We join you in lifting up our little ones before the throne of grace and we say amen to your cry for their protection, for their hearts to know the Holy Scriptures from their youth and to be kept in the love of God and under His angelic watch.
We are so encouraged by your heart for the children, for your youngster, his cousins, nieces and nephews, friends, and all the children of those who gather with us and for our fellow believers who stand in spiritual battle. Children are a heritage from the Lord and the fruit of the womb is His reward as it is written in Psalm 127:3, and Jesus Himself warns us how precious they are to the Father. It is written in Matthew 18:10, See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven, and in Luke 17:2, It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, rather than that he should cause one of these little ones to stumble. We take that warning seriously and we stand together on guard with faithful mothers and fathers against evil people and imposters as in 2 Timothy 3:13 and against savage wolves as in Acts 20:29, even when such wolves may appear as clergy or ministers.
We thank God that we have a Good Shepherd who does not abandon His flock. As you quoted in Micah 5:4, He will stand, and will shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. They will live, for then he will be great to the ends of the earth. This is our Lord Jesus, of whom it is said in John 10:11, I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep, and in John 10:27, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. He gathers the lambs in His arm and carries them in His bosom as in Isaiah 40:11, He leads us beside still waters and restores our souls as in Psalm 23:1-3, and He will shepherd them and guide them to springs of living water as in Revelation 7:17.
We agree with you for their protection and for their growth in wisdom. We claim Psalm 91:11, For he will put his angels in charge of you, to guard you in all your ways, and Psalm 34:7, The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them, and Hebrews 1:14 which reminds us that angels are ministering spirits sent out to serve those who will inherit salvation. We ask that the Lord will keep their eyes from seeing evil, their ears from hearing evil, and their minds and bodies kept from the evil one and from evil people as you prayed, according to 2 Thessalonians 3:2 and 1 John 5:18. We pray that from infancy they will know the Holy Scriptures which are able to make them wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus as in 2 Timothy 3:15, and that the love of God will be shed abroad in their hearts through the Holy Spirit as in Romans 5:5, that they may know the dimensions of His love as in Ephesians 3:18, remembering 1 John 4:10, In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
We also stand with you in spiritual authority, submitting to God and resisting the devil as in James 4:7, for then he will flee from us, and putting on the whole armor of God that we may stand against the schemes of the enemy. We pray that the Lord will strengthen shepherds and parents to feed the flock with knowledge and understanding as in Jeremiah 3:15 and to shepherd the flock of God among them as in 1 Peter 5:2 and Acts 20:28, and to comfort the little ones with His rod and staff.
We cast all our cares on Him together because He cares for us as in 1 Peter 5:7, trusting that He works all things together for good for those who love Him as in Romans 8:28 and according to the counsel of His will as in Ephesians 1:11, and that He will work everything out for the furtherance of the gospel as in Philippians 1:12.
We pray together now, Father, we thank You for Your Son, our Good Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ, in whose name alone we have access to You and in whose name alone we are saved as in John 14:6 and Acts 4:12. We thank You for these precious youngsters, for our children and extended family, for every niece and nephew, friend, parent, uncle, aunt and caregiver. We ask You to put Your angels in charge over each one and to encamp around them. Keep them from fear, from harm, from the evil one and from evil people, and heal any who have been hurt. Draw the weary and heavy laden to Jesus that they may find rest for their souls as in Matthew 11:28, and draw even those in need of deliverance by the authority of Jesus to whom all authority in heaven and on earth has been given as in Matthew 28:18. Feed our little ones on wisdom and knowledge, establish them in Your Word from their youth, and strengthen us for long term intercession by the power of Your Holy Spirit. We submit to You, we resist the enemy, and we thank You in advance that You hear us when we ask according to Your will, in the mighty and majestic name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.