I've been praying for a lot of new parents lately, and I've caught myself saying a similar prayer over and over again. Then I realized that this is the prayer I've been praying for my kids for 10 years now!(10 years, my little girl turns 10 in a few days!)
Honestly, I never thought through this prayer.
But I bet I've prayed it most every night for a decade for my own kids, and now numerous others.
It's a prayer that comes from deep within me, and reflects my deepest desire for my children.
And it goes like this:
"Father, may my children know you, love you, and serve you all the days of their life."
"May they know you..." We have been teaching our children the story of God from their birth. Honestly, my kids are bible scholars. I'm pretty sure my 10 year old can beat most of you in a bible trivia game. She knows people, places, events and dates. If is vital that our children learn the history and story of God. But all that "knowing" isn't enough. Just being good a bible trivia might just mean you're a legalistic, hypocritical, Pharisaical jerk!
"May they love you..." All that information, I pray, wells up in great love for God. Here is where I am already completely helpless and dependent on God. I can't make them fall in love with God. I can teach them about knowing God and model my love for God, but ultimately I call on God for his love to break through to my children's hearts so they may love Him back. But even that is not enough. For love must show itself in action.
"May they serve you..." Yes, my kids need to show their love of God in word and action. Again, we want this to flow purely out of their lives, but we can still model it. For example, tomorrow we are taking our kids "Homeless Care Packages" downtown to hand out to some of our cities street people. By the way, you do know that every city has street folks. They are permanently homeless. They have names. They are loved by God. And my kids have an amazing natural love and compassion for our cities most broken.
"All the days of their life." I want my kids to know love and serve God at ages 5, 8 and 10, and ages 50, 80 and 100. I hoep my kids NEVER rebel, never stray from God, never lose faith, never make bad life decisions! This doesn't mean they won't make some mistakes and occasionally learn the hard way. Thsi doens't mean I protect my children from every mistake or the consequences of their actions. But I do pray they have a life of umble obedience so that one day, when they stand before God they will recieve a crown of glory and hear what I long to hear from my heavenly father,
"Well done my good and faithful servant." Matthew 25:23
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