The beatitudes, found in Matthew 5, are one of my favorite passages in the Bible. Recently, I have been reading through the gospels and looking more closely at the words of Jesus. As I was reading through the beatitudes it struck me that the path to blessings in Christ is the opposite of the ways of the world.
If we read through the beatitudes with a heart open to hearing what Jesus is truly saying here, we will find ourselves straining our eyes to see beyond what the world around us offers and into the heart of God. We are faced with the ways of the world at every turn. We will only be mindful of God’s ways as opposed to the ways of the world if we so choose. We have to make the effort to get God’s Words into our minds and hearts so that we can truly see how to draw closer to Him and be more like Him in a world that is so very different.
Let me say right off that praying the beatitudes for your children will not be easy. We aren’t praying for our kids to be happy or to have success in this world, though those things aren’t necessarily bad in and of themselves. By praying the beatitudes for our children, we are praying that they will go against the grain. We are praying that they will choose the ways of God as opposed to the ways of this world. We are praying for them to be different, and that is not always easy.
It’s not easy, but it’s what I want for my kids. So, I’m going to start praying the beatitudes over my children’s lives. The beatitudes show a life of humility, mercy, purity and grace. What more could I want for my children?
Father in heaven,
bless my children by making them poor in spirit. Then theirs will be the kingdom of heaven.
Bless my children by allowing them to mourn, then You will comfort them.
Bless my children by giving them meekness of heart, and they will inherit the earth.
Bless my children as they hunger and thirst for righteousness, fill them.
Bless my children by giving them the gift of mercy, may they be merciful to others and You will show them mercy.
Bless my children with purity of heart, mind and spirit. Allow them to see You.
Bless my children by making them peacemakers in our home and in all their other encounters, and You will call them Your sons and daughters.
Bless my children by allowing them the path of persecution – for when they truly follow you they will face persecution. And, by this we will know they are truly Yours. Theirs will be the kingdom of heaven.
Bless my children as people insult them, persecute them and falsely say all kinds of evil against them because of You, dear God.
Help them to rejoice and be glad, because great is their reward in heaven.
Amen.
(from Matthew 5:3-12)
Leave a Reply