How to Pray about Adoption
Prayer is easily one of our best and most underutilized tools.
It’s not because we don’t want to pray. Nor is it because we don’t believe prayer is powerful. Sometimes we simply don’t know what to pray. Life—and specifically adoption—can get really complicated, so sometimes we end up making vague requests or no requests at all.
But God invites us to pray boldly, and He gives us the ability to do it.
Whether you’re considering adoption, you’re in the midst of adopting, or you’re raising a child you adopted, here’s a roadmap for how we can pray about adoption—
1. Be honest with God.
What do you feel?—Discouraged? Scared? Overwhelmed?
Prayer is the place to wrestle with the realities of life. Whether you’re grappling with a diagnosis, or you don’t know which path to take, or whether you’re exhausted by your responsibilities, there’s no better place to be honest than in the presence of God.
Sometimes honesty is just sitting in silence when no words will come and trusting that the Holy Spirit will intercede for us (Romans 8:26-27). Since God already knows and already cares, all we need to do is come to Him.
At a loss for words? Pray the Psalms. Psalm 55 is a great place to start.
2. Be specific with God.
What do you need?—Funding? Answers? Compassion?
One benefit of being specific with God is it helps us be more specific with ourselves. What do we really need? What do we really believe God can do?
One way to be more specific in prayer is to make a list of our requests. If we can’t specifically list what we need, it’s possible we aren’t asking for specifics when we pray. Additionally, listing our requests—and how God answers—is a tangible way to ponder what God has done. If we don’t keep track, it’s easy to miss what He’s doing in our lives.
3. Be confident with God.
What do you know?—Promises? Attributes? Patterns?
What has God done for you in the past? What has God promised you for the future? This should inspire our confidence in prayer. When God promises something, we honor Him by believing it. So it makes sense that we would include the promises of God in our prayers. What are some of the things we know for sure about God?—
God will help you (Isaiah 41:10).
He will meet all your needs (Philippians 4:19).
He’ll work everything together for your good (Romans 8:28).
The Bible is filled with hundreds of promises that apply to you and your adoption. Find them and claim them on your journey. His faithful provision in our lives should inspire our confidence to ask for future provision.
He is always, always faithful.
The good news—no prayer is wasted, and no request goes unanswered. God may not answer them in the timeframe or way that we want, but He always answers. And His answer is always the right one.
If God called you to adopt, He will provide everything you need to do His will.