A couple weeks ago, I was praying for a “word” from the Lord for 2023.
Autistic
Thank you, Lord, for this precious child. Thank you for his sweetness, his uniqueness, and for all the potential You have blessed him with.
I pray, Lord, that you help us discover the key that will unlock his potential. Please continue each day to open his mind and heart to the outside world.
Awaken those areas of his brain that are not functioning as they should, and strengthen him in mind, body and spirit.
Bring him the gift of awareness, so that he can enjoy the wonderful gift of relationship with family, friends, and most of all, with You.
Bring the autistic child a good night’s sleep at night, so that he and his family can receive the restorative rest they need.
Help him to acquire an appetite for the foods and nutrients so essential to health and healing.
Grant his doctors, so baffled by this mysterious condition, direction in their recommendations and treatments. For the sake of autistic children everywhere, bring truth and clarity to the medical establishment concerning this illness. Guide and direct doctors and scientists in their search for a cure.
Continue to give the family wisdom, resources and guidance as they pursue treatment options. Help them to discern between those things that will help and those things that are a waste of time and money.
When a true healing path is available, give his family the will and stamina to persevere on this path. Fill them with strong faith that transforms anxiety about the future into joy that the future is in Your hands.
Let then delight in each day’s progress, no matter how small. Give them great joy that you have blessed them with this special child, and great trust in the breadth and depth of your love and healing power.
Please bring about this child’s complete healing. Whether that healing comes all at once or gradually, help the family to relish this journey of faith.
Surround them each day with love, joy, and the positive expectation that can only come from relationship with you.
I pray these things in the name of your son, Our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen
Prayer for Individuals Affected by Autism Spectrum Disorders
Lord, you said, “I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. We pray for the gift of abundant life for all who are living
with autism spectrum disorders.
We pray for the children and adults on the spectrum who struggle to understand how the social world operates, and therefore have difficulties fitting in. Please allow them to experience dignity and the joy in life that their natural anxieties at times prohibit them from.
We pray for their parents and other family members, whose challenge is to never lose hope as they work hard with love to guide and discipline. Keep us mindful of the strength with which you grant to anyone who asks for it and help us to share our faith in you with individuals in all developmental stages.
We pray for catechists and teachers, especially when they don't understand that the persistent talking out or unusual behaviors that a person on the spectrum may demonstrate are not meant to undermine their authority. Help them to see the gifts of these individuals through your eyes
and those of the people who love them most.
We pray for members of our faith communities, that they replace their stares and looks of disapproval with understanding and compassion for people on the spectrum, who daily face great challenges,
yet are trying to live the abundant life you have called them to. Give them the grace to include your most vulnerable
people in the full life of the Church.
We ask this in your name, Christ Jesus. Amen.
Prayer for Non-Verbal Child
Compassionate and Gracious Jesus, thank You for what You have already done for my child. I thank You that by Your stripes, You have purchased his healing. And now, I ask for him to be able to speak and communicate his needs and wants. In Your mighty and holy Name, may the part of his brain related to speech be perfectly restored, and may a river of words, fluent and articulate, flow from his mouth. Amen.
Prayer for Meltdowns
God our Deliver, I intercede for my child’s response to overwhelming stimuli and emotions that often lead to loud vocalizations and aggressive actions. I pray that You will help us as parents to identify triggers and find strategies to minimize outbursts. Help us to recognize signs of impending meltdowns, and take steps to head them off. Help us to stay calm through these episodes and aide our child in regaining control. Oh Lord, bring Your peace to our child and to our family. Amen
Prayer for Child with Asperger’s Syndrome
Merciful Lord, please touch my son, and give him peace and guidance as he navigates through a world that is often confusing to him. Lift him out of the depression he often suffers because he is laughed at, isolated, and excluded at school and in social settings. Help him overcome awkwardness in communicating and catching social cues. Help him acquire good social skills, so he can develop friendships and have a sense of belonging. Heal his wounded heart and lack of self-worth. Amen.
Prayer for Abundant Life
God of Miracles, please bless my child with the abundant life You came to give, and restore what has been stolen from her. Give her the ability to focus on tasks, but not get fixated on things. Help her to interact well with others and to develop flexible thinking and social imagination. Help her to understand metaphors, and sarcasm and irony, and not take these things literally. Help her develop empathy and know how to express it. Amen.
Prayer for Effective Communication
Lord our Help and Strength, we ask that You help our child to effectively communicate. Enable him to come out of his own little world and interact effectively with others, using good eye contact, and able to interpret and engage in body language such as appropriate hand gestures and facial expressions. Help him not to fixate on specific topics and monologues, but be able to have normal give and take in a conversation. Amen.
Prayer Against Aggressive and Self-Harming Behaviors
God of all Comfort, in the blessed Name of Jesus, I pray that my child’s self-harming behaviors, such as head-banging and hitting and scratching himself, will come to an immediate end. I pray that aggressions, including hitting, scratching, pushing, and pinching others, and breaking things in the house, will stop. Ease his frustrations with communication problems and becoming overwhelmed by stimuli that lead to self-harming and aggression. Amen
Prayer Against Hypersensitivity
God of Hope, I ask that You heal my child of hypersensitivity to bright or flashy lights, loud or high-pitched or sudden noises, and busy environments that are over-stimulating. I pray against the effects of this overloading of his senses, such as stiffening of his body, anxiety, agitation, loud vocalizations, hyperactivity, and even emotional meltdowns. Give him normal sensory processing, I pray, and bring calmness to his mind and body. Amen.
