Camp

Today we head out to our favorite camp for Family Camp.  I pray that all my children have the opportunity to go to a camp geared for kids their age, where they can enjoy creation, wholesome fun, and hear the Gospel in a way they can understand it.  If they don't have the chance for a week at camp, then I pray they would at least have a chance to experience you this summer in ways that they don't throughout the year.

Finishing Well

Today is the last day of school, and while the tests have all been written and the report cards completed, they still have this one day to finish well.  My prayer today, Lord Jesus, is that each one of my children and those in their schools would leave good last impressions on their classmates and teachers.  May they choose to treat each other well, and bite back thoughtless comments.  May they all go home today with a smile on their faces because someone was kind rather than rude, because they were smiled at rather than pushed or ignored.  May they go into summer with hopeful thoughts about school next year, not just relieved that they get a break from it.

Craving & Passionate Clinging

As I've mentioned before, I pray through the Prayer Calendar for Mothers from Inspired to Action.  It has 30 items, and can be used for each of the days of the month, but as I don't have the same weekend and weekday routines, I just go one by one, disregarding the dates.  That's why this week, I was praying #12 on the list, 'A Passion for God.'  I've prayed through this list 3 full times and am on the fourth go-round, but this struck me deeper this time; the words stuck in my head and heart.

"Lord, please instill in my children a soul with a craving for You, a heart that clings passionately to You.  Ps. 63:8"

A soul that craves You.

A heart that clings passionately to You.

Craving.  Clinging passionately.

This is my prayer today, and everyday!  When praying that my children will be generous, courageous, kind and responsible, it all stems from wanting them to have this passion for God.  I pray that all those other good things are the results of true salvation, a love for the Lord, and the desire to live their faith.

Craving & clinging passionately to Jesus.

Amen.

Prayer

When something bad happens to my child, Lord, I pray that their first response is to talk to you about it.  When something good happens to my child, I pray their first response is to talk to you about it.  When they hear of others with needs, I pray their first response is to talk to you about it.  When they wake, when they eat, when they go to bed, I pray they would first turn to you and talk to you.

May prayer be important to them, may they learn to pray continually, and may they learn to love you through it.

Sensitivity to the Needs of Others

Lord, may my children develop a sensitivity to the needs of those around them, and the needs of people far away.  May they not grow up desensitized by news accounts of wars or famines, but may they understand through what they hear that people are suffering and may it cause them to have compassion, pray, and want to help.

Bring People Alongside

Lord, I pray that you would bring people alongside each of these children to teach them what you require, both so they have no excuse, and so they have opportunity to choose you and follow you.

May they learn who you are and what your dream is for them and what you require of us.

Transformed

Lord, today I pray for these children what is written in 2 Corinthians 3:18, that they "with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."

May they, day-to-day in all the small things, make choices to look to you and may they be transformed into children who are unmistakably your sons and daughters.

When people look at my son, they can tell he is ours.  When people look at me, I want them to be able to tell I am yours.

Rejoicing that they are mine!

Rejoice in your children today - Paul writes to the Philippians "I thank my God every time I remember you.  In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy..." Our children are always on our minds, but often (especially as they get older!) it's concerns for this issue or that attitude that we have in our thoughts.  Today, let's simply thank God for them and rejoice that they are ours, issues, attitudes and all!

Health

It hurts to see a child hurting.  I pray for health for my children, for bodies free from disease, infection, and illness.  May they not be prone to accidents and breaks.  Protect them from injury, and may they grow strong and healthy.