Releasing Our Children Into God's Hands

I mentioned in my previous post that our two little angels are products of an answered prayer.  After five years of marriage and waiting patiently in prayer and expectation, God, in His perfect time, granted the desire of our hearts to have children of our own.  Even though it was difficult and high risk for me to get pregnant, God did not only bless us with one child, but two – a girl and a boy!

When our first child was born, I was so concerned about everything in her life.  I wanted to give her the best care and did not want to put her life in jeopardy that we even sought the service of a private-duty nurse to help me take care of my newborn baby as I recuperate from cesarean operation and recover from eclampsia.  And even when she was growing up as a baby, I was still too concerned with a lot of things in her life that all my strength and efforts were exerted much for her and that my life practically evolved around her.  Not until my husband and I dedicated her to the Lord through a simple ceremony in December 2005…My husband and I learned that dedicating our child to God is not just offering her back to her God and Maker, but part of it is releasing her into God’s hands.  I know that we, as parents, are merely God’s stewards and that our children are not ours, but His.  So from that point on, whenever I had fear about anything, I take it upon myself to immediately pray and trust God.

God has his way of reminding me that our children are His gifts to us and that He cared even more about our children more than we do.  He instructed us in 1 Peter 5:7 to “cast all our care upon Him”, and this is just what I hang on to and it gives me so much peace.  I read in one of my favorite books, The Power of a Praying Parent, the importance of releasing our child into God’s hands and asking Him to be in charge of our child’s life.  It is only God who can raise our children right and truly keep them safe, thus, we will no longer strive to do it all by ourselves but we need to enter into full partnership with Him.  Because we know that no matter what stage of life our children may be in now, when we release them to God, they will go forth in peace and joy and that God will make a way for them, and He will do the same for us, too.

I remember the story of Hannah and the story of Abraham in the Bible.  Both did not have children for a long time, and then God answered their prayers.  Both released their child to God and did as He instructed even though they knew how painful it could be to lose their most precious and most desired child.  Their love and obedience to God, however, resulted to Abraham becoming the father of all nations and Samuel becoming one of the greatest prophets the world has ever known.  I learned that, in order for God to be in control of our children’s lives, we need to surrender our hold and allow Him full access to their lives.  This does not mean, though, that we have to let go and let God do all the work.  The way to do it is to live according to His Word and His ways and His will and pray to Him about everything.  When we release our children into God’s hands and acknowledge that He is in control of their lives and ours, both we and our children will have greater peace.  God bless you!

Words to Live By

"I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of Him.  So now I give him to the Lord.  For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord."

1 Samuel 1: 27-28

"Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you."

1 Peter 5:7

"If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!"

Matthew 7:11 

"Whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight."

1 John 3:22