“Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters, and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, ‘Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. Let’s rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, because the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has prepared herself.’” Revelation 19:6-7 (NASV)
 
A Prayer Over Our Children
Almighty God, fill my children’s mouth with Your praise, let them bow down and worship You. Clothe them with fine linen while You ready them to sup at the wedding feast. I pray their eyes will rest only on You, the faithful and true Word of God. Gather my children to You, oh King of Kings and Lord of Lords, so they may taste of Your conquering victory and triumph.
 
Lean
There we sat, two peas in a pod. Sweet Pea leaned against me. I, as her pillow, reclined against the couch. We lay quiet and serene. She with her book. Me with a little girl snuggled in my arms. Stillness crept into the room. Her head rested on my chest while my heart pulsed with peace. Silence. Quiet. Contentment. Only the sound of our breathing and turning pages filled the space. Yet in the stillness, a tenderness of heart swelled deep. We spoke not a word save for the mutual murmurings of “I love you.” My eyes closed, treasuring the gift of life in my arms.

And as I held my child, my thoughts turned heavenward. Surely, this must be what our heavenly Father feels when we take time to be with Him. How tender is His love when we curl at His feet. What joy must overflow when we sit in the stillness of His presence. For with nothing else but our breath before Him, intimate communion begins. In the quiet, an intertwining of hearts and spirits can meld into a sweetness of the soul.

Every word I uttered to my daughter was filled with tenderness and deep love. Then, to hear her verbalize her own sweet endearments, expanded my heart to greater proportions. How true of God this must also be. What sweet fragrance our expressions of love to Him must bring.

When quiet settles, distractions fade. In the stillness, our eyes can now fix more keenly upon the object of our affection. This intense focus upon our beloved deepens intimacy. Just like a child who leans against her mother, the resonant cords of our love bind us to our heavenly Father with greater clarity and depth when we press into Him. Even the apostle whom Jesus loved leaned against His chest. For when we feel and hear the heartbeat of the one whom you love and the one who loves you, how can deeper connections not be forged? The inroads can only deepen. The relationship strengthened.

May we take time to be still with God. Even when noise and confusion surrounds, may we quiet our minds before Him. Breathe deep His presence, dear friends. Rest your heads upon His chest and listen to His heartbeat. Press in and lean.

A Parent’s Prayer
Oh Lord, help me find rest in Your presence. Hold me close in Your arms so I can hear Your very heartbeat. Fill me with Your love and goodness, oh Lord. May You cast all distractions aside. Fix my eyes upon You, oh God. Fill and renew me this day.

Sweet Pea is learning to play the piano. Her little fingers poise over the keys in perfect position. Straight is her back as she sits with legs propped upon her small footstool. Having learned the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 fingering, Sweet Pea now has advanced to the treasure trove of reading music! What excitement!

         A dear friend is her teacher. A lover of God and music, Sweet Pea’s teacher carefully selected music books which feature simple praise choruses. What a delight to hear our little girl poke out notes to precious praise songs of old!
     “Praise the Name of Jesus!” her little voice sings along as her fingers press the keys, “You’re my Rock! You’re My Fortress! You’re My Deliverer. In You, I will trust!” 

     Her next music conquest excited her even more. It was a song she had known since a babe. To play its simple notes infused her with joy.

     “Lord, You are more precious than silver. Lord, You are more costly than gold…” Oh, to hear these cherished tunes fill our home has been precious indeed.

     A new praise song was assigned this past week. Once more, the music transported me back to my youth. Her fingers clunked slow, learning a new melody. But though unfamiliar to her, bit was beloved to me.

     “Jesus, Name above all Names…Beautiful Savior, glorious Lord! Emmanuel, God is With us. Blessed Redeemer…Living Word.” Over and over her fingers struggled to find the right keys. Her lips silently counted out the notes, correcting rhythms. Yet in my own head, the old song floated and spun.

     As Sweet Pea grew more confident, her little voice tried inserting the words to the melody. I smiled, hearing her rendition of mismatched rhythms with lyrics.

     “Here, let me sing it,” I offered. But Sweet Pea was not ready yet. Mastery over the notes had not settled into her bones. But today, something special happened.

      A day where my heart lay heavy, I reached for my guitar. For me, the physical act of organic worship breaks the wall of oppression. So it is no surprise that after choosing to wage war in several Enemy strongholds, pushback visited with force.

    But God was gracious. He had ministered to me in small yet powerful dosages spread over the span of a few days. It came first through community with beloved brethren, next with reminders of God’s faithfulness, and then in Bible study. Although lightening the oppression, it did not fully eradicate the hovering darkness. So out to God I cried and to the guitar I fled. To raw and organic worship I turned.

     Song after song I played. Fingers shifted, hands contorted, and wrist strummed. Louder and stronger my voice lifted interweaving harmony into melody, weaving an offering of the heart. Light glimmered and shone. The light pushed back, overcome, and conquered. My lungs breathed deep. My spirit rested. Then, an even greater gift. An offering of two rather than just one.

     “Mommy!” I forgot to practice!” burst out Sweet Pea. She ran for the piano and plunked herself down. So sudden was her outburst, my wrist hung mid strum and my voice halted mid-strain.

     “Okay,” I said, spirit refreshed and happy to relinquish. Typically, Sweet Pea warmed up with various musical exercises. But not this time. Surprised, I heard her press the notes to the worship song she was learning. Almost as if she too, wanted to join in the worship with her own little offering. The melody to “Jesus, Name Above All Names,” tickled the air. Her little fingers added their contribution. How precious this beloved, old song. How sweet the offering. Then, an idea popped in my brain.

     “Can I play with you?” I asked. Guitar in hand, I softly strummed a few chords. Sweet Pea eyes sparkled and shone. Her head bobbed with enthusiasm.

     “Here we go,” she chirped. This time, she sang as she played. With ears bent towards my guitar, my ears strained to listen. My fingers stumbled to find the correct chords. Together we fumbled over notes with rhythms awry. Our voices warbled.

     Though our attempts were at first clumsy, it did not dispel the utter joy which coursed through me. A radiant delight from the Father emanated within my spirit with peaceful glow. For it is not the notes or the noise which matters but the heart of the worshiper and the praise given in the offering. The pure joy of uniting in praise to our heavenly King in both instrument, heart, and voice stirred my soul to overflowing. The thrill of playing the right chord to the correct notes layered with lyrics of truth, ignited joy and new zeal.
​
     The sweet offerings of a child given with wonder and delight to our heavenly Lord, opened the gates of praise. In Psalms, we are told the praises of infants and children open the glories of heaven and establish strength. And, here in my living room, the gates of heaven flung wide, pouring new strength into my veins. Over and over, we played. The simple melody took shape with its humble accompaniment. Piano notes rhythmically misaligned and non-tandem words created an imperfect offering of heart and soul. An offering of the heart. A duet of praise.

“Then I heard another voice from heaven say: ‘Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins. . .’”     Revelation 18:4 (NIV)
 
Prayer Over Our Children
Oh God, call my children out of this adulterous world so they may not fall into sin nor receive Your judgement or wrath. May they not taste death, mourning, or the famine of Your consuming fire. Instead, let them rejoice in Your justice and might. When the City of Babylon is thrown down, oh God, may my children still sing Your songs, know Your good and honest work, shine with Your light, and hear Your voice.
 
Family
 
     Guilt and discouragement recently infiltrated my heart. Great hopes and expectations enthused my start to summer break. Yet with less than a month left, the utter lack of any tangible progress to my list of summer priorities left me downtrodden. Why bother? I asked myself, You can’t do anything anyway.