Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.
– Psalm 127:3
What a great verse in the middle of this chapter about God building a house. And oftentimes, when the Bible talks about building a house, it’s talking about building a family. When you look at 2 Samuel 7, when God promised to build King David a house, God was talking about a family. And that in and of itself is really instructive for us, because when we think about building, we often think about building a career, or a business, or a portfolio, or a resume, but the Bible actually prioritizes building a family with children, and lots of them at that. A quiver full of them as this chapter goes on to say in verse 5, which is a really different perspective than the world around us today.
Psalm 127:3 offers a goldy perspective on children.
We live in a world that sees children as barriers to our careers and all we want to accomplish. You look at the trend lines, they’re clear. Young adults in our culture are putting off marriage until later and later, oftentimes in the name of getting an education, or a job, or building a career, as if marriage is a barrier to that and kids an even larger barrier, or even a burden that would prevent that. Do you see what’s wrong with this picture we’re buying into?
We live in a culture that sees children oftentimes as barriers and burdens when the Bible calls them blessings. So, let’s be careful with the way we talk about children. Even as the church, we say, “Well, I have one kid or two kids or three kids, and I don’t want anymore.” Is that the way we talk about blessings or is that the way we talk about burdens? And what would it look like for singles and especially men who have the responsibility of leading a home?
Psalm 127:3 challenges us to not conform to the culture around us.
If God’s called you to be single, then, by all means, maximize singleness to his glory. We see that picture celebrated in the Bible. But if not, then pursue a wife, not years from now, but now in dependence on God. And when you get married and for all who are married, unless God clearly says otherwise, pursue and prize children. Trusting that in some cases he doesn’t provide children in the way we hope, but knowing that we should not see kids as barriers or burdens to be avoided, but as blessings to be sought from the Lord. So, let’s just pray that God would align our thoughts about children with his thoughts about children and his Word, not the thoughts about children that either implicitly or explicitly we sometimes hear in the world.
God, we praise you for children that are a heritage from you. Lord, even as I pray this and knowing the pain of longing for children, maybe even people longing for marriage and you not providing yet in the way that that longing is there in brothers or sisters in Christ. God, I pray for your sufficiency, for your strength, for your hope, for joy in the waiting over those brothers and sisters. And God, among those who you are calling to marry or are married, God, we pray that you would help us to prize children as we trust in your providence and when you might provide them, but to seek this blessing from you.
This verse encourages us to pour our love into the next generation.
God, we praise you as we think about all the kids who might come to our minds right now. Kids in some of our homes. Think about kids in others’ homes. God, we pray for children who are flourishing to your glory as blessings from you, the fruit of the womb, a reward. Lord, we pray that you would deliver us from thinking like the world about children as burdens or barriers. God, help us to see them as the reward they are. And to love them, to cherish them, to treasure them. To serve and shepherd them in a way that points them to know and enjoy you. Lord, we pray, help us all regardless of whether we’re single, married, without children, or married with children.
God help us to pour your love into the next generation, into children. And we pray that you would build homes and build children in the next generation who love you and know you.
Prayer for Unreached Children
Even as we pray for unreached people around the world every day on this podcast, God, we pray for children and all these unreached people groups, little boys and girls whose parents don’t know the truth about your love in Jesus. God, we pray that their parents would be reached and these children would be reached.
God help us to work on behalf of children around the world. We pray for your blessing on all kinds of ministries that are doing ministry to reach children with the love of Jesus and their parents. God, we praise you for children. We pray for your glory to spread through the way we treasure children as blessings, as a heritage from you. In Jesus’ name we pray, according to your word in Psalm 127:3. Amen.
David Platt serves as a Lead Pastor for McLean Bible Church. He is also the Founder and Chairman of Radical, an organization that helps people follow Jesus and make him known in their neighborhood and all nations.
David received his B.A. from the University of Georgia and M.Div., Th.M., and Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Some of his published works include Radical, Radical Together, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, and Don’t Hold Back.
He lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area with his wife and children.
