Prayers to be Rooted in your Identity in Christ

Even when our kids believe who God is, they often have a hard time believing they are who HE SAYS they are. The world is full of voices that try to place identities on our children…television, movies, ads, social media, friends, teachers…the list goes on, including us as parents. It is easy for our kids to let circumstances and others define them, not to mention failures and achievements. We all know this is true because if we are honest, as parents, we tend to let these things define us too.
 
The truth is, Identity rooted in worldly things will never satisfy or fulfill them (or us!). Any misplaced identities outside of who God says they are will ALWAYS come up short and disappoint.
 
The voices of others are so loud and so convincing. It takes intentionality to listen to God’s voice instead.
 
We want to pray our kids know that their identity is found in Christ. They don’t need to look around at others or even look within at their accomplishments and achievements. Christ alone gets to lay claim on who they are and He has some pretty powerful things to say about them.
 
When our kids learn to deeply root their identity in Christ, there is freedom to step into His path for their lives.

You are not too much
and you are so enough,
because Jesus is enough.
You are a beautiful and
 beloved child of God.

Prayer

God, please help _______________ to always KNOW that (his/her) identity in is YOU. To know that as (his/her) Creator, You alone get to say who (he/she) is. Please help (him/her) see (himself/herself) as YOU see (him/her)…as Your beautiful, beloved, valuable child. Help _______________ to always feel Your deep love for (him/her).
 
Help ________________ know that in You (he/she) is more than a conqueror. That (he/she) is not a slave to sin.  That (he/she) is Your workmanship, chosen for good works prepared in advance FOR (him/her) BY You.  That (he/she) can never be separated from Your love. Ever.
 
When _______________ is tempted to look to others for who (he/she) is, turn (his/her) eyes back to you. When (he/she) is tempted to look to (his/her) achievements, accomplishments, activities, successes, grades, athletics, accolades for who (he/she) is, turn (his/her) eyes back to you. When (he/she) is tempted to look at (his/her) disappointments, failures, sins for who (he/she) is, turn (his/her) eyes back to you. When (he/she) is tempted to look at (his/her) status, popularity, social media, appearance for who (he/she) is, turn (his/her) eyes back to you.
 
God, let __________________ fully know that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. To know that because of what Jesus did, all (his/her) sins are forgiven with a clean slate. When You look at _________________, You see Jesus. Let (him/her) know that (he/she) is WORTHY because Jesus is worthy. Let (him/her) know that (his/her) identity is in the unshakeable, unchanging, unfading truth of who You say (he/she) is! Let this always be the foundation on which (he/she) lives (his/her) life.
 
God, let ______________ know that (he/she) is Your beloved masterpiece and vehicle for loving Your people and changing the world! Let (him/her) know (he/she) is a child of God…created in Your image and likeness…forgiven and free…valuable and needed with purpose and calling. God, let __________________ know how loved (he/she) is right now…not the future, cleaned up or improved version, but just as (he/she) is.

Download a PDF of the Prayer

Tips for Parents

A fun way to help your kids remember their identity in Christ is to create an “I AM” poster with them. You can print out a photograph of them to place on the poster and surround it with truth about who God says they are. You can hand write the words or cut them out from different magazines in fun fonts. The Scripture in this chapter can give you a start with words about who God says they are. You can add to it words that describe things you love about their personality and things they enjoy and are good at. Hang it in their room so they can see this daily reminder!
 
Here’s a start of some words about who God says we are:

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Scripture

You are created in the image and likeness of God
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27

You are fearfully and wonderfully made
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. Psalm 139:14

You are more than a conqueror
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Romans 8:37

You are no longer a slave to sin
We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. Romans 6:6

You are a child of God
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, John 1:12
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. 1 John 3:1
for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. Galatians 3:26

You are not condemned
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1

You can never be separated from God’s love
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

You are one with Christ
But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. 1 Corinthians 6:17

You are chosen to bear fruit that lasts
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. John 15:16

You are in community with other believers
…so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Romans 12:5

You are chosen, holy, royal; a special possession of God
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9

You have wisdom from God
And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 1 Corinthians 1:30

Your work is not in vain
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:58

You are a new creation
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17

You are a friend of God
No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. John 15:15

You are for the praise of his glory
so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. Ephesians 1:12

You have every spiritual blessing
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, Ephesians 1:3

You are redeemed and forgiven of all of your sins
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, Ephesians 1:7

You are clothed and one in Christ
For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:27-28

You have Christ living in you
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

You are chosen
In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, Ephesians 1:11

You have been seated in the heavenly realms
and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, Ephesians 2:6

You are God’s handiwork; you are created for good works
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10

You are near to God
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. Ephesians 2:13

The Holy Spirit lives in you
In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. Ephesians 2:22

You are a Temple
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

You may approach God with freedom and confidence
in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. Ephesians 3:12

You are light
for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light Ephesians 5:8

Your true citizenship is in Heaven
But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, Philippians 3:20

You have been given power, love, and self-control
for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7

All your needs will be met in Jesus
And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

You are held together by God
And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. Colossians 1:17

You have hope of glory
To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:27