Praying for Girls Book Review

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Praying for Girls by Terri Lynne Underwood is a helpful guide for moms who want to pray for their daughters but might not be sure where to start. Terri is the mother of a teenager, so she’s been through a few seasons of raising a daughter and it was delightful to read about her experiences thus far. Terri writes in a style that is transparent and truthful which I found to be quite refreshing. At the end of each chapter, Terri provides a few prayers to pray over your daughter and Scriptures to support them. What I liked most about these prayers is that first of all, they are Biblical and second, Terri left blanks in each one so the reader can input the name of their daughter. For example, here’s one of my favorites:
“Lord, I pray ________ will recognize her need for salvation early in life and call upon Your name, knowing it is only through You any of us can be saved. (Acts 2:21, Joel 2:32),” (pg. 160).

This book is aimed at moms whose daughters have already made a profession of faith in Christ but is still really helpful for moms like me who hope that their daughter will do so in the future.

My daughter is only one, but by reading Praying for Girls, I was really encouraged by the opportunity to pray through so much Scripture for her and it made me hopeful that one day, Lord willing, she will turn from her sin and trust in Christ alone for salvation.

In a time where so many “Christian” books for women are lacking Biblical truth, it was very exciting to see Terri not only use Scripture abundantly, but to do so in context!

I love that Terri reminds moms that they can’t be the ones to save their daughters and that salvation comes through Christ alone. Addressing this in Chapter 18, Terri wrote, “Our daughters can only walk in the fullness of their identity in Christ when they belong to Him. Their hearts and minds can only be rooted in and guided by Him when they have experienced salvation through Him. The way they relate to others can truly reflect the character of Christ only if they are being conformed to Him,” (pg. 159).

I didn’t have any major theological concerns with this book but thought it might be helpful to provide my thoughts on the following content:

• Terri includes an excerpt from an email she received from a blog reader who was so encouraged by what Terri wrote that she made a prophecy quilt for her daughter, “But, as a quilter, I felt the Lord place on my heart to make a ‘prophecy quilt.’ I didn’t even know it was a thing (and maybe it’s not, really!),” (pg. 26). I encourage readers to be discerning with such statements and test them against Scripture. No where in the Bible does God instruct anyone to make a prophecy quilt. This doesn’t mean making the quilt or the quilt itself is inherently sinful however, it should serve as a caution to consider how much weight we ought to give things that are inspired outside of Scripture.
• On page 81 there is a sentence that states, “Discuss with her how important it is for us to listen carefully for the Lord’s voice and then do what He says quickly.” We actually don’t need to listen for God’s voice because everything God has to say has been given to us in Scripture (Hebrews 1:1-2, John 1:1). Referring to Jesus, Revelation 19:13 states, “. . .the name by which he is called is The Word of God.” If we want to know Jesus, we can by simply reading His Word. I believe Terri would agree with this and perhaps I am being too sensitive to the syntax but I felt the need to address this with the plethora of “Christian” books available that focus on the unbiblical practice of listening for God’s voice. 

Overall, I really loved Praying for Girls and my heart was blessed by Terri using so much Scripture throughout its pages. Reading this book made me so hopeful that God will save my daughter and reminded me not only of my need to be in prayer for her but also of my need for God and His Word. This book was a great reminder for my heart to ensure that I am putting my love for Christ and Scripture on display for my daughter.

I highly recommend Praying for Girls for any mama with a daughter who wants to know how she can care for her daughter through prayer. The chapters were short but really impactful and even challenged me to want to grow in my love for Christ, especially by going to Him in prayer.

Praying for Girls is available now at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and all major booksellers.

I received Praying for Girls compliments of Cross Focused Reviews in exchange for my honest review.