Not Home. Come Home.

2025 Lenten Reflections

A PRAYER FOR

 At-Risk Children

“My people will abide in a peaceful habitation,

in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.”

Isaiah 32:18

Illustration by Eunice Sunmie Derksen

In our very broken world, fragmented systems and poor, individual choices often conspire together, resulting in a child or teenager being stripped of home – and everything that "home" means. At their most vulnerable moments of learning what it means to grow up and be formed into God’s image, they receive the devastating blow of abandonment and hurt. Yet each one of these children and teenagers is precious to God.

Consider praying for all of the people and entities who are involved in bringing healing to the children and teens who enter the foster care system:

  • Biological Parents

  • Child welfare professionals

  • Counselors and therapists

  • Lawyers and judges

  • Teachers

  • Law enforcement officers

  • Kinship caregivers

  • Researchers and policy analysts

  • Journalists

  • Foster parents

  • Adoptive parents

  • Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs)

  • Respite care providers

  • Foster care advocates

  • Health care professionals

  • Mentors and mentees

  • Children in foster care

  • Youth aging out of foster care

  • Siblings

  • Classmates

  • Elected officials

As you pray, imagine a banner over all of them, uniting them together as they seek to lift the burdens and restore the lives of children in the foster care system. May the hearth and home of God’s kingdom – with its warmth, safety, and hope – be felt through the loving work of each of the people involved.

For Foster Parents and Caregivers

O Lord, we pray for fostering families who, by Your grace, guard tender hearts with steadfast love. Strengthen them to shelter little ones and teach them that they are fearfully and wonderfully made. Grant them wisdom to set boundaries, offer refuge, and persevere in spiritual battles. May their hearts be guarded as they care for those entrusted to them, finding joy in Your faithfulness. Equip them with courage, grace, and rest, reflecting Christ’s love in all they do. Let their witness shine with hope, guarding each story with reverence, and may Your Gospel transform all who see their mission of love. Amen.
 

For a Foster Child

Heavenly Father, we pray for the children in foster care. Grant them a sense of belonging, healing from past hurts, and the blessing of supportive relationships. Surround them with kindness, joy, and friendship, and grant them success in learning and growth. May they find safety and stability in their homes, confidence in their identity as Your beloved, and hope for a bright future. Restore broken bonds and fill their lives with Your love and peace. Amen.



For Teens Aging-Out of the Foster Care System

O Lord of compassion, we cry out for youths aging out of foster care. Shield them from homelessness, despair, and substance dependence. Heal their minds from trauma and fear, and sustain their bodies with the care they lack. Protect them from exploitation and guide them to safety and stability.

Grant them hope for work, education, and a future free from past pain. For young mothers, give wisdom and support; for those tempted by crime, deliverance and a new path. Surround them with love, healing, and belonging, that they may find joy and peace in You. Amen.

 For Advocates and Caregivers of Teens Aging-Out of Foster Care


Almighty God, defender of the vulnerable, we lift before You teens aging out of foster care. Stir Your people to act as advocates and caretakers, providing love, guidance, and opportunity. Bless mentors, educators, and caregivers with wisdom to teach life skills, nurture trust, and offer healing for wounds of trauma. Inspire communities and policymakers to extend resources for housing, education, and support, ensuring no youth is left without hope. Empower these young lives with agency and surround them with Your steadfast care. Strengthen us to fulfill this calling, trusting in Your faithfulness to provide. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

PRAYER

TAKE ACTION

Call to Connect: Do You Work with At-Risk Youth?

A big part of what M25i does is learn from you, pray for you, and connect with you and others doing similar work. Do you serve vulnerable children or youth through educating, mentoring, tutoring, or fostering, whether you are a volunteer or paid? M25i offers virtual events to equip and connect with others who "get it." These free events are opportunities for cross-pollination when it comes to developing ministry practices and ideas. We hope you will join us!