Prayers for Baby

It seems to be an exciting time in my little corner of the world. Several of my friends have announced that they are expecting babies later this fall. My family is especially excited since we learned on Christmas Day that Jacquelyn and Shane are welcoming their first child this fall!!! Talk about excitement in the Freeman family! We are absolutely giddy! There's something about the expectation of a new baby that brings such a thrill to my heart. There is also a reminder that we have an enormous responsibility to pray for the children in our sphere of influence.

Even though I'm not currently active in Children's ministry, there will always be a special place in my heart for these cherished little ones. Sometimes, we are all guilty of falling into the trap of "out of sight, out of mind." We forget to pray for those things that are not right in front of our eyes on a daily basis. This can be the case with children we don't see regularly as well as the unborn child we've not yet had the privilege of meeting. My challenge for you today is to recognize the importance and power of your prayers for the children in your life. The youngest and most helpless are the ones who most need us to take their needs to the Heavenly Father.

Prayers for baby should be specific and address all areas of their development -- physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual. I am finding that prayer prompts can be very helpful to remind me to pray throughout my regular schedule for these developing treasures. Here are some ideas I am currently using.

• Use a favorite item as a reminder to pray for the child's physical development. When Jacqs showed us the sonogram of the baby, she commented that the image reminded her of a Gummy Bear! That made an obvious connection in my mind between the sweet treat and the growing child. Whenever I see a bag of Gummy Bears, I whisper a prayer for the baby's health and physical development. To make sure that the baby is prayed for consistently, a jar of the goodies prominently sits in the family home as a daily reminder to pray for her and Jacqs. (We don't know the sex of Baby Bauer yet, but I am convinced we're having a baby girl!)
• Create a Bible bookmark with the child's name to accompany your daily devotions. This is the perfect opportunity to begin asking God to bless the child with favor and spiritual blessings. Think about it!  Just in the last few weeks, I've prayed these prayers over our Gummy Bear:
1. Like Enoch, may she walk with God in a close personal relationship.
2. Like David, may she face adversity with confidence in the power of her God to defeat any giant.
3. May she be willing to bring to Jesus whatever she has to offer for His use like the boy with the loaves and fishes.
4. Just like Josiah, may she have a heart for God's Word and a commitment to follow its precepts.
• Shopping and crafting sessions remind us to ask that the child will be surrounded by love! I can't help myself! I'm already looking at little outfits and baby accessories. (My apologies to Shane and Jacqs now.....but this baby is going to be SPOILED!) The coming of Gummy Bear also brings out my crafty side, so there are baby-themed cross-stitch patterns scattered all over the house. As we shop and craft, pray that the baby will be immensely loved. This seems like a given in most families, but I'm talking about extreme love beyond the walls of the home. I'm praying for loving teachers, baby sitters, music teachers, nurses and doctors. I'm praying for a Godly children's pastor to love and nurture the child and parents during the most formative years of her development. I'm praying that any plan of the Enemy to bring harm and destruction to the life of Gummy Bear be stopped by the protective and loving arms of Christ.

This is just the tip of the iceberg of prayer prompts. Think about the children in your life and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal ways that you should be praying for them on a regular basis! Scripture tells us that "Children are a heritage from the Lord" (Psalm 127:3) and they are to be valued, adored, and cherished. The best way I know to begin establishing their heritage is by covering them in prayer. Won't you join me in claiming another generation for the Kingdom?