Today is my grand daughter's birthday; she was born seven years ago. Jasmin, the little flower with a big perfume.
I have prayed for her for about eight years; every day. I have prayed for my daughters every day for 27 years, no kidding, no boasting, I have. The same way, I suspect that I have been prayed for for 50 plus years by my mother; Daisy, another flower with a beautiful countenance.
What does a father or mother pray for when praying for their kids? I'll tell you what we pray for; that they would know Jesus, that they would walk with Him for the rest of their lives; that God would protect them from the evil one; that they would have the peace that only God can give. We pray for God to give them health; and wisdom; we pray that they will never experience pain and suffering, even when we know that is not possible, we still pray for the impossible.
We pray that they would pray; that they would know that with God nothing is impossible, that He is a God of miracles; that they would know that they are walking miracles of the power of God's grace and His infinite mercy.
We pray for our kids to grow up to fall in love with our King; that they will know Him as Savior, as Prophet, as King; that they would understand their election; that they would understand how amazing His grace is; that they would know that they know that God is good because they have tasted Him.
We pray that God would give them good friends in their lives; we pray for good jobs and good places to live; we pray for their future husbands and wives; that they would be in love with Jesus more than in love with them; we pray for their future sons and daughters, that they will be healthy and beautiful and that they would honor God and know Him like we do, for a thousand generations.
We plead with God that He would grant our children wisdom, and we know that many times wisdom only comes through trials and tribulations, so we ask for God's mercy and loving-kindness upon them; we ask that Jesus would reveal Himself to them; we pray that He would build their faith, and make them strong in the Lord and in the power of His might, so that they can confront this fallen world and realize that they are the salt and the light of it.
We pray that they would be ready in season and out of season; that God would comfort their longing for heaven, that they would be ready to be a comfort to those in need with the same comfort they have been comforted with; we pray that they will become God's blessing to their little worlds; that our King would delight in using them to bring His scattered sheep into the fold.
We pray that God would keep them from making the same mistakes we committed; that God would keep them away from drugs and alcohol, and the desires of the flesh; we pray that God would fill them with the power of His Spirit; that they would not walk as the children of disobedience, in the futility of their minds; we pray that The Almighty would grant them a tender heart and repentance, not if, but when they blow it.
We pray that they would experience God in Jesus; that they would have the eyes of their hearts and understanding opened by Christ; that they would understand that their best work of righteousness is a filthy rag before God, and that they would walk and live in a way that is pleasing and worthy of the calling that God has placed on them.
We pray that they would learn to be sensitive to Jesus' Spirit; and that they would discover what they have been gifted with, and honor God with their abilities and skills; we pray that they would become worshipers of God, not only with their mouths but also with their life style; we pray that they would know that God will keep them through faith unto salvation, and that they would know without a shadow of doubt that God is faithful to His promises and that He will complete the work He started in them.
We pray that our children would know that they are special in the eyes of our Father in heaven; that they would be convinced by faith that they have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, and that they have been chosen to be holy and without blame before Him, that God has made them holy for His pleasure; that they have been predestined to become adopted children of God because they have been redeemed with the precious blood of Christ.
We pray, every day, that our children will certainly know that to be blessed is to be satisfied in God, not in their favorable circumstances; we pray that God would lead them to the fountain of living water; we pray that they would find rest for their souls only in Jesus.
We pray that they would have God's help to remove the log from their eyes so they can help those with specks in theirs; we pray for a heart of humility for them; we pray they would know that without Jesus they can do nothing; that they don't have to struggle to be fruitful because they abide in the Vine.
We pray they would learn to trust in God early in life; that they would know that a man or a woman is blessed when they trust in Jehovah; that they would know that God will never leave them or forsake them, that no one can snatch them out of Jesus' hand because He is the God man; the creator of the universe, and because they have been created for His pleasure.
We pray for a thousand more things and blessings for them, we could write a thousand books about them; and we hope they remember that their father or mother, or both, were the most blessed people because they were their children in this life.
Thank you God for our kids, what an awesome gift.
http://makariotes.blogspot.com
