1Tim 1:2 A True Son in the Faith
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1Tim 1:2 To Timothy, a true son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.
Paul first met Timothy in Acts 16:1-3. There we learn that Timothy was already a disciple of Jesus Christ and well spoken of by the Christian community there. Paul desired to utilize him in his ministry. But he came from a family where his father was Greek and his mother Jewish. The Jews generally held very significant prejudice against Gentiles. Even the Jewish Christians in the church of Jerusalem displayed elements of that prejudice when it came to the distribution of bread to the widows, for "there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution." Acts 6:1 So to help overcome such prejudice in the case of Timothy he circumcised him, and thus among the Jews they would minister to Timothy could admit to being circumcised, making him an insider among the Jews. Timothy was in fact a Jew as the tradition even holds today that one is a Jew if one's mother is Jewish. However we note that Paul did not circumcise Titus, as he was a Gentile.
Without digressing more on that subject we note that Paul characterizes himself as Timothy's father. Not that he led him to Christ. Yet there are many today who consider themselves spiritual "fathers" who simply prayed a prayer with a person to receive Christ and then let them go on their way. That is not being a father to the person. Paul mentored Timothy. He discipled him. He instructed him. Timothy was Paul's apprentice in the ministry. And so also Timothy behaves as a dutiful son to Paul. Paul writes to the Philippians saying of him, "I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel." Php 2:20-22
Then the first thing that Paul does is pray for Timothy that he would receive grace, mercy and peace. So among the other concerns to pray for your children, include these three things.