A Prayer for Our Children to Know God's Love
By Kristine Brown
"And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is." Ephesians 3:18 NLT
It's hard to grasp that anyone could love my kids more than I do. Yet there is One whose love for them surpasses my own. As much love as I have for my children, Jesus loves them more. But do they understand how much? When our children are under our protective care, we try to do everything right. We sing, "Jesus loves me, this I know," and read Bible stories like David and Goliath or Jonah and the whale. All the while, we hope God's love seeps into those little hearts. We also hope they choose to love him back. Because we know this incredible love will carry them through their teens, the young adult years, and the rest of their lives.
Sometimes I question whether I've done enough. I wonder if I planted the right seeds for deep-rooted faith to grow. But all my efforts can lead me to think their faith journey is up to me. When in truth, God is guiding their steps. When I want to explain to my kids about God's love for them, I struggle to find the right words. Are they old enough to comprehend his sacrifice? How do I explain? I want their young minds to understand all he gave for us so that they can know the breadth of his love. Ephesians 3:18 is one of my favorite verses for kids and adults alike. Paul gives a perfect description of God's perfect love for his people. A message easily understood by both young and old— God's love for us has no boundaries.
"And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is." Ephesians 3:18 NLT
Reading these words brings me comfort when I second-guess myself as a mom. Reading them to my children reminds them they can always count on God's forever love. His love for them will never change, no matter what they face in this world. Let's pray this prayer together for our children to know God's Love.
Let's pray:
Dear God,
Thank you for your love. There is nothing else like it. And thank you for my children. I understand your love for them reaches beyond any distance mine could ever reach. Help them to know your love. I want to be able to comfort them and reassure them everything will be okay, but there will be times I'm unable to be there for them, especially as they get older. Thank you for surrounding them with your love, Father. Thank you for guiding my kids as they learn to trust your loving care.
Lord, when my children are afraid, help them know how wide your love is. When they feel discouraged, help them know your love extends to the greatest lengths for them. When they are sad or lonely, let them know even the tallest mountain cannot compare to the height of your love. When they feel alone, help them know the depth of your love. As they grow and learn more about you each day, I pray this incomparable love will pierce their hearts and change their lives forever. May our children make the ultimate decision to love you because you first loved them. In the name of your Son Jesus, I pray, Amen.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/LaylaBird
For more spiritual growth resources, check out the 5-day email devotional, How to Be Free from Bitterness, by today’s devotion writer, Kristine Brown. Learn more about women in the Bible and find encouragement to help you “become more than yourself through God’s Word” at Kristine’s website, morethanyourself.com.
Editor's Note: We're proud to announce we've just launched a new nighttime companion to Your Daily Prayer: the Your Nightly Prayer devotional. You'll soon be able to subscribe to receive Your Nightly Prayer via email, or as a podcast, but for now you can find it on the website at crosswalk.com/devotionals/your-nightly-prayer. We hope it's a relaxing and soothing way to wind down your day with rich meditations on who God is.
Related Resource: Jesus Calling - Stories of Faith
Kerry Washington. Andrea Bocelli. Reba McEntire. Mark Wahlberg. Tony Dungy. Matthew McConaughey, What do all of these people have in common? They are all people of faith who have leaned on God in both the good and challenging times—and they’ve shown up to tell their story of faith on The Jesus Calling Podcast. The Jesus Calling Podcast provides a place for people from all walks of life to share the heartaches, joys, and divine moments that keep them going.
Inspired by Sarah Young's classic devotional book, the Jesus Calling podcast has brought encouragement and peace to millions. New episodes drop every Thursday! Listen today on LifeAudio.com or wherever you find your podcasts.
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