We have a placement coming; we need to get the house ready and prepare our children for the change.
I need to find a foster family to take this child otherwise they’ll have to sleep in the office.
I have to find an apartment or else I’ll never be able to get my children back.
There are many needs and concerns throughout the foster care community. It is easy to get overwhelmed by all that we need to do and details we have to think about, and prayer can often fall to the bottom of our list. Sometimes we may even struggle to know where to start or even feel like we have the words to bring our requests to God.
Regardless of your role in the foster care community, prayer is an important tool that holds great power. It can provide peace, guidance, perseverance, and creates real change. We cannot navigate this journey alone. If we try to do this on our own strength and willpower, it can often lead to burnout and overwhelm.
Let’s commit together to regularly pray for the foster care community. Here are some prayers you can use to get started:
1) For Biological Families
Biological families may be in difficult circumstances or come from a traumatic background themselves. It’s important to have grace and understanding as we interact with them. The goal of foster care is reunification and an important part of that is rooting for the biological families.
God, we pray for the biological families that they would have access to the resources to experience help, hope, and healing. Bring a community of cheerleaders around them that would support the goal of reunification.
2) For Comfort
Regardless of your role in the foster care community, we all experience stress and hardships along the way. When this occurs, we need comfort and encouragement to keep going. That may come from a friend, mentor, the foster parents to the child, or the case worker to the biological parents.
Lord, we recognize that this world is broken. Because of this brokenness, we come face-to-face with stress, frustration, and uncertainty. During this time, lend us the comfort that only you can provide. Comfort the children, biological parents, agency workers, and foster parents as they make challenging adjustments.
3) For Foster Parents
Foster parents open their homes, hearts, and families to a child with an unknown background. There are challenges and adjustments they must make to incorporate a child into their families – all while the child may be experiencing feelings of fear and uncertainty.
Lord, we pray for encouragement and strength for the foster parents within our communities. Give them understanding, patience, and grace as they open their homes and families to children in need.
4) For Agency Workers
Life as an agency worker includes days or seasons that can be overwhelming. The stress of their work can cause them to feel weary instead of satisfied. This can even create a feeling of distance from God or their loved ones. Their role matters deeply in the foster care community, so let’s pray together for encouragement and hope.
God, we pray for the safety and emotional health of agency workers on the front lines as they come face-to-face with difficult situations. Give them the strength to overcome discouragement and burnout. Restore their hope and peace. Help them understand the deep impact they have in the lives of children and families on a weekly basis.
5) For Healing and Restoration
We know that there is a lot of transition and trauma that we encounter in the foster care community. As such there is a great need for healing and restoration—both for the circumstances and in our hearts.
Lord, you know everything that we are experiencing inside and out. You can heal our hearts, repair our hurts, and bring about restoration. We lift up all our pain and challenges to you. You are the great physician and restorer, and we trust you to bring about your healing in our lives.
6) For Peace
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” – Philippians 4:6
There is so much in our lives that is outside of our control. We can become anxious and worry about how things will turn out. Give us peace in the midst of our worries and calm our anxious hearts. Help us to trust you with the process and outcome.
7) For Judges’ Discernment
Judges are at the forefront of making decisions and putting a plan in place to protect and determine what is and isn’t a safe environment for children in care. There is so much discernment and wisdom that they must use when making these decisions.
Lord, we pray that the judges who preside over these cases would have eyes to see the best solution to bring about safety and restoration. We pray for clarity in circumstances that can feel confusing. We pray for empathy to give grace for complexity. And we pray for their support in reunifying separated families. We trust your sovereignty. Amen.
8) For a Sense of Belonging
We all desire to feel like we belong. That feeling can be elusive when you are moved from the only home you have ever known or it feels like your life is spinning out of control. Whether a child who is entering foster care, a biological parent working to heal their family, or a child of foster parents adjusting to a new sibling, we all need to feel like we belong.
Jesus, may we find our ultimate sense of belonging in you as your child. As we fulfill our roles in the foster care community, make us aware of how we can offer belonging to others. For the children in our care, give them a sense of consistency and belonging in the midst of change.
9) For Perseverance
Many roles in the foster care community carry a high rate of burnout. This is why it is so important to practice self-care and rely on the one who never changes. There is hope in Jesus!
Lord, lend us your strength and power. Renew our energy and our hope so we can continue in our roles. Give us the wisdom to know when we need to rest and when to persevere. When we are weak, we remain confident that you are our strength.
10) For Children in Foster Care
We know that children in foster care can feel displaced, alone, and uncertain about the future. They are getting used to how a new home functions, navigating loss and grief, and processing the unknown of what the future holds.
Father, we know that children in foster care experience confusion, trauma, and fear as their lives are turned upside down. We pray that they will know how much they are loved by their biological families, those currently caring for them, and by you. Give them a sense of comfort and security during this time of transition.
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