We actually dedicated Caleb back in November, but I am just now getting to recording Pen's pray for him. I really like how our church performs baby dedications. Pastor Bruce explains the purpose of it and why the difference from baby baptisms, he introduces the babies and allow the moms to tell why they chose the name, the parents verbally agree to the dedication, and finally the dad's say a prayer over their baby. Here's Pen's prayer...
"Father God, We thank You for entrusting Caleb's life to us. We dedicate his life to You today. We submit our lives to You, let it be Your righteousness, Your wisdom, Your strength, Your instruction, Your provision, Your protection, and Your favor that he will see through us. In Your name, we crush any work of the enemy that will otherwise deter the plans You have set for him. Let him learn early in life that You alone are his salvation, his Lord, his Portion, and Everything he needs. Let him understand the depth of Your love, grace and mercy that You have reached out to each tribe and tongue. Let him be a seeker of truth, that Your word shall be his daily bread, the light to the path You have laid before him. Lead him and guide him for Your name's sake. Let prayer and praise be continually on his lips. Let him be a warrior for Christ, a winner of souls, a servant to others. As he grows in Christ, reveal more of Your character to him that he may find the purpose of his life more meaningful and complete. May his entire life be worship to You alone, daily living in obedience to Your Word...that Caleb may live his name, and You may find him ever faithful to You. All these things we ask and claim in Jesus Christ, Amen."
My personal favorite line... "that Caleb may live his name, and You may find him ever faithful to You."
I'll have to come back and explain the meaning of his name.
I'm blessed to have a husband that seeks Him as he parents and prays the Word of God over our son.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Thursday, April 16, 2009
My Prayers for Caleb
It's amazing how perspective changes so much when you have a child. I've been reading through Paul's letters and keep coming across verses that just strike me as something I want to pray specifically for Caleb. This morning I thought to start writing some of them down, as a record for when we see God's provision.
this is from yesterday (I will add to it later)...
...that utterance may be given to [Caleb] in the opening of his mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel...that in proclaiming it [he] may speak boldly, as [he] ought to speak. Ephesians 6:24
This is from this morning...
And this I pray, that [Caleb's] love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that [he] may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. Philippians 1:9-11
-- As our country gets closer and closer to the Babylonian mindset, making evil appear good and good appear evil and like Isaiah said, "who says in [their] heart, 'I am, and there is no one besides me'" (Isaiah 47:8), I really believe Christians need to pray for "real knowledge and all discernment." It is going to be increasingly necessary as the days go on and we get closer to His coming. I do not want Caleb growing up believing that right/wrong is subjective, that he is the one that determines these things for himself. Afterall, that is another form of idolatry...putting your own beliefs above God's. Right and wrong is something God lays out for us in His Word. It is not something we can pick and choose which part to believe/live by.
Thankfully, we are found blameless by God only when we accept His Son into our lives. Blameslessness or excellence in God's sight cannot be achieved by our own work, no matter how hard our efforts or good our intentions. But I noticed that Paul does say our love for this depth of insight/real knowledge and discernment will result in sincere and blameless lives. Paul describes it as a "fruit of righteousness." Biblically, a fruit is something for God's glory but seen by man as a witness/testimony to them. Later, Paul even says he prays (while imprisoned because of his preaching the gospel) that "[he] will not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ shall even now, as always, be exalted in [his] body, whether by life or by death" (Phil 1:20). So these blameless lives we are to live are so that the world cannot find fault in us, so that we do not "shame" the gospel that we claim as ours. It shows them whether we are truly sincere.
I want this for Caleb. That he would grow to seek and love His knowledge and His discernment, that it would permeate his life so much so that he bears the fruit of righteousness to all who know him, and in that life God would be exalted.
this is from yesterday (I will add to it later)...
...that utterance may be given to [Caleb] in the opening of his mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel...that in proclaiming it [he] may speak boldly, as [he] ought to speak. Ephesians 6:24
This is from this morning...
And this I pray, that [Caleb's] love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that [he] may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. Philippians 1:9-11
-- As our country gets closer and closer to the Babylonian mindset, making evil appear good and good appear evil and like Isaiah said, "who says in [their] heart, 'I am, and there is no one besides me'" (Isaiah 47:8), I really believe Christians need to pray for "real knowledge and all discernment." It is going to be increasingly necessary as the days go on and we get closer to His coming. I do not want Caleb growing up believing that right/wrong is subjective, that he is the one that determines these things for himself. Afterall, that is another form of idolatry...putting your own beliefs above God's. Right and wrong is something God lays out for us in His Word. It is not something we can pick and choose which part to believe/live by.
Thankfully, we are found blameless by God only when we accept His Son into our lives. Blameslessness or excellence in God's sight cannot be achieved by our own work, no matter how hard our efforts or good our intentions. But I noticed that Paul does say our love for this depth of insight/real knowledge and discernment will result in sincere and blameless lives. Paul describes it as a "fruit of righteousness." Biblically, a fruit is something for God's glory but seen by man as a witness/testimony to them. Later, Paul even says he prays (while imprisoned because of his preaching the gospel) that "[he] will not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ shall even now, as always, be exalted in [his] body, whether by life or by death" (Phil 1:20). So these blameless lives we are to live are so that the world cannot find fault in us, so that we do not "shame" the gospel that we claim as ours. It shows them whether we are truly sincere.
I want this for Caleb. That he would grow to seek and love His knowledge and His discernment, that it would permeate his life so much so that he bears the fruit of righteousness to all who know him, and in that life God would be exalted.
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