Zechariah to newborn son, “You, my child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God…” Luke 1:76–77
Heavenly Father, it’s easy to forget the other “child of promise” in the Advent story—John the Baptist, forerunner and forth-teller of the Messiah. You wrote his story before he drew his first breath, and that story centered on Jesus. Though John’s calling was unique, what more could we want for our kids and “grands” than for them to love Jesus more than anything or anyone else in the world?
So we bring our children and grandchildren to you today, Abba. More than Harvard, we want heaven for them. More than worldly success, we want Kingdom-seeking-firstness. More than not embarrassing us, we want them to become our models of loving mercy, doing justice, and walking humbly with you (Mic.6:8).
Father, for those who don’t know you yet, draw them irresistibly to yourself. Only you can change anyone’s heart, including those in our family. So make the Gospel beautiful and believable to them. May our trust in you be 100 times greater than the fears we carry for our youngest and oldest “offspring.” They need a taste of your grace, not the pressure of our angst.
For those who do know you, don’t let their affection for Jesus grow cool, or their love for your Word and ways diminish. We pray the same prayer for ourselves we pray for our kids and “grands.” Renew, refresh, refuel our passion for Jesus. Free us to live and love well until the Day he returns to finish making all things new. So Very Amen.