Pause
O Creator God, hear the prayer of my heart today, a prayer for children. As I turn to you, I am embraced by your knowing heart, your familiar warmth. Thank you for drawing near to me to listen to this prayer.
Ask
I pray for children: Bless the children under our care, who rely on us to grow and thrive. Bless the children we know by name, by face. The ones we will never know. The ones we long to hold, the ones we worry about, the ones who are gone. The children we long to have. Children of God, all.
Listen
I recall you advocating for children, insisting on their inclusion, on their proximity to you. You warn: do “not hinder them.” The Kingdom of Heaven belongs to children, perhaps, because they draw near to you so naturally – like a hungry belly to a warm loaf of bread, like eyes to a flame in the dark, like sheep to their protective shepherd. Remove every obstacle between children and your safe, empowering embrace.
Share
Bless the children who are lonely, who are in need, who are hungry. Bless the children who thirst for education, who hunger for safety. Bless the children who laugh and play, and the children who languish and weep. Bless the children who are entrusted to us, and to whom the future is entrusted. Bless each child with the refuge of your love and a sense of belonging.
Reflect
My heart is full as I remember the children I love. Knowing them fills me with wonder. I marvel at who they are, and wonder at how their story will unfold. My heart aches for children who are suffering and alone. Jesus, found in the least among us, surely you are with these ones. I give it all to you, God – my gratitude and disquietude – thanking you for entrusting the Kingdom to the small ones.
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