The house is calm and dark. The bathroom light illuminates the hallway while you sleep, sweet child. Quietly, I tiptoe down the wooden corridor of our home to catch a glimpse of you, dear one. The day of wild adventures has come and gone, and you sleep peacefully—covers up to your chin, clutching your faithful, fuzzy lion companion.

Eyes closed and face relaxed; I see God’s perfection displayed in every line and feature on your face. He has blown over you His breath of life. You are His workmanship—created in His image. This mama is truly humbled and awed by the mighty work of the Master Artist’s beautiful hands.

He knit you together so carefully and meticulously in my womb.

You were formed for a purpose. Those little feet were made to spread His good news, those eyes were formed to shine His pristine light, and that smile was handcrafted to radiate the overflowing kindness of the Good Shepherd.

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Standing over you in the stillness of the night, I utter an inaudible prayer,

Lord, may my sweet child dream of the angels. Speak to Your precious slumbering child. Grant Your warrior courage and vision in this world to march forward with truth into the arrows of hate and hopelessness. May Your glory hover over Your child’s life!

I cannot help but weep over the precious gift God has bestowed upon earthly parents. He has entrusted us with the immense responsibility to nurture, teach, and protect His children here on this crumbling soil. This world is tough—it brings even the strongest men to their knees. Souls are swallowed up and deceived by our culture of callousness.

My heart grows heavy at the thought of my sweet child living in this fallen world.

No matter how much our children are sheltered, ultimately, one day, their little hearts and minds will stand toe-to-toe with the wickedness of this world. That innocent, sleeping face will be confronted with bitter falsehoods masqueraded as truth.

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As Christian parents, it’s our job to equip our children today with the proper tools they can use to combat such despair. As Charles Spurgeon so eloquently states:

“Let no Christian parents fall into the delusion that Sunday School is intended to ease them of their personal duties. The first and most natural condition of things is for Christian parents to train up their own children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”

It is my prayer that we step up to the challenge to raise our children to be water walkers of faith. Let’s equip them to be warriors who wave their swords fearlessly into the air. From the cradle to adulthood, may our children witness in our lives the life-altering power of Christ.

May we pray over our children in the watches of the night, covering them with the promises of the Savior.

It is vital that we take the time to teach our children God’s living scripture. This knowledge will surely sustain them during the struggles they will face but will also uplift them in their moments of tremendous joy. The scripture teaches us, “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6, KJV).

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We are fanning the flames of the next generation. Let’s take that mission seriously. Our children are our lasting legacy. May we impart to them the goodness of the One who died for all so they may shine His light into all the earth.