For This Child I Prayed

I was reading in my baby magazine that I picked up from church tonight and ran across this prayer I thought it was wonderful and is something we should all pray for our children daily. This is my prayer for Colby.

Dear Lord,

As I hold this baby in my arms, I dedicate him to You. Your Word expressly declares that children are a gift from You. The Scriptures explain that children are like arrows in the hand of a warrior, meant to leave a mark. Children are a righteous heritage, a precious blessing, and a powerful responsibility.

There is no way that I can parent this child without Your help, Lord. Standing before you today, I realize the great miracle of birth. I acknowledge Jesus as the giver of breath, the sustainer of life, and the only hope of eternity.

Listen! I hear his gentle breathing.

Look! Have I ever seen such a masterpiece?

How can I help but know You made him?

I see your handiwork every time I look at him. When I hold him, I feel Your presence like never before. I loving him, I catch a glimpse of Your love for me - unconditional, everlasting, and relentless.

Lord, I rely on You for my baby's health. May he grow in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man (Luke 2:52). May the oil of joy be his strength. May he have a cheerful heart and a positive outlook. Protect not only his physical health, but protect him emotionally, dear Lord, and assure his safety and well-being. Plant a hedge of protection around this child, Lord, that wrong people will not have access to him and that he will not find himself in wrong places. Prosper his health physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

O God, I pray for my baby's heart. May he give his heart to Jesus at an early age, and may he assume Christ's servant attitude. Give him hands quick to help the hurting, arms open to love the lonely, and legs willing to go the extra mile.

Bless him with the hope of Immanuel, God with us, working intimately in his life. Give him the hope of being completely accepted, unconditionally loved, and outrageously forgiven. Give him the hope of a future, a home, and an eternity with Christ Jesus. May he know and accept Him as the lover of his soul, the healer of his wounds, and the knower of his name.

Heavenly Father, I dedicate myself to You. I cannot parents without You, dear Lord. Make me the godly example I must be! Allow me to show my little one Christ through my own life: His dying sacrifice, His utter selflessness, His consuming joy, His complete mercy, His undeserved grace, and His unlimited patience. Rally my church family around me with supportive prayers, encouraging words, and generous affection. May their loving kindness provide accountability, strength, and determination to parent my child in wisdom, righteousness, and truth.

For this child I prayed, and for this child I will pray without ceasing. In Jesus' Name, Amen