Freedom… From Doormatitis and Steamrolleritis…
What would you pray for a baby’s life? If you had one chance to ask God for something specific for a little one, what would it be?
A friend is lovingly sewing a quilt for some other friends of ours who are adopting a now-toddler. We’ve known this little cutie since she was born – and our friends rescued her via foster care from a life surrounded by drug addiction and poverty. We’ve been asked to provide prayers or Scriptures to be tucked inside the quilt.
Neat idea.
But the whole Bible is a little big to fit inside the quilt, so I made some assumptions. Someone else would probably pick “relationship with Jesus.” Someone else would probably get “marry a believer” or something about her future husband. I felt led to do this:
Proverbs 4:23 Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Lord, help baby M choose carefully what she “owns” – may she not “own” other’s responsibilities or choices.
2 Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. Lord, help baby M experience Your freedom, instead of being a slave to other’s or the world’s ideals.
Ephesians 4:25 Each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. Lord, help baby M gently tell the truth, even when it might pain others to hear it!
Ephesians 4:15 Speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Him who is the Head, that is, Christ. Lord, help baby M mature in wisdom, stature and favor, just like Jesus!
Ecclesiastes 3:11 He has set eternity in her heart. Lord, baby M will feel that she is not meant for this place – let her find solace in relationship with You until we’re all Home together.
So I feel led to pray that she respect herself enough as the temple of the Holy Spirit to respect God’s authority, fully receive His love, and then, being filled, distribute it to others (respecting and loving them) as His ambassador.
If she does those things, I think she’ll find what Christ calls “freedom.” What More could we want for her?
Know what else? He wants this for all of us.
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