I guess she was about 4 years old at the time. I was putting her brother down for a nap, and she said, "Mommy, I will say his verses." It wasn't the typical pattern of naptime, but I figured I'd go with it.
"Okay," I said, and watched to see what she would do.
She moved over to his bed, and as he lay his head on his pillow, she placed her hands on his head and on his back. Then in that sweet, preschool voice, she said slowly, enunciating every syllable, "This is my prayer, that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and in depth of insight . . . "
My eyes grew wide.
"that you may be able to discern what is best"
My eyebrows arched in wonder.
"and may be pure and blameless"
I think my mouth dropped open at this point.
"until the day of Christ"
Really?
"filled with the fruit of righteousness"
Yep.
"that comes through Jesus Christ"
Really.
"to the glory and praise of God."
From the time she and her brother were tiny, we had placed our hands on their heads and on their backs and blessed them, speaking God's Word over them each night at bedtime. "May you love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul, all your mind and all your strength . . . "
"May you grow as Jesus did, in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man."
"May your life be filled with the fruit of God's Holy Spirit . . . "
It had never occurred to me that they were actually listening, absorbing every word.
Over the years, as they grew older, they began to ask questions.
"Mommy, what is the fruit of righteousness?"
"What is the day of Christ?"
"Mommy, what is self-control?" I'm so glad you asked!
Those questions have given opportunity to discuss, explain, explore God's Word.
We've realized, as we've spoken the Word over our children, as we've prayed Scripture over them night after night, that the blessing extended far beyond what we had asked or imagined. Beyond the spoken blessing, beyond the prayers offered to the Lord, those words were being written on the very hearts and minds of our children. As they listened night after night to the Word spoken over them, the Lord was recording those words in the annals of their minds, engraving them on the tablets of their hearts.
Want to join us and pray God's Word over your own kids? I'm including a free printable to get you started.
And if you're already praying the Word over your children, already speaking Scripture over them in blessing, I'd love to hear your stories! Just click the email link, below, and slip me a note! How has the Lord blessed you, your children, your family? What is He teaching you? Do share!
In the coming weeks, I'll post more of the verses my husband and I pray over our children, the verses the Lord is writing on their hearts.
"Okay," I said, and watched to see what she would do.
She moved over to his bed, and as he lay his head on his pillow, she placed her hands on his head and on his back. Then in that sweet, preschool voice, she said slowly, enunciating every syllable, "This is my prayer, that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and in depth of insight . . . "
My eyes grew wide.
"that you may be able to discern what is best"
My eyebrows arched in wonder.
"and may be pure and blameless"
I think my mouth dropped open at this point.
"until the day of Christ"
Really?
"filled with the fruit of righteousness"
Yep.
"that comes through Jesus Christ"
Really.
"to the glory and praise of God."
From the time she and her brother were tiny, we had placed our hands on their heads and on their backs and blessed them, speaking God's Word over them each night at bedtime. "May you love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul, all your mind and all your strength . . . "
"May you grow as Jesus did, in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man."
"May your life be filled with the fruit of God's Holy Spirit . . . "
It had never occurred to me that they were actually listening, absorbing every word.
Over the years, as they grew older, they began to ask questions.
"Mommy, what is the fruit of righteousness?"
"What is the day of Christ?"
"Mommy, what is self-control?" I'm so glad you asked!
Those questions have given opportunity to discuss, explain, explore God's Word.
We've realized, as we've spoken the Word over our children, as we've prayed Scripture over them night after night, that the blessing extended far beyond what we had asked or imagined. Beyond the spoken blessing, beyond the prayers offered to the Lord, those words were being written on the very hearts and minds of our children. As they listened night after night to the Word spoken over them, the Lord was recording those words in the annals of their minds, engraving them on the tablets of their hearts.
Want to join us and pray God's Word over your own kids? I'm including a free printable to get you started.
And if you're already praying the Word over your children, already speaking Scripture over them in blessing, I'd love to hear your stories! Just click the email link, below, and slip me a note! How has the Lord blessed you, your children, your family? What is He teaching you? Do share!
In the coming weeks, I'll post more of the verses my husband and I pray over our children, the verses the Lord is writing on their hearts.
I seek you with all my heart;
do not let me stray from your commands.
I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you . . .
Praise be to you, O LORD;
teach me your decrees.
Psalm 119:10-12, NIV1984