The response to yesterday’s post was so good that I thought I’d follow it up with a blessing prayer. The following prayer, “Forever Blessed,” is found on page 301 in my book, Prayers for Your Children. Please use it to help you pray for someone close to you today (and while you’re at it, please pray God will use the soon-to-be-released Chinese translation of this book to bless many, many more!).
He said to them, “Let the little children
 come to me, and do not hinder them,
 for the kingdom of God belongs to such
 as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will
 not receive the kingdom of God like a
 little child will never enter it.” And he took
 the children in his arms, placed his hands
 on them and blessed them.
                                                   Mark 10:14–16
I can see my son in that verse, Lord.
 There he is, standing right in front of you. You have both
 hands on his shoulders, and you are smiling . . . looking
 in his eyes and blessing him.
 What more could my child possibly need than your blessing
 and favor? So by faith I bring him to you through this
 prayer and ask that you bless him.
 I never want to do anything to “hinder” him from coming
 to you (Matthew 19:14)! Where I have “hidden faults”
 (Psalm 19:12a) I’m not even aware of, don’t let them
 interfere with his coming to you.
“I am your servant; give me discernment that I may understand”
 (Psalm 119:125) what you want me to do to help
 him know and love you.
 “You are the God of great wonders! You demonstrate your
 awesome power” (Psalm 77:14b) in amazing ways!
 You have even hidden spiritual truths “from the wise and
 learned, and revealed them to little children” (Luke 10:21).
 I ask that my son will receive you and “the Kingdom of
 God like a child” (Luke 18:17c), so that he may enjoy
 you forever.
 Just as he once ran to me whenever he had a need, I pray he
 will learn to “run to you” (Isaiah 55:5d), depending on
 you moment by moment.
 May he hear your “still small voice” (1 Kings 19:12e) speaking
 to him about all that you are, convicting him of his
 sin and leading him “into all truth” (John 16:13f), closer
 and closer to you.
 It is human nature to follow our own wisdom. “All of us,
 like sheep, have strayed away. We have left” your paths
 “to follow our own” (Isaiah 53:6g).
 We are lost without you!
 But with you, we are “washed,” “sanctified,” and “justified
 in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit
 of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:11h).
 So here is my child, Lord. I bring him before you today.
 I pray that you will bless him, Lord. Bless him as you know
 best!
 Please touch him and bless him in whatever ways he needs
 most, so that there may be no doubt that your “hand” is
 “with” him (Acts 11:21).
May your hand be with him wherever he goes! May he know
 the peace of your presence in his soul and live every day
 in a close and lasting friendship with you.
 Please keep blessing my child beyond my years, until we
 stop counting the years and they are no more.
 “When you grant a blessing, O Lord, it is an eternal blessing!”
 (1 Chronicles 17:27 i).
 I pray that my child may be forever blessed!
