Dealing With a Child With ADD/ADHD

Dealing With a Child

With ADD/ADHD

I N T RO D U C T I O N

 In these last days Satan is working harder than ever to destroy

our ch i l d re n . One of the areas of his attack is what

psychologists and educators call Attention Deficit

D i s o rd e r / Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. These

disorders are tools of the enemy to disrupt households — causing

confusion, frustration, division, and every evil work. Their effects

are far reaching.

Children and adults with ADD/ADHD are thought of as

bullies, unruly, destructive, overbearing, impulsive, defiant — and

the list goes on. It has been estimated that about two to five

percent of school-aged children are now diagnosed with the

disorder, and many adults who have it have never been diagnosed.

Many who might be helped if properly diagnosed are in mental

institutions, jails, and prisons.1

1 For additional information on ADD/ADHD, including instructional practices for use in

dealing with this disorder, see “101 ways to help children with add learn, Tips from

Successful Teachers,” published by Division of Innovation and Development, Office

of Special Education Programs, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative

Services, U.S. Department of Education.

Although working with children diagnosed with ADD/ADHD

can sometimes be frustrating and discouraging, as believers we

know that God’s Wo rd , prayer, understanding ca re t a k e r s ,

Christian counseling, medication, and their peers can all help

them become overcomers.

In our ministry to these special children, we must remember

that, according to 2 Corinthians 10:4, “...the weapons of our

warf a re are not ca rn a l , but mighty through God to the pull i n g

d own of strong holds.” Psalm 107:20 AMP s ays of the Lord’s

interve n t i on on behalf of those in need, “He sends forth His

w o rd and heals them and rescues them from the pit and

destruction.” Praye r, according to the Word of God, will avail

mu ch ( James 5:16).

Declare and decree victory for the child as you teach and

direct him/her through the following prayers.

The first two were written by a grandmother, one of our

associates at Word Ministries, whose gra n d s on has been

diagnosed with ADD/ADHD. They pray together each morning

before he leaves for school.

The third prayer and the following series of daily prayers

were based on conversations and prayer times that I have had with

this young man. He and I have cried and laughed together in my

office, where we talk privately and confidentially.

At times, he asks to sit in a class where I am teaching, and

later we discuss the subject matter. For instance, we may talk about

abandonment issues and how Jesus felt when He was on the cross.

He is not shy about asking for prayer when he is having a problem.

If you use any of these prayers, I encourage you when

necessary to explain in simple language the meaning of the terms

found in them. Remember, the child’s imagination is creating

pictures with the words he or she speaks and hears.

As the child prays, listen carefully, allowing him/her to

express his/her feelings, fears, thoughts, and ideas. Ask the Holy

Spirit for discernment — it can be difficult to separate seriousness

from horseplay. If you give the child time, he/she will let you know

the difference.

P RAY ERS TO BE PRAY ED BY THE CHI L D

I .

COMING AGAINST A D D / A D H D

Father, in the name of Jesus, I come against ADD/ADHD and

say that I have the mind of Christ (the Messiah) and hold the

thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart; I am able to

concentrate and stay focused on each task.

I am a disciple (taught by You, Lo rd , and obedient to Your

will), and great is my peace and undisturbed com p o s u re . I do not

have a spirit of fear, but [You have given me a spirit] of pow e r

and of love and of a ca l m , well-balanced mind and discipline and

s e l f - c on t ro l .

In the name of Jesus, I come against my defiant behavior and

tantrums and hyperactivity and speak peace and love to the

situations in which I find myself. I cast down imaginations and

every high thing that would exalt itself against the knowledge of

You, Lord, and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience

of Christ.

Father, I ask for Your wisdom to reside in me each day as I

learn new techniques for handling stressful incidents.

Father, Your Word says not to worry about anything but to

pray and ask You for everything I need and to give thanks when I

pray, and Your peace will keep my heart and mind in Christ Jesus.

The peace You give me is so great that I cannot understand it.

Thank You for keeping my mind quiet and at peace. I declare

that I am an overcomer; I am in control.

In the name of Jesus, amen.

Scripture References

1 Corinthians 2:16 AMP Philippians 4:6,7 ICB

Isaiah 54:13 AMP Isaiah 26:3

2 Timothy 1:7 AMP Revelation 12:11

2 Corinthians 10:5

I I . MAKING NEW FRI ENDS

Father, I am asking You to supply me with good friends I can

relate to, spend time with, and enjoy as You intended. I desire to

develop relationships that will be lasting and helpful to both me

and my friends.

Father, I will be sound-minded, self-restrained, and alert —

above all things, I purpose to have intense and unfailing love for

others, for I know love covers a multitude of sins [forgives and

disregards the offenses of others].

I ask You to help me manage my behavior and attitude so

others will want to be around me. I purpose to bridle my tongue

and speak words of kindness. I will not insist on having my own

way, and I will not act unbecomingly. When someone is unkind

and falsely accuses me, help me to maintain a cool spirit and be

slow to anger. I commit to plant seeds of love, and I thank You for

preparing hearts ahead of time to receive me as a friend and as a

blessing to their lives.

Father, thank You for causing me to find favor, compassion,

and loving-kindness with others.

Thank You, Lord, for my new friends.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

Scripture References

1 Peter 4:7,8 AMP James 1:19 AMP

Proverbs 21:23 1 Corinthians 3:6

1 Corinthians 13:4,5 Daniel 1:9 AMP

Proverbs 18:24 AMP

I I I . HAVING A BAD DAY

Father, this was not a good day. My scores were low. It was a

hard day for me at school and at home. I feel that I messed up a

lot. Because I know that You love me unconditionally and You are

not holding anything against me, I come to talk with You.

Father, You expect me to be accountable to You, my

teachers, and my parents for my behavior.2 I ask Your forgiveness

2 NOTE TO PARENT: Effective reprimands should be brief and directed at the child’s

behavior, not at the character of the child. Direct him/her in assuming responsibility

for his/her actions, acknowledging and asking forgiveness when appropriate.

for acting mean and disrespectful to ________. I ack n owledge my

misbehavior, and I ask You to forgive me for ________.

Thank You, Lord, for helping me as I learn good social skills

and how to do unto others as I want them to do unto me.

Father, I release my disappointment to You, and I believe that

tomorrow will be a great day! I look forward to the new day with

its new beginnings.

In the name of Jesus, amen.

Scripture References

Romans 8:33-39 NIV Matthew 15:4 NIV

2 Corinthians 5:18 TLB 1 John 1:9 TLB

Matthew 12:36 NIV Luke 6:31 NIV

Romans 13:1-5 NIV Proverbs 4:18

I V. LIVING EACH DAY

M O N DAY:

Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank You for giving me life.

You picked me out for Your very own even before the foundation

of the world — before I was ever born. You saw me while I was

being formed in my mother’s womb, and You know all about

ADD/ADHD.

Lord, You see the weird things I do, and You know all my

weird thoughts even before I think them. Thank You for loving

me and helping me replace bad thoughts with good thoughts.

Help my pare n t s , t e a chers — and, especially, the bus driver —

to help me do right things. Help me to be kind to others.

In the name of Jesus, amen.

Scripture References

Ephesians 1:4 AMP Psalm 139:2 TLB

Psalm 139:13-16 TLB Ephesians 4:32 TLB

TU ES DAY:

Father, Psalm 91 says that You have assigned angels to me —

giving them [special] charge over me to accompany and defend

and preserve me in all my ways.

Lord, I need Your help. Sometimes my weird thoughts scare

me, and I don’t like the way I behave. I become so frightened and

confused that I have to do something: run, make noises — even

scream or try to hurt someone. These actions separate me from

playmates; and when they don’t want to be my friends, I am hurt

and disappointed and angry.

I am asking You, Father, to help me form new behavior

patterns and successfully overcome the disobedience and defiance

that cause my parents and teachers anguish. I don’t like to see

them all upset, even though I laugh about it sometimes.

Thank You for helping me overcome obsessive, compulsive

actions that create confusion for me and others around me. Even

when others don’t want me around, You will never abandon me.

You will always be with me to help me and give me support.

In the name of Jesus, amen.

Scripture References

Psalm 91:11 AMP Psalm 27:10 TLB

Romans 7:21-25 TLB Hebrews 13:5 AMP

W ED N ES DAY:

Father, thank You for my pare n t s , grandparents, wise

counselors, and teachers who understand me and are helping me

learn good behavior patterns. Help me to listen and develop good

relationships with others — especially other children.

Thank You for giving me the ability to learn how to express

my anger appropriately; I rejoice every time I have a victory. Your

Son, Jesus, said that He has given me power to overcome all the

obstacles that ADD/ADHD causes in my life.

In His name I pray, amen.

Scripture References

Ephesians 4:26 TLB Luke 10:19 NIV

T HU RS DAY:

Father, I believe in my heart that Your Son, Jesus, is my Lord

and Master and that He has come to live in my heart. Thank You

for giving me the mind of Christ (the Messiah), His thoughts

(feelings and purposes).

Lord, You are with me when my thoughts get jumbled up,

and You have sent the Holy Spirit to help me concentrate and stay

focused on each task at home and at school. I am a disciple [taught

by You, Lord, and obedient to Your will], and great is my peace

and undisturbed composure. Thank You for giving me Your

helmet of salvation to protect my thought life.

In the name of Jesus, amen.

Scripture References

Romans 10:9,10 NIV Isaiah 54:13 AMP

1 Corinthians 2:16 AMP 1 Thessalonians 5:8 NIV

John 16:13 NIV

F RI DAY:

Father, You have not given me a spirit of fear, but You have

given me a spirit of power and of love and a calm, well-balanced

mind and discipline and self-control. Thank You that as I grow in

the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ, You are creating in me a

willing heart to be obedient.

Forgive me for throwing tantrums, and help me recognize

and control the destructive ideas that cause them. The Holy Spirit

is my Helper. Thank You for giving me the ability to channel

hyperactivity in constructive, productive ways.

I choose to speak peace and love into the situations that

confront me and make me feel uncomfortable and out of control.

In the name of Jesus, amen.

Scripture References

2 Timothy 1:7 AMP Philippians 2:13

2 Peter 3:18 John 14:16 AMP

Exodus 35:5

S ATU RDAY:

Father, s ometimes awful thoughts come to me, and I

command the voices that tell me bad things to be quiet and leave

me in the name of Jesus.

Lord, in Your Word You said that I can make choices. I

choose to cast down imaginations that cause me to feel afraid and

angry; these thoughts are not Your thoughts. You love me, and I

will think on good things.

Father, I ask for Your wisdom to reside in me each day as I

learn new techniques for handling stressful incidents.

In the name of Jesus, amen.

Scripture References

Deuteronomy 30:19,20 TLB Isaiah 55:8 TLB

2 Corinthians 10:5 Philippians 4:8 TLB

S U N DAY:

Father, there are so many everyday things that worry and

torment me. I feel so different from other people.

Lord, Your Word says not to worry about anything but to

pray and ask You for everything I need and to give thanks when I

pray, and Your peace will keep my heart and mind in Christ Jesus.

The peace You give me is so great that I cannot understand it.

Thank You for keeping my mind quiet and at peace. I declare

that I am an overcomer, and by submitting to Your control, I am

learning self-control.

Father, I thank You for teaching me how to be a good friend

to those You are sending to be my friends.

In the name of Jesus, amen.

Scripture References

Philippians 4:6,7 ICB Revelation 12:11

Isaiah 26:3 AMP Galatians 5:23 AMP

P RAYER TO BE PRAYED

BY THE CARE GIVER

I N T RO D U C T I O N

Caregivers of ADD/ADHD children often find themselves in

situations that far exceed their parenting skills. Much prayer and

faith are required to see the ADD/ADHD child as God sees him/her.

The emotional turmoil and disruption to the household often

become overwhelming, and caregivers sometimes discover that the

challenges are greater than themselves.

Responsible adults involved in the life of an ADD/ADHD child

need go dly wisdom , spiritual discernment, and mental and

emotional alertness to overcome weariness, bewilderment, and

anxiety. Often, they second-guess themselves, p ro c e s s i n g

confusing emotions and scenes of great conflict.Words spoken to

the child and over him/her can comfort, giving him/her hope —

or they can reinforce his/her belief that he/she is bad and that

something terrible is wrong with him/her. Words can heal or

words can wound.

The prayers of the ADD/ADHD child must be reinforced by

those who love him/her. Often our image of another individual —

even our children — can only be changed as we pray according to

God’s will and purpose for him/her. The following personal prayer

for the caregiver is a composite of things the Holy Spirit has

directed me to pray for my friend and associate and her husband

who are raising their ADD/ADHD grandson. I have observed in

them the heartache, the delight, the exasperation — the full

gamut of emotions involved in this challenging experience. But

through it all, God is faithful!

P RAY ER

Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank You for this very special

child. You see my con f u s i on , anxiety, frustration, and bewilderment

as I attempt to rear him/her [tenderly] in the training and

discipline and the counsel and admon i t i on of the Lord. Fo r g i ve me

for times when I knowingly or unknowingly irritate and prov ok e

him/her to anger [exasperate him/her to resentment].

You see my intense pain when I observe the rejection this

child suffers by adults who speak harsh words against him/her and

our family. Children refuse to play with him/her, and it hurts even

though I understand. I know that those who have never walked in

our shoes cannot fully understand us.

But, Lord, where others are unmerciful and unkind, You are

merciful and kind. Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow us all

the days of our lives, and we shall dwell in Your house forever.

Hide us in the secret place of Your presence and keep us secretly

in Your pavilion from the strife of tongues.

Lord, perfect the fruit of my lips that I may offer to You

effective praise and thanksgiving for this child who is a blessing

from You. His/her intellect astounds me, and his/her wit is a

delight. I ask You for divine intervention and guidance as I train

him/her up in the way that he/she should go. I thank You for the

awesomeness of Your handiwork and the techniques that You have

given him/her to survive — to overcome emotional turmoil — and

the ability to function in this world around us. Truly, this child is

fearfully and wonderfully made. I plead the blood of Jesus over

him/her to protect him/her in every situation.

You have a divine purpose for this child. You have

foreordained steps that he/she is to walk in, works that he/she is

to do. Help me to look at his/her strengths and weaknesses

realistically, that I may know how to help him/her develop and

demonstrate self-control techniques. Forgive me for times when I

lose patience and berate him/her for his/her behavior. Sometimes,

I lose sight of who he/she really is. Anoint my eyes to see him/her

as You see him/her.

Father, help me to speak works of gra c e ; anoint my lips to

speak exc e llent and pri n c e ly things over him/her, about him/her,

and to him/her. M ay the opening of my lips be for right things.

Help me to give him/her healthy doses of unconditional love,

administer to him/her appropriate discipline for misbehavior, and

reward him/her for his/her good behavior. Anoint my lips with

coals of fire from Your altar that I may speak words that com f o rt ,

e n c o u ra g e, strengthen, and honor him/her. Keep watch at the door

of my lips, and forgive me when my patience has come to an end.

Father,You are my Comforter, Counselor, Helper, Intercessor,

Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby. Wh a t ever comes my way,

help me to consider it wholly joyf u l , a ll owing endurance and

steadfastness and patience to have full play and do a thorough

work, so that I may be perfe c t ly and fully developed [with no

defects], l a cking in nothing.When I am deficient in wisdom, I will

ask of You, and You will give wisdom to me libera lly and

ungru d g i n g ly, without re p ro a ching or finding fault in me.

I pray that I may be invigorated and strengthened with all

power according to the might of Your glory, [to exercise] every

kind of endurance and patience (perseverance and forbearance)

with joy.

Father, You have seen the tears in the night season, and I

know that I shall experience the joy that comes in the morning

times. You are my Exceeding Joy! You are my Wisdom,

Righteousness, Sanctification, and Redemption. Thank You for

being a constant companion.

Lord, I see my child, _______, growing and becoming strong

in spirit, increasing in wisdom (in broad and full understanding)

and in stature and years and in favor with You and with man.

In the name of Jesus I pray, amen.

Scripture References

Ephesians 6:4 AMP Isaiah 6:6,7

Psalm 117:2 Psalm 141:3 AMP

Psalm 23:6 John 14:16 AMP

Psalm 31:20 AMP James 1:2,4,5 AMP

Hebrews 13:15 Colossians 1:11 AMP

Psalm 127:3 AMP Psalm 22:2

Proverbs 22:6 Psalm 30:5

Psalm 139:14 Psalm 43:4

Ephesians 2:10 1 Corinthians 1:30

Proverbs 8:6 AMP Luke 1:80; 2:52 AMP

DA I LY AFFIRMATIONS FOR USE

BY THE CA RE G I V ER

I N T RO D U C T I O N

Often it is very difficult for ADD/ADHD children to learn, to

develop new learning techniques in their lives and to change their

negative behavior patterns. When working with them, it is so

important that we love them with the God-kind of love and praise

them for their accomplishments.

Foll owing are examples of the kinds of positive daily

affirmations that can be said to the ADD/ADHD child to help

him/her develop a good self-image and to become all that God

intends for him/her in this life.

A F F I R M ATI O N S

• Great job • Well done • I’m very proud of you • Good for

you • Neat • Outstanding • That was a smart decision • You are

smart • God loves you • I love you • I knew you could do it • I

believe in you • I know you are trying • Super-duper • You are a

good boy/girl • Way to go • W hat an imagination • You are

growing up • Good memory • Amazing • Nice work • What a wise

choice • You are a blessing to me • You are special to me • You are

valuable • You are a gem, a precious jewel • You are more precious

than gold • You are incredible • You are important • Outstanding

performance • You are a winner • Remarkable • Nothing can stop

you • Now you’ve got it • Excellent • You are catching on • Great

• Wonderful • Good • Terrific • Beautiful • Now you are cooking

• You are fantastic • Beautiful work • Outstanding • You are

spectacular • You are a real trooper • You are unique • Great

discovery • You try so hard • Good try • Good effort • Magnificent

• You’ve got it • S uper work • Phenomenal • Marvelous •

Dynamite • You mean so much to me • You make me laugh • You

brighten my day • Hurray for you • You are beautiful • You are

handsome • You are a good friend • You are a loving son/daughter

[grandson/granddaughter] • You light up my life • You belong •

You are an important part of our family • We are family • You

mean the world to me • That’s right • You are correct • You are a

success • Hurray • You are growing in wisdom every day • You are

a beautiful creation • You are loved • I love you • WOW! • You are

a success • You are an overcomer • You are a child of my love • You

are victorious • You are a ray of sunshine • You are patient • You

have a good attitude • You are a doer • You know how to get the

job done • You are a chosen one • You give good hugs • Thank you

for being a part of my life•

You are deserving of praise!

Scripture Passages for Meditation

A GOOD REPORT: Proverbs 15:30; Philippians 4:8

A SOFT ANSWER: Proverbs 15:1

PERFECT LOVE: 1 John 4:18