--- title: The Prayers of a Parent description: Megan Swaim remembers family prayer growing up and how the witness of her parents' prayers motivates her to make prayer with her own children a priority. --- [![catholic-mom-logo-v2](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/images/catholic-mom-logo-v2.svg "catholic-mom-logo-v2")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) [![search-icon](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/search-icon.svg)](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2016/10/11/the-prayers-of-a-parent#) # The Prayers of a Parent Oct 11, 2016 8:00:14 AM  |  by [Megan Swaim](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/megan-swaim) > [!["The Prayers of a Parent" by Megan Swaim (CatholicMom.com)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/hands-407388_1280-1.jpg?width=720&height=340&name=hands-407388_1280-1.jpg)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/hands-407388_1280-1.jpg) "Hands" Dami Wurtz via [Pixabay](https://pixabay.com/en/hands-holding-dad-son-together-407388/). CC0 Public Domain. > > > > *"May the Father bless you with a restful, peaceful and healthful sleep; > May you wake with the fire of the Holy Spirit, in the name of His Son, Jesus; > And may your guardian angel watch over you and protect you day and night. > In Jesus' name, Amen."* For as long as I can remember, this is how we ended the day in my family. After our night prayers, my siblings and I would rush to our father’s side and await our nightly blessing. When I would be away from home at a sleepover with friends, I’d ask for my blessing early, before leaving the house. But if I forgot, I’d ask to call my dad and have him bless me over the phone. The day that I went off to college, as my dad was helping me unpack and set up my room, he gave me a copy of the blessing to hang in my room and look at every night, and sometimes I’d need to call home and hear it from his mouth. And at my wedding reception, he presented my new husband and I with a blessing for the two of us and invited all our friends and family to join in asking for God’s blessing for our new life together. We learned in the school of the domestic church that the prayer of a parent is powerful. My brothers and sisters know that our parents pray for our every need. They pray for our hopes and dreams, our relationships, our vocations, our holiness. They pray for their marriage and their vocation as parents and ask God for his blessing on them as well. And we’ve always asked for and appreciated their prayers. [Tweet "When I became a parent myself I came to appreciate what a gift the #prayers of a parent are."] But it wasn’t until I was a parent myself I really understood and came to appreciate what a gift the prayers of a parent are. I know now what a c*ommitment *it is to pray with and for your children every day. It requires thought and energy, sometimes more than I think I can muster at the end of a long day. It demands patience as you wrangle fussy babies and busy toddlers and try to find even a moment of peace and calm to pray as a family. I’m sure it was that way for my own parents many days. But I don’t remember those days. I remember grabbing the basket of rosaries, sitting around the family room, and being blessed by my dad each night. These are good memories. It motivates me to keep family prayer a priority in our home, hoping that maybe in another 30 years my girls will look back on these days and forget the messy parts of family prayer, and hold onto the sweet memories of my husband and I handing them their icons, praying the Canticles, and giving them the same blessing that my father still offers for me. > *“The dignity and responsibility of the Christian family as the domestic Church can be achieved only with God’s unceasing aid, which will surely be granted if it is humbly and trustingly petitioned in prayer.”*  - Saint John Paul the Great, *[Familiaris consortio](http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_jp-ii_exh_19811122_familiaris-consortio_en.html)*   *Copyright Megan Swaim 2016.* ### Share this article [![Share on Facebook](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/facebook-24x24.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2016%2F10%2F11%2Fthe-prayers-of-a-parent%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on Twitter](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/twitter-24x24.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2016%2F10%2F11%2Fthe-prayers-of-a-parent%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2016%2F10%2F11%2Fthe-prayers-of-a-parent%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=The%20Prayers%20of%20a%20Parent) [![Share on Email](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/email-24x24.png)](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2016%2F10%2F11%2Fthe-prayers-of-a-parent%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%20&body=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2016%2F10%2F11%2Fthe-prayers-of-a-parent%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail) ** #### About the Author ![Megan Swaim](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/Contriubutors/MEGAN%20SWAIM.jpeg) ### [Megan Swaim](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/megan-swaim) Megan Swaim is an Indiana girl on an east coast adventure. A former high school youth minister, she now gets to minister full-time to her three young daughters and her husband Josh. Megan spends her days homeschooling at the kitchen table, drinking iced coffee, and exploring coastal Virginia. ## Related Blog Articles [ Building Family Prayer, Brick by Brick Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/building-family-prayer-brick-by-brick) [ Enjoy It While It Lasts Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2014/06/19/enjoy-it-while-it-lasts) [ Back to School, Back to Prayer Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2019/08/13/back-to-school-back-to-prayer/) ## Comments ## Donate now [![Support Catholic Mom](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545) [![CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png?width=1806&height=731&name=CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png "CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) ##### Subscribe to Catholic Momcast on iTunes or Spotify [![itunes-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/itunes-logo-black.svg)](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/catholic-momcast/id1362352357)[![spotify-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/spotify-logo-black.svg)](https://open.spotify.com/show/15CoipHL7z61IDcYErV0b8?si=hqaQJSxDQgq7S1hxCwsoxQ) ##### CatholicMom on Social Networks [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) ##### About Catholic Mom [Who We Are](https://www.catholicmom.com/about-us) [Contact Us](https://www.catholicmom.com/contact) [Support CatholicMom.com](https://www.catholicmom.com/support-us)   ##### Associated Links [Holy Cross Family Ministries](https://www.hcfm.org/) [Family Rosary](https://www.familyrosary.org/) [Family Theater Productions](https://www.familytheater.org/) [Congregation of the Holy Cross](https://www.holycrossusa.org/) [Father Patrick Peyton, C.S.C.](https://www.fatherpeyton.org/) [The Peyton Institute for Domestic Church Life](https://www.peytonfamilyinstitute.org/) ### **Stay connected!** Don’t miss a thing! 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