a prayer for "my" children
Yesterday as I was running, a song came on and it really stirred my heart. When I heard it, I knew what I was supposed to write today.
I knew that the Lord wanted me to write a prayer for "my" children.
That may seem odd because I don't actually, and may never, have children.
There are, however, a lot of children that the Lord has placed in my path to love. I sort of had to chuckle to myself this morning as I stumbled around bleary eyed from having my niece and nephew spend the night last night, that this was the thing on my heart to write today. It was a ROUGH night. We had a slumber party in Aunt Linda's big bed and well...now the bedding is in the wash from not one but THREE "incidents."
I thought of it again as the blonde curly haired culprit behind two of those instances wouldn't let me go, so I helped lead worship this morning from a stool with her cuddled on my lap.
I may not be a "mother" in the truest sense of the word but I have the heart of a mother.
So this is a prayer for all "my" children:
Oh Holy Father,
I praise you for You're infinite goodness and mercy. Your love is without fail and Your goodness is unwavering. Father, help me to be like You. Help me to have the kind of heart that points people to you. Let them see you in me.
Lord, I confess that sometimes I feel like You may not trust me enough to be a mother, but I know that is not from You. Help me to take those thoughts captive and to silence the lies of the enemy.
Thank You for all the "children" that You have allowed in my life. They are truly to numerous to count. Thank you for trusting me with them. Thank you for giving me, not only my own sweet nieces and nephew, Alydia, Gracie and Daniel, but so many others as well. Thank You for Aarron and Evelyn, for Carter, Abbie and Eric. Thank You for Coda. Thank You for the countless children who pour through the doors of the mission and for all the boys and girls, and young men and woman you gave me the chance to love and serve in Kentucky. When I think of them all, I am overwhelmed by the amount of children You HAVE trusted me with.
Lord, wherever they are and whatever they are doing, I pray that you would continue to bring people into their lives who would point them to Jesus. I pray that You would fill them with a knowledge of who You are and overwhelm them with Your love for them. I pray that they would know the value You have put in them and that they would learn not to settle or to sell themselves short. God reveal YOUR purpose for their lives. When they fall, help them to know You are there to lift them back up. When they walk through trials, help them to feel You ever present with them. When they turn from You Lord, when they walk the other way, when they run after things this world says will fill them up that can never satisfy, call them back, Lord. Call them back time and time again.
Thank you for your faithfulness.
Lord I pray for the children who are live in brokenness through no fault of their own, give them hope. I pray for the children who cross my path who are being abused in terrible ways that maybe no one even knows, give them a voice Father. I pray that You would comfort the afflicted and bring hope to those in suffering.
Jesus, I pray also for the "fatherless." I pray for the children from homes where there is brokenness and fighting. I pray for the ones who will grow up and never know the love of their parents. I pray that they would know that this is not their fault. Be the Father to the fatherless, oh Lord Jesus.
I pray for the Mom's and Dad's who maybe never wanted to be a parent or don't know how to be a parent, that You would put people in their path to help them. Lord, give them the humility to accept help when they need it. I pray for the parents who are struggling with addiction, anger, mental illness or broken relationships that You would heal them so that they can give their children the love they deserve. I pray for the Mom's and Dad's who are hopeless and at the end of themselves, that they would realize where we end is where You begin. Show them Your faithfulness. Teach them how to be the parent's You want them to be. Thank You for being the perfect example. You truly are a good, good, Father.
Help me every single day to never neglect a moment to hug, cuddle, kiss, love and show Christ to the blessings that You have put in my path. I confess that sometimes I am so busy or tired or irritated. Lord help me to slow down and be patient, energetic and joyful. Help me to love them in a way that they know is different. When they feel my love, let them know that anything good I have to give them is because of You and what You have done for me. Without You, I am nothing.
Help me to know when to be firm, and when to show grace. Help me to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger.
Lord, I pray also for any children that You may give me in the future. Perhaps they are my own flesh and blood or perhaps not. But whether they are biological, foster, adopted or step I pray that I would love them with reckless abandon. I pray that when they are grown the thing they will remember the most about me is how deeply in love I was with You.
And Lord, if You never give me children of my own, help me to have peace with that. Help me to know that You had other plans and that Your plans are always better.
Wherever these children are right now, I pray that You would wrap them in the safety of Your arms and that they would know they are loved.
In the name of my sweet Savior Jesus I pray,
Amen...so be it.
This was the song that stirred my heart to write this. It's the rest of my prayer for "my" children
I knew that the Lord wanted me to write a prayer for "my" children.
That may seem odd because I don't actually, and may never, have children.
There are, however, a lot of children that the Lord has placed in my path to love. I sort of had to chuckle to myself this morning as I stumbled around bleary eyed from having my niece and nephew spend the night last night, that this was the thing on my heart to write today. It was a ROUGH night. We had a slumber party in Aunt Linda's big bed and well...now the bedding is in the wash from not one but THREE "incidents."
I thought of it again as the blonde curly haired culprit behind two of those instances wouldn't let me go, so I helped lead worship this morning from a stool with her cuddled on my lap.
I may not be a "mother" in the truest sense of the word but I have the heart of a mother.
So this is a prayer for all "my" children:
Oh Holy Father,
I praise you for You're infinite goodness and mercy. Your love is without fail and Your goodness is unwavering. Father, help me to be like You. Help me to have the kind of heart that points people to you. Let them see you in me.
Lord, I confess that sometimes I feel like You may not trust me enough to be a mother, but I know that is not from You. Help me to take those thoughts captive and to silence the lies of the enemy.
Thank You for all the "children" that You have allowed in my life. They are truly to numerous to count. Thank you for trusting me with them. Thank you for giving me, not only my own sweet nieces and nephew, Alydia, Gracie and Daniel, but so many others as well. Thank You for Aarron and Evelyn, for Carter, Abbie and Eric. Thank You for Coda. Thank You for the countless children who pour through the doors of the mission and for all the boys and girls, and young men and woman you gave me the chance to love and serve in Kentucky. When I think of them all, I am overwhelmed by the amount of children You HAVE trusted me with.
Lord, wherever they are and whatever they are doing, I pray that you would continue to bring people into their lives who would point them to Jesus. I pray that You would fill them with a knowledge of who You are and overwhelm them with Your love for them. I pray that they would know the value You have put in them and that they would learn not to settle or to sell themselves short. God reveal YOUR purpose for their lives. When they fall, help them to know You are there to lift them back up. When they walk through trials, help them to feel You ever present with them. When they turn from You Lord, when they walk the other way, when they run after things this world says will fill them up that can never satisfy, call them back, Lord. Call them back time and time again.
Thank you for your faithfulness.
Lord I pray for the children who are live in brokenness through no fault of their own, give them hope. I pray for the children who cross my path who are being abused in terrible ways that maybe no one even knows, give them a voice Father. I pray that You would comfort the afflicted and bring hope to those in suffering.
Jesus, I pray also for the "fatherless." I pray for the children from homes where there is brokenness and fighting. I pray for the ones who will grow up and never know the love of their parents. I pray that they would know that this is not their fault. Be the Father to the fatherless, oh Lord Jesus.
I pray for the Mom's and Dad's who maybe never wanted to be a parent or don't know how to be a parent, that You would put people in their path to help them. Lord, give them the humility to accept help when they need it. I pray for the parents who are struggling with addiction, anger, mental illness or broken relationships that You would heal them so that they can give their children the love they deserve. I pray for the Mom's and Dad's who are hopeless and at the end of themselves, that they would realize where we end is where You begin. Show them Your faithfulness. Teach them how to be the parent's You want them to be. Thank You for being the perfect example. You truly are a good, good, Father.
Help me every single day to never neglect a moment to hug, cuddle, kiss, love and show Christ to the blessings that You have put in my path. I confess that sometimes I am so busy or tired or irritated. Lord help me to slow down and be patient, energetic and joyful. Help me to love them in a way that they know is different. When they feel my love, let them know that anything good I have to give them is because of You and what You have done for me. Without You, I am nothing.
Help me to know when to be firm, and when to show grace. Help me to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger.
Lord, I pray also for any children that You may give me in the future. Perhaps they are my own flesh and blood or perhaps not. But whether they are biological, foster, adopted or step I pray that I would love them with reckless abandon. I pray that when they are grown the thing they will remember the most about me is how deeply in love I was with You.
And Lord, if You never give me children of my own, help me to have peace with that. Help me to know that You had other plans and that Your plans are always better.
Wherever these children are right now, I pray that You would wrap them in the safety of Your arms and that they would know they are loved.
In the name of my sweet Savior Jesus I pray,
Amen...so be it.
This was the song that stirred my heart to write this. It's the rest of my prayer for "my" children
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