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.