Gifts From God (1 Samuel 1:27–28)

For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there.
—1 Samuel 1:27–28

These verses come at the end of a chapter that depicts Hannah praying and pleading for a child in her barrenness. God answers her and provides a son named Samuel. Hannah says, “The Lord granted me my petition, and I surrender this gift, my son, to the Lord. He is lent to the Lord.” This specifically leads to Samuel living at the temple with Eli the priest, which is why verse 28 says that he worshiped the Lord there.

This is a powerful picture. Consider what it means to be a parent, or what it means to live for the worship of God in children—whether they are our own or those around us. This should be the posture of us all: one of praise and thanksgiving to God for them. Children do not come merely biologically; they come, ultimately, through God’s supernatural provision. He provides children, and we should respond in gratitude and praise to him for every child who comes to mind, whether in our homes or around us.

As I read these verses, I think about my own kids. The reality is that they—and every child—belong to the Lord. I pray they might grow up to love, know, honor, worship, and glorify God. They do not ultimately belong to Heather and me, nor do they belong to this world; they belong to God.

Our role as parents is to surrender our children to the Lord. For all of us, when we see children in the family of faith in the church, our response should be, “Oh God, these children belong to you. We pray that they would grow to worship you, know you, love you, and enjoy you and your love for them.”

God, we pray for every child coming to mind right now—in our families, among our friends, or in our church communities. As their faces come to mind, God, we pray that you would draw them to yourself. We pray that they would each know they are fearfully and wonderfully made by you and created for your purposes: to know you, to experience your love, and to walk in love for you and others.

God, we pray that every child we are thinking of right now would trust in you as Savior and Lord of their life. We pray that at an early age they would come to know you, Jesus. Oh God, we surrender them into your hands and pray that you would lead, guide, and direct them however you want. May they not be conformed to the pattern of this world, or even to our plans for their lives. May they be transformed by the renewing of their minds, and may they experience your plans and purposes for them, no matter what that means. Keep us, especially as parents, from trying to control their lives. Help us to see you daily as Lord over their lives, and not ourselves.

A Prayer for the Gosangi People

Finally, God, we pray for the spread of your love to children in the world who have never heard the good news about Jesus. We think of the Gosangi people of India—thirty-one thousand Telugu speakers among this Hindu people group. There are so many people of so many different ages. We pray for all of them to come to know your grace, oh God.

Especially today, in light of this word in 1 Samuel, we pray for the children being born and growing up among the Gosangi people. Please, oh God, may they be reached with the good news of your grace in Jesus so that they might be saved. May they know the joy, meaning, purpose, life, and love found in belonging to you through faith in Jesus.

May it be so, God. We pray all this according to your word in 1 Samuel 1, in Jesus’ name—in the name of the one who said, “Let the children come to me.” Amen.