Surrendering our children to God can be one of the hardest things to do as a mom. Surrendering their lives back to the One who made them can feel like an impossible task. It’s an important part of being a Christian mom, here is how you can do it.

I remember getting pregnant with my oldest, the feeling of excitement and apprehension was unlike anything I had ever experienced. Like most couples we didn’t tell many people in the beginning, keeping things quiet. And it was in those quiet moments I felt the need to hand my child back to God.

It’s a scary thought, to be given something so precious and then turn around and hand it back to the One who gave it to you. And not because you don’t want them, but because you want the best for them.

Surrendering Our Children to God

It’s a common occurrence in the Bible where women have surrendered their children to God’s greater plan. Surrendering our children to God sometimes looks like giving them up, but not always.

Moses’ mother, Hannah and Mary all experienced this.

Each with their own experience.

Moses’ mother sought physical protection for her son.

Hannah wanted a child, but also to honour God.

Mary was given a gift that wasn’t just for her, but the whole world.

I can’t imagine the strength it must have taken for these moms to entrust their children to God.

But that is what God calls us to do. He gives us children to love, to teach and to protect, but also to return to Him.

It is with the same fierce love that God gave His son up for us. We can love our children in the same way, because if we bottle them up and keep them for ourselves, we don’t know what plans we are keeping them from accomplishing.

The hardest part and biggest question, is how do you surrender your children to God?

Your Children Are a Gift (Not a Possession)

The most important thing to remember is that our children are a gift, not a possession. God gives them to us to love and cherish, but not to possess.

Do we protect them like a mama bear? Absolutely. I will forever stand guard over my children, be their strength and stability. But I also know that they have to become their own person. They can’t live under my shadow forever, because it is under the shadow of God’s wings they need to find refuge.

This is a hard shift to make. When your children are young they are completely reliant on you. You are their comfort, their strength and their safety.

As they grow, we continue to keep those instincts. We want to shield our children, help them navigate friendships, prevent injuries and keep them safe. And while those are all good things, we can’t smother them.

Our mothering instincts have to shift from possession, to preparation. We need to prepare our children for the next chapter in their lives. The one where God is the source of comfort, strength and wisdom.

Turn to Prayer

This is where prayer becomes an important piece of our motherhood journey.

I’m sure you have spent many hours praying over your children. Praying for sleep, praying for health, praying for God’s protection. As they grow, your prayers need to change too.

It’s less praying that they will sleep and more praying that they will sleep without anxiety. Less praying for healthy bodies and more praying for healthy minds. Less praying for physical protection and more praying for spiritual and emotional protection.

Because ultimately you know the enemy isn’t trying to attack their physical body, he wants their relationship with God.

And if we as their moms have been their source of wisdom and strength, without giving them an opportunity to know God, that relationship hasn’t had a chance to develop.

So our prayers need to reflect that. We need to pray that we can show them how to have a relationship with God. That we have spoken words of truth and faith so they have a path to follow in their Christian walk.

Our prayers should be for God’s will, His plan and His direction for our children.

Praise the Lord

When you read Hannah’s prayer, you see how she praises God, after giving up Samuel.

(Read her prayer in 1 Samuel 2:1-10)

She surrendered Samuel to God’s purpose, and then she praised God because she knew He would care for him.

Whatever we do, however we do it, we should praise God. Even in the difficult moments, God is still good and worthy of praise.

Surrendering our children to God is an act of worship. It is an act of faith. It is an act of trust. And we should praise Him because His faithful love endures forever, which means our act of surrender does not go unnoticed.

We don’t have to physically hand our children over like Hannah did, but we should have the same heart position as her. Releasing control, letting God guide their steps and enabling them to have a relationship with Him.

Then praise God because He has our children in His hands!

Entrusting Our Children to God’s Will

When we think about the stories of women in the Bible who faithfully gave up their children to God, we also see how those children did great things.

Moses lead his people out of Israel.

Samuel was a man of God who anointed David.

Jesus was love in human form.

And none of these men would have been able to do the amazing things they did had their mothers not surrendered themselves to God, and then surrendered their children.

Our job as a mom changes as our children change. We can’t be their protector for their entire lives. They have to experience God’s love and protection too.

But in our act of surrender, we can teach them what love means.

Surrendering our children to God takes courage, but so does being a mother. God isn’t asking you do to anything He hasn’t done Himself. He sacrificed His own son for our lives, and we know how that story ends…in resurrection and restoration.

With our hands folded together and our eyes on Jesus, we can pray for the courage and strength to give our most precious possession back to God. We can pray His will over them, speak His truth into their lives and then let Him take control of their futures.

If you want to pray love over your family, grab this 14 day guide to walk you through 1 Corinthians 13 and pray for your family.

For more on how to release control to God, read “Letting Go of Control As a Mom.”