We had Jonah's baby dedication at home group today, and it was amazing. David and I were so excited to officially make the promise to God in front of our church family that we strive to lead Jonah to love Jesus. Like our pastor says, we want to put the kindling of faith around him and pray fervently that the Holy Spirit will light it on fire. It’s our prayer every single day and we are beyond excited for God to answer. What a sweet day that will be!
At the dedication, we had the opportunity to pray over Jonah briefly, but we also wrote out a longer prayer. This is our deepest desire for Jonah's life and we would love for our friends and family to hold us accountable to raise Jonah up to know, love and serve the Lord.
Father we commit Jonah to you.
We ask that you give him Your mind and he grows, learns, and struggles. Put Your hand on his mind and body so that he will grow and develop to be healthy and strong. We ask that You place protection around him to guard against injury and sickness.
Grant him wisdom to be patient, gracious, and bold as he pursues relationships with others. Give him Your eyes to see the lost and hurting as You see them and grant him compassion to look to the needs of others above himself. Help him to be like Your Son in his view of the world.
We ask that You protect him from the sin of his parents and his family. Though we seek to serve You, we are equally needy and sinful. Help us to get out of Your way when we fall short of your example as the perfect parent. Make him Your child as much as he is ours.
We pray that You will pursue his heart and rescue him from his sin and rebellion. Redeem him to yourself and help him to see his own sin and Your great love in spite of that sin. Send Your Spirit to guide and protect him from any attack from the enemy.
We pray that You walk with him through his sanctification. We ask that You teach him through hardship and sin to be more like Jesus. Protect him from resentment and bitterness and keep him from having a hard heart.
We earnestly pray that You empower him with unique gifts and a calling on his life to serve Your kingdom with all that he is. Show him how to be generous to those around him as You have been greatly generous to us.
Just as the prophet Jonah ran from You out of fear and rebellion, so too will Jonah fall short. We ask that You relentlessly pursue Jonah as you pursued Your prophet- through both trouble and provision. Help him to clearly see and accept the salvation that You have already provided through the sacrifice of Your Son.
{Praying over Jonah}
Thank you so much to our wonderful Home Group Leaders, Melissa and Trey Miller for organizing and for The Village Church for encouraging this demonstration of our faith and urging us to be intentional about our parenting.
She's incredible and you should check her out! Thank you SO much, Tiffani!
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