Recently (as in sometime in the past three to five years) I read a biography on Susannah Spurgeon. At the end, one of her descendants had written an afterword in which she mentioned that Charles Spurgeon had prayed for future generations of his family. At the start of this month, I read this entry in my devotional, "Faith's Checkbook" by Charles Spurgeon, which certainly shows this to be the case.
I believe it is the prayer of every Christian parent for their children, and their children's children. I know that as much as I am looking forward to and praying that we will have our whole family together at Christmas this year, God willing, I am praying even more fervently that we will all be together one day in Heaven.
Covenant Reaches Children
And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generation for an everlasting covenant to be a God unto thee, and to they seed after thee (Gen 17:7).
O Lord, thou hast made a covenant with me, they servant, in Christ Jesus my Lord;
and now, I beseech thee, let my children be included in its gracious provisions.
Permit me to believe this promise as made to me as well as to Abraham.
I know, that my children are born in sin, and shapen in iniquity, even as those of other men;
therefore, I ask nothing on the ground of their birth, for well I know that "that which is born of the flesh is flesh," and nothing more.
Lord, make them to be born under thy covenant of grace by thy Holy Spirit!
I pray for my descendants throughout all generations.
Be thou their God as thou art mine.
My highest honor is that thou hast permitted me to serve thee;
May my offspring serve thee in all years to come.
O God of Abraham, be the God of his Isaac!
O God of Hannah, accept her Samuel!
If, Lord, thou has favored me in my family, I pray thee remember other households of thy people which remain unblest.
Be the God of all families of Israel.
Let not one of those who fear thy name be tried with a godless and wicked household,
for thy Son Jesus Christ's sake.
Amen.
And from my Bible reading today:
Only take heed to thyself, and keep they soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy son's sons. Deut 4:9, KJV
