Sponsored by the Children's Defense Fund, the National Observance of Children's Sabbaths Celebration is a way for faith communities to celebrate children as sacred gifts of the Divine, and provides the opportunity for houses of worship to renew and live out their moral responsibility to care, protect and advocate for all children. Learn more here.
- Children' S Medical Center
- Opening Prayer For Children' S Sunday Night
- Opening Prayer For Children' S Sunday Day
A Prayer for Children's Sabbath: 'By Faith'
O God, by faith, like Abraham, let us obey Your call to leave our comfortable homes and set out for strange places although we do not know for certain where we are going. Embolden us to venture to our legislators’ offices, struggling schools, and communities burdened by poverty to seek justice and strengthen children.
By faith, like Noah, let us heed Your signs and warnings and build sturdy arks to rescue our chil- dren from current and coming floods. Mobilize us now to respond to the rising tide of poverty in which too many children are drowning and the achievement gap tsunami that swallows up millions of poor and minority children.
By faith, like Isaac and Jacob, let us seek Your blessings on our children’s futures. Open our eyes now to see how we can assure all children the gift of a good education so they can realize their promise.
By faith, like Moses, let us leave Pharaoh’s house and head across the wilderness to lead our oppressed children to freedom. Help us to improve early childhood experiences and education so that every child’s potential is unlocked.
By faith, like Joseph, let us turn evil into good and welcome our erring brothers and kin with a spirit of reconciliation and love. Help us to cherish each child and never give up on a single one.
By faith, like the child David, let us go out without fear to face the Goliaths of our day with slingshots of righteousness and justice confident of Your divine guidance and protection. Amen.
(Adapted from Guide My Feet: Prayers and Meditations on Loving and Working for Children by Marian Wright Edelman)
A Litany for Children's Sabbath
With all our heart and with all our mind, let us pray to the Lord, saying,
“Lord, bless us that we may be a blessing.”
For the body of Christ, that we treat every child as made in your image; that we welcome every child as you welcomed the children, and that we bring good news to the poor that you announced, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, bless us that we may be a blessing.
For our nation and our leaders, grant wisdom and courage to change what is unjust and recognize that until all the children are well, none of us is well, we pray to the Lord.
Lord, bless us that we may be a blessing.
In a world where children hunger and starve, where they sicken and die, where they face bullets and bombs, where they know the exile of prison and refugee camp, help us protect and defend them, we pray to the Lord.
Lord, bless us that we may be a blessing.
For ourselves and our community, that we let our eyes weep over injustice, our hearts burn with determination, our voices speak out to demand change, and our hands move to make a difference, we pray to the Lord.
Lord, bless us that we may be a blessing.
On this Children’s Sabbath day, for our nation’s more than 16.4 million children in poverty, that we use all that we have and all that we are to raise up the next generation, we pray to the Lord.
Lord, bless us that we may be a blessing.
For all who have died, especially those who died too soon and too young, those whose lives were cut short by poverty, we pray to the Lord.
Lord, bless us that we may be a blessing.
Leader and People:
God of all mercy,
We confess that we have failed to live our lives as ones made in your image,
We have not loved each other as sisters and brothers,
We have not welcomed all children and so welcomed you,
We have left stumbling blocks in the way of too many children.
Forgive us our sins,
As a woman searching for a cherished coin,
As a father welcoming a beloved child home,
And uphold us by your Spirit
That we may do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with you,
Through our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
(Offered by from the Children's Defense Fund, which organizes Children's Sabbath)
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Giving a dedication to a child provides an opportunity for the mother and father to present their child to God and ask for his grace and wisdom. Here is a look at some of the best prayers for baby dedication to remember.
Prayer #1
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for this treasured child of mine. Although you have entrusted this child to me as a gift, I know he or she belongs to you. Like Hannah offered Samuel, I dedicate my child to you, Lord. I recognize that he is always in your care.
Help me as a parent, Lord, with my weaknesses and imperfections. Give me strength and godly wisdom to raise this child after your Holy Word. Please, supply supernaturally what I lack. Keep my child walking on the path that leads to eternal life. Help him to overcome the temptations of this world and the sin that would so easily entangle him.
Dear God, send your Holy Spirit daily to lead, guide, and counsel him. Always assist him to grow in wisdom and stature, in grace and knowledge, in kindness, compassion and love. May this child serve you faithfully, with his whole heart devoted to you all the days of his life. May he discover the joy of your presence through daily relationship with your Son, Jesus.
Children' S Medical Center
Help me never to hold on too tightly to this child, nor neglect my responsibilities before you as a parent. Lord, let my commitment to raise this child for the glory of your name cause his life to forever testify of your faithfulness. George of the jungle stream.
In the name of Jesus, I pray.
Amen.
Prayer #2
We pray that You will be their shepherd, that
they will not be left in need. Lord, make them
to lie down in green pastures. May You lead
them beside the still waters. Restore their
souls. May You lead them into paths of righteousness
for Your Name’s sake. Yes, even
though they will walk through the valley of
the shadow of death, they will fear no evil for
You are with them. May your rod and your
staff comfort them. May You prepare a table
before them in the presence of their enemies.
May You anoint their heads with oil. May
their cups run over. May goodness and mercy
follow them all the days of their lives; and we
pray that they will dwell in the house of the
Lord forever. Amen.
Prayer #3
We are so grateful for the blessing of being your parents! We bring you before your Maker and give Him complete authority over your life. We pray you will be blessed with love, grace, and an eternal relationship with Jesus. We love you so much!
Prayer #4
We pray that you are rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Duralast gold power station manual.
Prayer #5
Lord, we pray that Matthew’s heart, like seed sown on good soil, will hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—a hundred times what was sown. Please bless him throughout his life. Use us, Lord, as examples to him of what living a life of obedience to you looks like. We pray he finds his joy in You alone!
Prayer #6
Dear Lord,
Thank you for my precious little one.
This love I have for my child overwhelms me with joy.
Today I dedicate myself to parent this child in accordance with your Word.
I commit to teach my child the stories and the instructions in your Word.
I will seek to display your love and wisdom each day.
Guide my words and my actions daily, so that I continually show my little one the wonders of you, my Loving Heavenly Father.
I pray that you, Lord, will be the passion of his heart from a young age to his last day.
In Jesus’ name I pray,
Amen
Here is a look at one baby dedication as performed at Sattleback’s Fuel Service by Pastor Chris Reed.
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Crystal Ayres has served as our editor-in-chief for the last five years. She is a proud veteran, wife and mother. The goal of ConnectUs is to publish compelling content that addresses some of the biggest issues the world faces. If you would like to reach out to contact Crystal, then go here to send her a message.
Opening Prayer For Children' S Sunday Night
Opening Prayer For Children' S Sunday Day
If used in worship, include the following note: “Copyright Lisa Frenz. All Rights Reserved. Used with permission.'