Galatians, Chapter 5

​“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its’ passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:22-25, NIV)

A Prayer for My Daughter

​May my child stand firm in the freedom of Christ. May Your love be her guide. Help her to love her neighbor as herself. Oh God, may she live by the Spirit and bless her with Your love, joy, peace and patience. ...

Fill her with kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Keep her in step with Your Holy Spirit, oh God, all the days of her life. 

This week, I called my daughter's teacher. With a question that needed clarification, I quickly ascertained the answer. As I thanked the teacher, an unexpected insight to my little girl’s heart unveiled itself like brilliant sunbeams bursting forth from thick clouds. 

“Our sweet girl is doing quite nicely,” shared her teacher. “She is so sweet. We have a number of little ones who still cry when they are dropped off,” explained Teacher, “She gives them hugs and tells them that it will be okay.”

​A tender, loving pride filled my heart as I ended the conversation.

I clicked closed my cell phone, and sat unmoving in my chair. A wave of awe and wonder flooded my spirit. Here, my very prayers for seeds of spirit-filled fruit to be planted in my little girl’s heart were already blossoming. Love, joy, kindness and goodness sprouted like delicate yet beautiful flower-buds, unfurling their tender petals of promise. Hope for what remains hidden and hope for what is still yet to come flooded my mother’s heart as I bowed in thanksgiving and gratitude to the Holy One. "Thank You, Lord," whispered my soul, "thank you for working in her life, even at this early age.”

It is never too early to pray over our little ones. Remember, in order for seeds to grow and yield a good harvest, the soil must first be tilled, the seed planted, and the land tended through care, sweat, and weeding. Isn’t this exactly what we are doing in our children’s lives? Preparing the ground with our love, tilling the soil by filling hearts with Truth, planting the seeds of God’s Word, and tending to their souls by guarding them against the world and eradicating the weeds of Satan’s lies?

​All this constitutes challenging work. But with faithful care and tending, combined with the watering of the Holy Spirit, a bountiful harvest will yield from our labor of love.

Don’t be disheartened, parents! Remember that, like a seed, the most vital aspect of healthy growth occurs beneath the soil of our hearts in the development of a strong root foundation. Without strong roots, no matter how tall or beautiful in outward appearance, at the first sign of gusty winds, the plant will fall.

It is not until tender shoots sprout up from the ground that we can see the impact of our labor or the quality of its fruits. Nor can we discern the integrity of the foundation laid within our child’s heart until the first gusty gale tests the roots depth and strength. In these moments, the most effective measure we can take is to do what we are doing right now – to pray.

​So, parents, keep tilling the soil of our children’s hearts, sow the seeds of God’s Word, weed out the world’s influence, and pray for the watering of the Holy Spirit in our children’s lives. Now is the time, that we as parents, need to be investing in our child’s future by praying over them and planting good seeds.

A Prayer for Myself

​Holy Spirit, help me to faithfully pray for my child. Fill me with kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, particularly when confronted with difficult parenting circumstances, or when all I want to do is scream and cry. Let me overflow with love, joy, peace and patience as I parent my little one and teach her Your ways.