide them in His ways.

Picture: William Holman Hunt, The Finding of the Saviour in the Temple, 1854–60

The words of the prayer

Plain English only: no traditional English wording is given for this prayer

Lord Jesus Christ,let Your mercy be on my children, (name).Keep them under Your shelter.Shield them from every evil desire.Drive away from them every enemy and foe.Open the ears and the eyes of their hearts.Give their hearts tenderness and humility.Lord, we are all Your creation:have pity on my children, (name),and turn them to repentance.

Save, O Lord, and have mercy on my children, (name).Enlighten their mindswith the light of the knowledge of Your Gospel.Guide them on the path of Your commandments,and teach them, O Saviour, to do Your will,for You are our God.

Plain English by Wiser Walk, from the Church Slavonic of the Russian prayer books. How the wording is made.

When it is said

It is a prayer for home, said by a mother or father for their children.

Russian prayer books print it among the prayers of parents for their children. Say your children’s names where the prayer asks for them.

Where it comes from

No author known

Who wrote it?

No one knows, and its age is not known either. Russian prayer books print it with no name, among the prayers for children and godchildren, or with the prayers of a father or mother for their children.

Azbyka.ru, Prayers for children and godchildren; Molitvoslov.com, Prayers of a father or mother for their children

Two psalms inside it

Its last lines take two prayers from the Psalms and make them prayers for children. “Guide me on the path of Your commandments” becomes “guide them”. “Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God” becomes “teach them” and “our God”. The prayer also adds “O Saviour”. Otherwise it keeps the psalms’ own words, as the Church’s Slavonic Book of Hours prints them.

Psalm 119:35 and Psalm 143:10 (Psalms 118 and 142 in the Slavonic Book of Hours)

What the words mean

“The eyes of their hearts”

The prayer asks Christ to open the ears and the eyes of the children’s hearts. The eyes of the heart are Paul’s phrase. Writing to the Christians of Ephesus, he prays that the eyes of their hearts may be enlightened, so that they may know the hope God calls them to.

Ephesians 1:18

The Scripture in it

Direct me in the path of Your commandments, for there I find delight.

Psalm 119:35 Quoted “Guide them on the path of Your commandments”: the psalm’s prayer, made for children.

Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. May Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.

Psalm 143:10 Quoted “Teach them to do Your will, for You are our God”: the psalm’s prayer, made for children.

I ask that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope of His calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints …

Ephesians 1:18 Echoed The eyes of the heart: Paul’s prayer for the Christians of Ephesus.

Bible text: Berean Standard Bible, public domain.

In Church Slavonic

Господи Иисусе Христе, буди милость Твоя на детях моих (имена), сохрани их под кровом Твоим, покрый от всякаго лукаваго похотения, отжени от них всякаго врага и супостата, отверзи им уши и очи сердечныя, даруй умиление и смирение сердцам их. Господи, все мы создание Твое, пожалей детей моих (имена), и обрати их на покаяние.

Спаси, Господи, и помилуй детей моих (имена) и просвети им ум светом разума Евангелия Твоего и настави их на стезю заповедей Твоих и научи их, Спасе, творити волю Твою, яко Ты еси Бог наш.

From the prayer book on Azbyka.ru, a Russian Orthodox website, in Church Slavonic with some Russian word forms.

Close to this

All prayers

Suggest a correction

Berean Standard Bible