Today, we give thanks to God for the children and students He has entrusted to our care, using scripture as the foundation of our prayer.
Almighty God, we thank You that You have made our students in Your image. Your Spirit has made them, and Your breath gives them life. They are Your handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which You prepared in advance for the them to do. You have plans for their welfare, Father, to give them a future and a hope. We thank You Lord for Your steadfast love and Your wondrous works to the children of men! (Genesis 1:26, Job 33:4, Ephesians 2:10, Jeremiah 29:11, Psalm 107:31).
Father, we thank You that You have demonstrated Your love for our students and for us by dying for us while we were yet sinners. Help us to remember that You are the author and finisher of our students’ faith (not us!) and that You uphold them with Your righteous right hand. We are unspeakably grateful that You have given our students everything they need for life and godliness and that You, who began a good work in them, will complete it in the day of Christ Jesus. (Romans 5:8, Hebrews 12:2, Isaiah 41:10, 2 Peter 1:3, Philippians 1:6).
We thank You, Father, that You search our students and know them. You discern their thoughts from afar, and You are acquainted with all their ways. Their names are engraved on the palms of Your hands – even the very hairs of their heads are numbered! They cannot flee from Your presence. We thank You for forming their inmost parts, knitting them together in their mothers’ bodies. We praise You, for they are fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Your works! Search each student, O Lord, and know their hearts. Try them, and know their thoughts. See if there is any grievous way within them, and lead them in the way everlasting. (from Psalm 139; also Matthew 10:30).
Father we will not cease to give thanks for our students. We pray, Father of glory, that You will give them Your Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of You. We pray that the eyes of their hearts may be enlightened, that they may know the hope to which You have called them, and that they may receive the riches of Your glorious inheritance in the saints. We pray that they would know the immeasurable greatness of Your power toward us who believe. We bow our knees before You, Father… that according to Your riches in glory You may grant our students to be strengthened with power through Your Spirit in their innermost selves. We pray that Christ may dwell in their hearts through faith. We ask that they, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge. Fill them with all Your fullness, O God.
We praise You because You are able to do far more abundantly than all we could ask or think, according to Your power at work in us. To You, Father, be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations, forever and ever, Amen. (Ephesians 1: 16-19, 3:14-21)
Father, please help us – both as parents and youth ministers – to have the heart of Hannah, who said that if you would give her a child, she would dedicate him back to You. For this child I prayed, and You granted me my petition. Therefore I will lend my child back to You. As long as my child lives, they are Yours. (1 Samuel 1: 11, 27-28).
Check out the youth ministry side of the blog today for thoughts on giving thanks for your children and students.
