Father, I thank you for the ten years I have had with my son.
As I look at him I see so much of myself looking back -
hopes, plans, dreams, abilities, failures, weaknesses, vulnerabilities.
So Lord, I pray for my boy tonight, asking that you will provide all that he needs.
Lord, give him the wisdom to navigate life, in times of joy and times of anguish.
Help him to find straight paths, in an often tangled world.
Lord give him insight into others, the ability to perceive the world from their perspective - so to love them in a Christlike way.
Lord give him insight into himself, to save him from pride, and misjudgement.
Then Lord, give him insight into you - that he might find the certain security that comes from walking with you.
Lord, bring the influences to bear on him that will help him to be a well-rounded character, emotionally whole and spiritually healthy.
Lord, may he find good friends, who will care about him, and he for them; friends who will build, not damage the formation of his character.
I pray that one such friend might one day be his wife, a woman of integrity who will stand by him through whatever life offers him, good or ill.
Lord I pray that he will identify the skills you have given him which education will hone to enable him to work usefully and productively in the world.
Lord, I pray that my boy will seek the forgiveness of his sins, and will be so filled with a sense of your forgiving grace, that he will always seek reconciliation with others, always offering forgiveness, just as he has been forgiven.
Lord I pray that as he grows he will find a place in a church fellowship that will love, accept, forgive, embrace, care and nurture him and be a spiritual home for him.
Lord I pray that he will not inherit too many of my bad habits, sins, follies and errors.
Rather that he be spared from these and protected by you.
Lord, when I look at the world, I am filled with paternal concern for my boy,
But I believe that your love for him outshines my own.
So I pray that your good hand would be upon him.
May he have a deliriously joyful birthday,
and may we have the peace of knowing that you are with him always.
That Hideous Man posts his rather dull thoughts here. Watch this space, or indeed, go somewhere else.
2 comments:
a beautiful, beautiful prayer Mr Hideous.
There is real power in those words you pray over him. Speak them out loud while he sleeps.
You and Mrs H are uniquely chosen by God to be your son's closest earthly protectors, his most powerful role models, his fiercest advocates, the fount of forgiveness to wash away his times of silliness /stubborness
/selfishness, his most faithful encouragers and his unswerving source of love and affirmation.
Bless you!
Lest I be accused of heresy in my previous comment....its not that Jesus doesn't forgive you understand....but children need stuff demonstrated and real-life modelled to them :-)
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