Praying for Teen Boys: Partnering With God for the Heart of Your Sonنموونە

Lord, Let Him Hear Wisdom

The older they get, the more our boys need wisdom. And not just any wisdom . . . God’s wisdom. After salvation, it’s the number one thing that will equip them for a life well-lived. It’s THE thing for them to get because wisdom will carry them far in this life when talent, experience, knowledge, and even faith might fail.

Proverbs tells us that wisdom is loud, and it cries out to the simple, almost begging them to come and learn. For someone like me, who can be stubborn and sometimes blind to what’s right in front of me, this is good news. If that description also matches the teenage boy in your home (stubborn, blind), let it stand as proof that he needs God’s road map for wisdom, too.

The Bible describes two basic types of men—the foolish and the wise. Even a cursory reading of Psalms and Proverbs shows the contrast between the two quite clearly. The fool says in his heart there is no God and does as he pleases all his days. The wise man fears the Lord and follows Him. It’s important for us to encourage our teen sons to consider what kind of men they want to be—wise or foolish. It’s a question that applies to almost every decision they face, so it’s a good idea to get in the habit of asking it.

Tony Evans said, “To live well in a world gone bad, you have to fear the Lord.” The hard reality is that unless our sons know God, it will be hard for them to know wisdom. So we begin at the beginning, asking God to help our sons fear Him, and then begin unpacking what true biblical wisdom looks like for them in their daily lives, holding it out as the standard of excellence they can grow into.

A prayer based on Proverbs 1:7:

Father, help ______________ to be a wise man, fearing you. Keep him from being a foolish man who despises wisdom. In Jesus’s Name, amen.

A prayer based on Proverbs 1:20–21:

Father, open _____________ ears to hear Your wisdom calling. Tune his ears to recognize when You make Yourself known. In Jesus’s Name, amen.