Tuesday, May 01, 2007

And now I lay me down to sleep

And now I lay me down to sleep.
I pray the Lord, my soul to keep.
If I should die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take.

The little prayer that you and I may have prayed before we went to bed each night may be very similar to the one written above. It seems to me that it was somewhat self-serving, wasn't it? We prayed for ourselves. In our limited view of ourselves and of God's grace and mercy, we prayed that we would somehow make it to heaven if we died in our sleep.

But our parents went to bed later that night also. I was very fortunate to have Godly parents who prayed for me every day. And as apparent myself now, I wonder what my parents were praying? What were the things going through the minds of our mom and dad as they lay their heads on their pillows each night?

How are my kids doing in school?
How are they doing working at their jobs?
Is their job rewarding?
Are they making friends?
Are they making the right friends?
How are they getting along with their friends?
Are these friends helping them become more Christ-like?
Are they involved in a love relationship?
Is it a healthy relationship?
Does that person bring out the best in my son or daughter?
What is God's will for their future?
Are they open to the moving of the Holy Spirit in their lives?
Are they becoming young men and women of God?

That list above is a very different set of thoughts than what went through my head as a child. The thoughts and prayers are no longer quite so self-serving. In fact, it is all about someone other than ourselves. It is completely focused on those lives that God has entrusted to us to raise, to train and to live before as examples of what it is to be a mature person and, more importantly, what it is to be a mature Christian.

So what does this mean to me?

I think it means that my job as the primary prayer warrior for my children is no where near over! From the perspective of a 46 year old, I can more clearly see the impact of the things that are on the list of questions above.

But, let me say very quickly. I am very blessed. Both of my kids are growing and maturing and making great decisions. Both are actively seeking and following God's will as it is being revealed to them.

Be encouraged you parents of young children. Keep praying. God is still on the throne!

4 comments:

  1. Anonymous7:31 AM

    I think your sentiment goes along with the level of faith maturing as well. Being someone who didn't pray or have that to see when I was young, I have seen the same growth in prayer as my faith walk matures.

    Prayers have gone from, change this for me to change me for this. Do what you will with me so that I can be used as You see fit instead of changing the circumstance to fit what I want. Granted, it can be a slow transition sometimes though.

    Now if I could just get that personal jet so I could do His work more efficiently, lol....(couldn't resist a sarcastic remark at Benny Hinn)

    Blessings
    Scott

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  2. Anonymous5:38 PM

    When your grandkids are living a Christian life, it makes a grandparent feel like they did something right. Keep up the good work.
    deb

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  3. Anonymous12:22 PM

    From another perspective, I have been able to watch God developing more intimate personal relationships in both my kids and my parents over the last few years. I had the wonderful experience on this mother's day of my own mother coming up to me and praying for me for the very first time in my 45 years. As a child it gave me such joy; as a christian it gave me renewed hope in "not growing weary"; as a mother it reminded me that living out what God is birthing in you is incredibly important to those around you. God's work in us extends far beyond the boundaries of our personal experience. It was a wonderful refreshing God moment. :)
    Terri

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  4. Terri, Thanks for stopping by and visiting the blog. What a great experience that must have been for you. Thanks for the encouragement.

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