A Prayer for My Son

So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us. (1 John 4:16-19)

Father in heaven,

I’m sitting on my couch, computer in my lap, with my son laying next to me, playing with his toes. He recently discovered he has toes and has figured out how to get them into his mouth. Of course, since he’s figured it out, he sucks on his toes every chance he gets, giving his father and me lots of laughs. He’s started laughing when we blow zerberts on his belly, and his laughter is contagious, a gift that he gives us. When we hold him close to our faces, he leans in so we can rub noses. He likes to touch my face when I’m feeding him, and he’s starting to give me big, wet, wide-open-mouth kisses. He smiles at me when he sees me. When his daddy talks, he turns to daddy’s voice, and watches daddy very closely. This is a little boy who is loved, and who is learning to love.

My prayer for him today is that he continues to learn to love...that his father and I are models of love for each other, for him, and for You, his heavenly Father. I pray that he is never afraid to show love for others or to speak words of love...that he learns to love without fear. I pray that he knows Your love, Father...that he will know You and abide in you, that he will be perfected in Your love.

Help me to know how to teach him about You; help me to grow in my faith and relationship with You so  I can be a better mom to him. Give me patience during the late nights or the long days and in the times when I just don’t know what else to do for him. Let him know—and help me be able to show—that even in those times when all I want to do is cry myself, I still love him as much as it is possible for an imperfect mom to love.

I love this little guy You have given to me, with his bright blue eyes, rosy round cheeks, and rolls on top of rolls. Keep him safe in the shelter of Your perfect love, Lord.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.