Prayer to Entrust Children to God

Lord God Almighty, Thou Father of mercies! Thou hast, along with Thine other gifts of grace, also bestowed children upon me; and I give Thee thanks and praise for them. But these children I regard as a sacred trust which Thou hast committed unto me, and which Thou wilt again require at my hands. I regard them as souls which Jesus has purchased with His precious blood, which the Holy Spirit has sanctified in Holy Baptism, and which Thou hast accepted as Thy children. I am concerned, therefore, that none of them should be lost through my fault. Thou sayest to me and to all parents: Keep this child; if by any means it be missing, then shall thy life be for its life.

Therefore, O Father of grace, I come to Thee, and bring my children before Thee in prayer. I will do what I am able to do; I will train them up for Thy glory, admonish them, correct them, instruct them, and pray for them. But O Lord, Lord, do Thou look after them. I laid them into the arms of Thy mercy in Holy Baptism soon after their birth. Behold I do the same now in my prayer. O bless my children; go in and out with them, and keep them in Thy fear, that they may never burden their conscience with sin, nor offend Thee, nor, worst of all, fall from Thy grace. Give them a believing, humble, obedient, and godly heart, that they, like the youthful Jesus, may increase in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men. Impress upon their heart the image of Jesus, that they may keep Thy grace and a good conscience to their happy end.

O let my children be devout in their prayers, well-grounded in the Christian religion, steadfast in the faith, diligent in Thy service, chaste in their life, and godly in their conduct, that they may give no offense to anyone by their words or deeds, and may not bring upon themselves condemnation. Preserve them from temptations and evil company. Let Thy Holy Spirit constantly remind them of Thy all-holy presence. Let them remember that Thou art with them at home and away from home, in the chamber, by day and by night, in society and in solitude.

Let Thy angel keep them as they go out and in; let him guard them when they are traveling, or engaged in their business, or among strangers. Give them Thy holy angels as companions, as Thou didst to Tobias; let Thy angels lead them out of danger, as they did Lot; and let the angels keep watch and guard over them, as over Jacob. But should it please Thee to let me suffer affliction in my children, either through their sickness or their death, or through some other misfortune which I must behold them suffer: grant me, in such affliction, grace to remember, that nothing can happen without Thee; that the children were Thine before they were mine; and that Thou hast a perfect right to take them again to Thyself. Shouldest Thou will, that by means of the sufferings, misfortunes, or death of my children I should be drawn nearer to Thee; that in this way I should be taught the fleeting character of all earthly gifts, and be admonished to love Thee alone as the true and perfect good, — then keep me, on this thorny way, in steadfast faith and firm dependence on Thy almighty power, which can end, and turn into good, all things, even my children’s cross.

Bless them also in earthly things: care and provide for them; give them food and raiment; and deal with them as their mighty heavenly Father. Be their helper in danger and misfortune, their physician in sickness, their counselor in perplexity. Give to each of them a pious soul, a healthy body, and a sound mind. Let them live as in Thy sight, and ever honor and praise Thee. Implant in their hearts true religion, and keep them in Thy grace, that I may behold them with joy and consolation.

O God, hear my prayer, and remember that they are Thy children as well as mine. Hear the supplications which I bring for them before the throne of Thy grace. Preserve me from being brought to shame through my children, either in my life-time or after my death. On the day of Judgment let me and all my children stand at Thy right hand; and let me be able to say, to Thy glory: “Here am I and the children which Thou hast given me. I have lost none of them.” Yea, my God, grant me this joy: that none of my children may be lost, but that they all with me, and I with them, may enter into Thy glory. Amen.