All My Fountains

I've been thinking all week, as I've prayed for my children, about how God is not bound by time as we are. And that comforts me.

I prayed - and prayed hard - for children for years. We found out my wife was pregnant on our fifteenth wedding anniversary! For thirteen years or so I prayed valiantly, stubbornly for these two children we are now blessed to be raising. And from time to time I would stretch out my faith to pray beyond just achieving pregnancy. I would pray for my children's future friends, for who they would marry, for their experience of fellowship and coming to really know God. And when I prayed those seemingly crazy prayers I was acknowledging that God was not stuck in my right now. For him a day is as a thousand years and a thousand years is as a day. Right?

And this week I've been asking God to watch over my daughter when she's in her eighties and I'm long gone; to provide for my son someday when maybe he's a father himself. A daily prayer of mine is, "Lord, command your angels to watch over my children and keep them safe - today, tonight, tomorrow and for the rest of their lives". I believe that if a satellite falls on my car tomorrow when I'm going to the store for diapers, that this "angels" prayer of mine will still be before God throughout the years of my children's lives. Another daily prayer is one Amy Grant wrote in her recent book that she prays for her kids: "Lord, find them like you found me". That's another prayer that would remain before God even if was worm food six feet under.

I'm just comforted to know that there's this sort of spiritual life insurance; that if something happens to me, my prayers for my kids remain before God for years and years to come. Does anyone else pray those kinds of prayers?

Another prayer thing I've enjoyed for years is writing out prayers as a sort of poem. Usually I pray spontaneously and freely, sometimes guided by a prayer list. But sometimes I'm just mentally and physically exhausted and I'll pray by lifting up one of my prayer poems. Now it's not really a poem, I guess. It doesn't quite flow like that, but still... Here's an example. It's part of a prayer for my daughter:

Fruit Of My Faith

Thank You, Lord,
for my daughter...
the fruit of my body,
the fruit of my faith.
Command Your angels
to watch over her,
to protect her.

Keep her healthy, O Lord,
in body, in mind, in spirit...
I place her in Your care.

May she grow
to really know You.
May she know You better
and love You more
with each passing year.

And cause her to be creative,
Almighty Creator.
Artistic, musical, imaginative, poetic...
Bring forth the art in my child,
for Your honor and Your pleasure
and to help her grow in You.

Throughout her life
bless her with good and godly friends
and with an anointed social grace.
Let her always enjoy a special closeness
with her Mama and Daddy and little brother
and to be devoted to all her family.

And, according to Your will and plan,
should You tarry, Lord Jesus,
bless her with a godly husband -
Bless that little boy, Lord,
whoever he is, wherever he is.
Raise him godly in Christ Jesus
as only You can do.
Protect him from being
damaged by the world
and so protect my little girl.

Then bring the two of them together
in a sweet romance
that will warm them
through all their years together.
And allow the two of them to know
the sweet blessing of children.

Please... let us live
to see our grandchildren.

Help my sweet precious girl
to live a life fully surrendered
and completely devoted to You.

Amen.