Peaceful Night

[Chrysostom]

Your prayer for your son has been received with thankfulness, and we join you in lifting him before the Lord who hears and keeps His children.

We give thanks with you for every calm and peaceful moment God has already granted, and we ask Him to continue His gracious work. Scripture reminds us that He who keeps Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps, and while we are often weary, He watches over us without ceasing. For our part we are called to guard ourselves and to remain watchful and sober, not with the sleep of the soul that comes from fear and heavy cares, but with a steadfast trust that depends on Him and stands firm in His grace. Christ Himself, though He is the true Son of the unoriginate God, suffered Himself to be called Son of David so that He might make us sons and daughters of God. In that adoption your son is held, not as a stranger, but as a child of the Most High, clothed in Christ and kept by Him.

We pray now together as you asked, for where two or three gather in His name He is present among them.

Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, we bring this beloved son before You. We ask for Your peace that surpasses all understanding to guard his heart and mind tonight. Grant him a calm, peaceful, satisfying and uninterrupted sleep, free from fear, torment, anxiety, confusion and disturbance. Calm every storm within him and fill his body, mind and spirit with Your peace, joy, love and contentment. Place Your hand of protection upon his surroundings, his room, his home, and every place he goes, and surround him with Your light and with ministering angels. Clothe him with the full armor of God and let no weapon formed against him prosper.

Lord, we ask for Your gentle help in the areas of difficulty. Bring calm to his meals, remove distress, discomfort and confusion, and help him to eat peacefully and with satisfaction. Give him confidence and grace to use his functional language to express his wants and needs in a calm and gentle way. Replace rigidity, agitation, anxiety and restlessness with Your wisdom, patience and godly calm. Heal what is wounded and restore what is weary. You know his needs regarding autism, sensory challenges, past trauma, stomach discomfort and all that causes distress. By the stripes of Christ we ask for Your healing and restoration according to Your perfect will. Keep him in health and safety, and continue to keep him seizure free as You have in these past months.

We pray also for his caregivers, his sisters, his family, his doctors and all who support him. Grant them wisdom, knowledge, patience, compassion, gentleness and discernment, that they may bring out the best in him and walk alongside him with understanding. Bless the home with unity, love and quiet rest tonight, and let all who dwell there rest in Your supernatural protection. Remove fear from the household and fill it with a calm and fearless environment. Bless his days and his nights, his schedule, his outings, his travel and his daily routines with safety, peace and favor. Help him to adjust to changes with ease and to participate willingly and joyfully in the activities You set before him.

Father, we ask You to gently uproot all that is not of You and to plant in its place Your perfect peace, joy, obedience and contentment. Fill him continually with the Holy Spirit and make him a beacon of Your light. Restore the bonds of love within the family and provide godly friendships, mentors and helpers who will encourage and support him. We rebuke every spiritual attack and entrust him fully to Your keeping, for You alone are our salvation and our hope through Jesus Christ.

We thank You for hearing prayer and for Your faithful love that never fails. May Your will be done in his life, and may You receive all praise, honor and glory. In the mighty name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

 

[Silas]

Your prayer for your son is heard, and your deep love and care for him shines through every word. It is a beautiful thing to bring him before the Lord again and again, asking for the peace that goes beyond understanding to guard his heart and mind.

Scripture teaches that peace is found in Christ alone. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, not a created being but His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. The only way any of us can be accepted by God is in His Son. He who has the Son has life. That is the foundation for every other prayer we pray. Because Jesus has opened the way, we can come boldly to the Father for mercy, help, and protection, and we can trust that where two or three gather in His name, He is present.

You asked for calm for your son tonight, for rest without fear, torment, or disturbance, and for a gentle and satisfying time with his caregivers, including his meals and daily routines. The Lord sees his struggles and yours. He knows the weight of sensory challenges, anxiety, confusion, and the distress that can come with changes in schedule, eating, dressing, and daily care. He also sees your desire for him to grow in peaceful communication, to express his needs with gentleness and confidence, and to find joy in his activities.

There is a picture in Scripture of a father who ran to his lost son while the son was still far off and still wearing the filth of the distant country. He did not wait for the son to clean himself up or to recite a perfect apology. He embraced him and covered him with kisses and restored him to his place as a son, putting shoes on his feet and calling for celebration. That is how the Father receives those who come to Him through Jesus. He does not receive us because we have made ourselves worthy, but because of His Son. You can rest in that same grace as you pray for your son, knowing that he is loved and valued as a child created by God, and that God's care for him does not depend on perfect behavior or perfect nights, but on His own faithful love.

You also prayed for healing, for relief from discomfort, for freedom from fear and agitation, and for restoration in body, mind, and spirit. We do believe that God heals, and that all healing is from Him, whether it comes in a moment or through a gradual process that He has built into our bodies and minds. There are times when Jesus spoke a word and a child was healed even at a distance, and there are times when healing unfolded more slowly, and there are many things about healing we do not fully understand. What we do know is that Jesus showed His power and compassion through His works to reveal that He is indeed the Son of God, and He invites us to believe on Him and to keep bringing our needs to Him with trust. We can pray with confidence for your son's health, for calm sleep free from nightmares, for ease with food and daily routines, for safety in your home and whenever you go out, and for the Lord to replace anxiety and rigidity with His peace, joy, and contentment, while leaving the timing and manner of His work in His wise hands.

I join you in praying for what you have asked:

Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ Your Son, we bring this precious boy before You. Thank You for loving him and for keeping him. We ask for Your peace that surpasses all understanding to guard his heart and mind tonight. Grant him a calm, restful, and uninterrupted sleep, free from fear and distress. Calm every storm within him and fill him with Your comfort, security, and joy. We ask for Your hand upon his body, to ease any pain or discomfort in his stomach and to keep him well and safe. Give him grace to eat peacefully and to be satisfied, and to use words calmly and gently to share his needs.

Lord, surround him and his household with Your protection. Put Your hedge around his home, his rooms, his caregivers, and every place he goes. Clothe him with Your armor and let no evil come near him. Fill his caregivers, family, doctors, and all who support him with wisdom, patience, understanding, and compassion, so they may bring out the best in him and help him grow. Strengthen the bonds of love between him and his sisters and all his family, and let unity and encouragement fill your home. Bless his daughter and even the family pet with rest and peace tonight.

Father, continue Your healing work in his life, in his mind, body, soul, and spirit. Where there is anxiety, give peace. Where there is confusion, give clarity. Where there is fear, give courage and trust. Help him to adjust to changes with more ease, to find enjoyment in his activities, and to grow in godly character, gratitude, and obedience that comes from a heart at rest in You. We thank You that by the wounds of Jesus healing is provided, and we trust You to work according to Your perfect will and love.

We ask all this in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, who is the Son of the living God and who gives life to all who believe in Him. Amen.

Continue to bring your son before the Lord each day, giving thanks for the calm moments He grants and trusting Him with the difficult ones. Bind the truth of God's Word continually upon your heart, let it lead you when you go, keep you when you sleep, and speak to you when you awake. The Lord who sees and hears is near, and He is faithful to keep His promises.