A Prayer to See Children as a Blessing
By: Victoria Riollano
“Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth.” - Psalm 127:3-4
As a young child, I already knew I wanted many children. The thought of having little people who loved me unconditionally and even looked like me was pretty exciting. Yet, as I started having children, I realized that the motherhood journey wasn’t easy. There were days that were full of frustration; I wondered if I could ever measure up to the mother I dreamed of being as a child.
Although I knew that motherhood didn’t come with a manual, I still felt like I would never be good enough. Consequently, the more children I had, the more I would be met with comments of, “You have your hands full” and “I can’t imagine having that many children. It seemed the world around me was confirming the pressure and insecurity I felt within myself. Yet, one day during a grocery store outing with five little ones in tow, a man old enough to be my grandfather quietly whispered under his breath words that I will never forget.
“Wow! Look at all those generations, you are so blessed.”
In that moment, I was reminded that my current woes would soon be fading memories. The sleepless nights with an infant wouldn’t last forever. The conversations with my preschooler about eating healthy foods or flushing the toilet will one day make me giggle. The irritable moments with my tween will soon be a story that I will share with their future children. You see, the man at the grocery store wasn’t concerned about the squirmy little ones in the cart, he saw who they would one day become. These children would become generations of men and women who would impact the world around them. He could see that my present annoyances would be nothing compared to the great reward of seeing them grow and flourish.
Children are indeed a blessing from the Lord.
The more and more I’ve thought about this moment over the years, I’ve realized that children are an opportunity to learn more about myself and the Lord. As I raise my children, I’ve learned the power of patience, the beauty of offering forgiveness, and how to love people in moments where I struggle to love myself. Each day, as I find ways to see them grow and blossom, I am reminded just how much God loves me.
I believe it is no coincidence that He calls us His children. As the Bible says, if a natural parent does good by their children, how much more will our Father in Heaven do good for us? Certainly, we serve a God who loves us beyond our daily messes and occasional attitudes, just like we love our own children. This, alone, is a great victory.
My prayer for all caretakers today is that you would know that the Lord is near. Even on the days you may want to give up or cry yourself to sleep, He hears, He knows, and He answers. May you not allow today’s frustration to cheat you out of the joy of parenting. Though there will be hard days, our God is able to light up our path and teach us how to be caretakers who can love and speak life to those He has entrusted us with.
Let’s pray.
Lord,
I thank you for the precious children you have placed under my influence. Help me to love them from your heart. Teach me the words to say that would uplift them and never crush their spirit. Father, silence me when my words don’t reflect your heart and give me the boldness to speak up when they need an advocate. I thank you that children are a blessing from you. Help me to see them for who you have called them to be and to speak life over their destiny. And on the days that I feel weary, remind that you are near and strengthen me.
In Jesus name,
Amen.
Victoria Riollano is an author, blogger, and speaker. As a mother of six, military spouse, Psychology professor and minister’s wife, Victoria has learned the art of balancing family and accomplishing God’s ultimate purpose for her life. Recently, Victoria released her book, The Victory Walk: A 21 Day Devotional on Living A Victorious Life. Her ultimate desire is to empower women to live a life of victory, hope, and love. She believes that with Christ we can live a life that is ALWAYS winning. You can learn more about her ministry at victoryspeaks.org.
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