Last week was a very fussy week for Brooke. We tried different techniques everyday to soothe her and what worked one day might not work the next. She was a tough cookie to please. We are hoping she is just going through a growth phase and that this week will start getting better. I have begun to learn that everyday looks so different with a new baby. One day she might be an angel child, and the next off her rocker. I must say, we are stilling loving every second of being parents, even when she is screaming non-stop.
Kevin mentioned something the other night that sparked my idea for this blog post. He was pacing around with Brooke trying to get her to go to sleep so that we could put her in her crib and once he put her down, he came back into our room and said “I just love that time with her”. He told me that when he walks around with her at night, he just prays over her little heart.
I love the thought of Kevin praying for her while he is rocking her to sleep. I want to be a prayerful mom throughout Brooke’s life. Here a few thoughts I have been having on “when and how” to pray for your baby.
WHEN:
Anytime. No really. Anytime. It seems like a simple answer, but we can get so busy that we forget to take time and enjoy the little moments with our child. You can prayer while your changing diapers, pacing around the house, feeding them, watching them sleep or giving them a bath. These are perfect moments to pause and think about what really matters and pray over them.
HOW:
I have broken down the “how” into five ways that I pray for Brooke. I am sure there are ton of more ways but these are the ones that I have been focusing on lately.
Heart
First, I pray for her little heart, that she would come to know the Lord at an early age and love Him. I pray that she doesn’t remember not knowing Him and following Him.
Verses
I also pray specific verses over her. God’s word has extreme power and I am huge believer in speaking His Word over your child out loud and silently. If you want some verse ideas to get started, see this post: 25 Verses To Pray Over Your Child.
Characteristics
My prayer for different characteristics comes from how I pray for my husband and I have started doing that for Brooke as well. I pray for to be kind, graceful, forgiving, loving, wise, etc. I pray that the Lord would shape her into exactly who He wants her to be and that she would live in line with His plan for her.
Struggles
This one has been big the past week. I pray for any struggles she is having. This week, I have prayed for her fussiness and that anything that might be causing it would be made known to us or that it would subside. In the past I have prayed for her diaper rashes, skin issues, clogged tear duct, etc.
Future
Praying for her future is very fun for me but also kind of scary. The future is always unknown, but I prayer for the friends she will have. I pray for everything from her education experience to her first date to her first steps to her teething.
I hope that this post has sparked some ideas of your own about when and how to pray for your baby. Please share any others you think of in the comments that we can encourage and equip each other!
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