Lyrics
I talk to God about you
And even haven't met you yet
Everybody is waiting on you here
I can't wait to feel Your heartbeat
When I lay You on my chest
Am already holding back my tears
I wonna be the dad that my dad was
I hope that I won't mess all this thing up
I pray that you love like your daddy
And you forgive just like he does
'Cause when this life knocks you down
I hope you get down on your knees
'Cause that is what I do, that is what I do
When I pray for you
I know you gonna grow up someday
But don't forget to take your time
To take a time to come back home
It ain't always gonna be easy
It ain't always gonna be fair
I know you ain't always gonna need me
I promise I will always be there
I pray that you love like your daddy
And you forgive just like he does
'Cause when this life knocks you down
I hope you get down on your knees
'Cause that is what I do, that is what I do
When I pray for you
I talk to God about You
When everything around me breaks
I look up and hear him say
Love like your mama
Forgive just like she does
'Cause when this life knocks you down
I hope you get down on your knees
'Cause that is what I do, that is what I do
When I pray for you
When I pray for you
When I pray for you
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
When I Pray For You presents a parent’s hopes for a child through the language of prayer. Before the child is born, the narrator speaks to God about the life ahead, anticipating both tenderness and responsibility. The repeated prayer asks that the child learn love, forgiveness, humility, and the habit of turning to God when hardship arrives. Family affection is therefore joined to spiritual dependence rather than treated as sentiment alone.
The verses also recognize that growing up will bring distance, difficulty, and changing needs. Against those uncertainties, the parent promises steady presence while entrusting the child to God. Hannah’s prayer for Samuel offers a close biblical parallel to gratitude and prayer surrounding a child, though the song tells its own modern family story. Its emphasis on forgiving as a parent forgives also recalls the New Testament call to extend forgiveness received from the Lord. The result is a gentle picture of parental care shaped by prayer, example, and trust in God through an unknown future.
Related Scripture
- 1 Samuel 1:27 Hannah says she prayed for her child, closely matching the song’s central image of parental prayer.
- Colossians 3:13 The passage calls for forgiveness modeled on the Lord’s forgiveness, reflecting the parent’s prayer for a forgiving life.