Notes of Faith May 11, 2025
Praying and Dreaming for Our Children
(And all people that God places around us!)
Happy Mother’s Day to all our wonderful mothers, grandmas, aunties, step-moms, stand-in mothers, and mother figures. We are thankful for you and we pray you know how much you are loved.
I can still remember that first kick.
After weeks of barely there flutters in my belly, that initial kick of my pregnancy might as well have been a wrecking ball. All at once, the wonder of what was happening in my body collided with my heart, and I was overwhelmed with gratitude and hope for this new life.
Before you were born, I dreamed for you.
For the remainder of my pregnancy, I often dreamed about who my child would be. What would she look like? How would it feel to hold that tiny form in my arms for the first time? Parenting books and mommy blogs do their best to prepare us for the practicalities of a newborn, but nothing readied my heart for that first glimpse of her face. My daughter, Aimee, arrived with a shock of black hair, two rosy lips, and a wail that awakened something new in me. In that moment, the dreams in my heart were changed forever.
And then, you arrived! It was love at first sight. And my dreams turned from “Who” right into “What might?”
To be clear, my dreams didn’t change overnight. Well after her arrival, I still thought about things like ballet recitals, shared ice cream cones, and tiny braided pigtails. But there was a new kind of dream in my heart now too — the kind that came with teary eyes and a lump in my throat that I couldn’t quite swallow down. She had barely made her appearance into the world, and I already longed so deeply for this heart that I was just getting to know.
One early morning, a handful of years ago now, a 5-year-old Aimee handed me a scribbled note with a crayon drawing of us. Just above the stick figures, she wrote “I love you, mom. I ben jreming fo you.” Through teary eyes, I took in her squishy, wonderful face, and considered all the dreams I have for her — dreams for her heart, her future, and her spirit. Dreams about the potential I saw in her, and the gifts deep within her that I knew would leave a beautiful mark on the world. How could I possibly explain to her all the dreams I’ve been dreaming?
Now I dream for you, what you’ll make of your story, that your life will be sprinkled with hints of God’s glory.
Looking back, I know that the dreams bubbling up in my heart were prayers. Parents have the front row seats to the lives of the children they are blessed with raising, and praying for their hearts and futures is one of the ways we get to partner with God in raising them. Jeremiah 29:11 says that God already has good plans for each one of our lives, but where do we begin? How do we tap into the Father’s heart when praying for our children?
For since the beginning, far long before me, God mapped out a plan for the life that you’ll lead.
While praying to the Father in John 17:17, Jesus says, “your word is truth,” and I believe that’s precisely where we begin. God’s Word, the Bible, is our road map for praying for our children, and it’s a powerful one too. Hebrews 4:12 says
The Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword,
and Isaiah 55:11 says God’s word does not go out without effect. As parents, we can align ourselves with the Father’s heart for our children simply by praying Scripture.
We can fear less tomorrow than we do today.
In our home, there’s a few go-to verses we pray daily. We put on our armor (Ephesians 6) each morning on the way to school, and we pray that we’ll all be salt and light wherever we go (Matthew 5:13-16). We pray each evening that the children will grow in wisdom, stature, and in favor with God and man (Luke 2:52), and my kids find comfort in Psalm 4:8, knowing they can rest peacefully because God is their safety.
In my own quiet time, I pray my children would have an identity rooted in the love of the Father (1 John 3:1), and that God would plant His dreams deep within their hearts (Psalm 37:4). I pray for Godly influence in their relationships (Proverbs 27:17), for physical, emotional, and spiritual safety (Psalm 121:7-8), and for a lifetime of days lived for the glory of the Lord (1 Corinthians 10:31).
On days when this kind of intentionality feels overwhelming and I don’t know where to start, I’m comforted (and beyond thankful!) to remember Romans 8:26–27 which says,
We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
Hallelujah!
It’s never too soon (or too late!) to begin praying for the young people in your life. This is not a call exclusive to women with small children under their roof; instead, it’s a gift we all can freely offer to ones within our reach. If you haven’t already, start dreaming.
Written for Devotionals Daily by Kate Wood,
Children bring great joy to my heart. They do not have to be my own, although I do love them dearly. The heart of a child is open, desiring to love and be loved. They have great hope in their heart for each day, to be blessed, encouraged, challenged, appreciated, and successful. May we use the Word of God to each person God places around us to bless them, lead and guide them, give them hope.
Josh 1:8-9
8 "This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. 9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."
Pastor Dale
