Jesus Loves the Little Children
I'd like to encourage you to take your Bibles out. Please open to the Book of Luke, Chapter 18.
You know in the Bible we find numerous stories where a young person – sometimes a child – played a pivotal role in the outcome of God's Kingdom. Let's see if we can remember just a few while you're turning to Luke 18. You remember the story when David was running away from Jerusalem because Absalem was committing treason and trying to rise up and take the kingdom away? There were two boys, two little boys, who played a very important role. They were sent as messengers to David. To tell David what was happening, to save his life and the kingdom. Remember how they hid in the well on their way to talk to David and the lady covered over the mouth of the well with the greens so that the pursuers went on by. Those two little boys carried the message that David needed to save his life and the kingdom.
And then who can forget the story of David and Goliath? Bible scholars think that David was somewhere between the ages of 15 and 17 when he took down Goliath. Sometimes we overlook how young some of these people really were when they did these great things that the Bible talks about. Then also who can forget that tremendous story of Samuel in the Bible? Samuel was just a little boy, 2 – 3 years old, when he was left at the Temple. And somewhere in his young life, God spoke to him and called him to be a prophet at a very young age. And at a very young age he was asked to go to this much older man Eliah and give Eliah a message of God's warning, as a very young little boy.
There are other stories that probably come to your mind when you really stop and think about it. And Mary who was asked to give birth to Jesus, Bible scholars tell us that she was in her teens when she was asked to be the mother of our Lord. Isn't it amazing? When you really stop and look at it, how young that these people were when they were asked to do things for God. You know I think God has a very tender spot in His heart for children and youth. Do you think so? Do you agree with me on that?
I think that God has a very, very tender spot. You know at one point one of the most stern rebukes that ever came from the mouth of Jesus had to do about the treatment of children. He said if anyone harms one of these little ones; He said it would have been better for that person if a millstone – You know how big a millstone is? You know, those are pretty good sized – if a millstone had been hung around his neck and he had been cast into the sea. Whoa, that's a pretty stern rebuke and you know that wasn't from Moses that was from Jesus. Jesus really cares about the children. Do you remember that little song?
"Jesus loves the little children.
All the children of the world.
Brown and yellow, black and white.
All are precious in His sight.
Jesus loves the little children of the world."
You know, when you look at the history in the Bible, when you look at the facts, definitely Jesus loves the children. God loves the children. And has often brought them into a pivotal part in His work. In fact, sometimes in the Bible a young person would do it when an older person wouldn't do it. Sometimes young people are the only ones who are brave enough, and innocent enough, and willing enough to do what God wants them to do. As a matter of fact, Ellen White was only 16 years old when she received her very first vision when God gave her instruction to give to people. It's amazing isn't it? How God chooses these special young people. And here in Luke, Chapter 18, we find a very touching and fitting example of how God cares about young people.
You know, sometimes the church sometimes seems to be a place for older people. A place where older people are the ones who sit on the committees and older people are the ones who are up front leading the worship or who are taking care of the responsibilities. Sometimes when we look at the church, sometimes we think that it's the older people that count. And that young people are not big enough or old enough to really have a part, and that maybe sometimes that their matters are too minor to be brought to the attention of God. You know, it's easy for us as young people sometimes to feel that way. But sometimes we as older people perpetuate that and not always meaning too. Sometimes we even think it's the appropriate thing to do, and that's what happened in this story.
Here are the disciples of Jesus. They were with Jesus and of course they were always protecting him. And you can understand this there were throngs of people wherever He went. The Bible says there were crowds of people who were always following Jesus. Why, you know what, I'd have been part of that crowd if I'd been there. Wouldn't you? I'd have been there trying to see Jesus and hear Jesus. You can understand, there were hundreds and thousands of people around wherever Jesus went. And the disciples had to make room for Jesus to move in and around and do different things. Sometimes He passed through these very narrow streets and the disciples had to go ahead and push, push this way; and make room for Jesus to walk. It was a difficult thing when Jesus went into a town there were so many people all around. Crowding all around Him all the time. So you can understand that the disciples were kind of in a mode of protecting Jesus a little bit. But you know, sometimes we get into automatic and we sometimes try to protect people that don't need to be protected. And try to keep things from happening that should happen.
So, these mothers – the Bible doesn't say how it happened, but perhaps like Desire of Ages says, I think it's probably the way it happened, Desire of Ages says that a mother got an idea. And she said you know the Rabbis pray for and bless our children. Is there a greater Rabbi she though than Jesus? There has never been a greater Rabbi she thought than Jesus. She said I want Jesus to pray for my children. As a father and as my wife, being the mother of our three children, is there anything on earth that is more important to me than what happens to my three children? What do you think? And I'm gonna make a little confession here, there have been times when my children had a great need when I cancelled a church meeting and nobody knew the real reason, but my children needed me. And I don't feel any guilt about that. There is nothing more important and you know something my son called me this morning, our oldest boy, called me this morning. And he was talking to me about something important in his life and he just had to tell me about it and wanted to know what I thought. And there is nothing more important to me on this earth than what happens to my children and what happens to them eternally. Are you feeling any kind of a similar heartbeat with me right now about that? There is nothing more important than what happens to our children. And you know sometimes we get busy and we forget what's really important. Do you ever get busy and forget what's really important? Do you? Sometimes we get busy and we forget what's really important.
And so, this mother, she wanted Jesus to pray for her children. So she brought her child with her and on the way she knocked at another door of another neighbor, Desire of Ages says. And she said you know I just thought you'd like to know, I'm gonna go see Jesus and I'm gonna ask Jesus to pray for my child. Do you want to come too? She said absolutely, what a great idea. And so she went. And then they thought of this neighbor and they thought of that neighbor and the first thing you know, there's a little group of them. A whole group, maybe it was the first mother's group ever conceived. The first neighborhood mother's group.
Anyway, they all came to see, to find Jesus and when they came and they went all that way – who knows how far they went but they didn't have any nice shiny car to drive in, I can guarantee you that – and so they came all that way to find Jesus. And when they get there the disciples kind of looked at this situation: here's these people that want to be healed, here's those people who have issues with Jesus, here's those people who are coming with special requests. And they're looking at all this stuff, you know, and then they look at these mother's with these children and they kinda prioritize in their mind, and they go low priority. Low priority. Children, they can go to another Rabbi for a prayer. They don't need to come to bother Jesus. He's got more important things to do. And the Desire of Ages says, that Jesus saw, took this all in, in a moment, and He just kinda hung back and didn't say anything to see what His disciples would do. Well, the disciples told the children and the parents that Jesus was too busy, to just go on their way. And Jesus overheard that and He gently, lovingly saw this as an opportunity to correct His disciples and to help them understand what's really important. And He also, His heart was just moved with compassion for these little kids.
Just this last week I saw my – we saw our little grandson. His first birthday, just this last week. Boy, you know kids grow a lot in a year. You know that? His first birthday and every time I see that little guy my heart just kinda leaps in there. Here's that little guy, you know? And they say he looks like grandpa. They do. They say he looks like grandpa and so I kinda tease him and I go which part? This part or this part? Because he doesn't have much hair.
You know, is there anything more precious than a little child? And when you see the innocence in their eyes and the trust that they convey, the openness to the world and to everything there is – is there anything more precious? Oh, don't tell me Jesus didn't have this huge grandpa feeling in His heart. He did. And He said, you can just here it – it even comes through, even in the old King James – it says suffer the little children. In other words, we don't use the word suffer that way any more, but it means allow, allow the little children to come to me. Allow them to come, He said, for such is the Kingdom of God. In fact, He says you're not even going to Heaven unless you're like one of these little guys. He said let them come.
And now there's a couple of other chapters in the Bible that you can compare with this. One is Matthew 19 and the other one is Mark Chapter 10. And you might want to just flip back and forth. Matthew Chapter 19:13-15, and Mark Chapter 10:13-16. And in Mark, he says this – it says right there – Mark says that Jesus picked up the little kids in His arms. He just picked up those little kids one by one and picked them up in His arms. And He held them up close to Him. And the Bible says then He laid His hands on them. I can just see Jesus, picking up this little child and just hugging up this little child.
By the way, in one verse it says infants, but if you look in the Greek it doesn't mean – when we say infant we think of a little baby, but they word in Greek means, it can mean anything from a baby on up through a young adolescent. And so likely, there were kids of various ages in that group, okay? It wasn't just little babies. It was probably two year olds and five year olds, you know, and different age groups. Cause the word is pretty broad really in what it encompasses.
And so, He picked up this little girl, let's say, or little boy in His arms like this and held it close and then I can just see Jesus, just placing His hand on the head of that child and speaking to the Father for that child. Wow. Would you have wanted to take your child to have Jesus pray for your child? Did you know that Jesus prays for your child every day? That Jesus prays for you every day. It says in Hebrews 7:25, that He ever lives to make intercession for you. You know, this day has not – did not even hardly get started before Jesus mentioned your name to the Father. He prays for you. He prays for your children. The sanctuary teaches us that, by the way. You know that don't you?
The sanctuary - the alter - we've been standing in, you know, the sanctuary, the alter of incense. The incense that was rising to Heaven that represents the prayers of the saints and the blood of the sacrifice mingled with the alter of incense, that represented the blood of the Savior who was to come. Who cleansed the prayers and His intercession mingled with the rising of the incense represented the prayers of the Savior with the prayers of the people. Jesus prays.
Some of you like to look up these things. Here's a reference for you to look up, it's sons and daughters of God, page 274. It's SD 274, sons and daughters of God. Here's what it says. It says when you pray for someone, Jesus prays for that person at the same time and pours out the Holy Spirit on that person while you pray. Every time you pray for your son or your daughter, every time you pray for your friend, every time you pray for anyone in your family, Jesus mentions that person's name to the Father that very moment. And the Holy Spirit is sent to that person when you pray.
I want us to pray right now cause there are people you love that need those prayers. And what better place could we pray, than right here in God's house? And what I want us to do is I want us to just bow our heads right where we are and just mention the names of those people right now to God in prayer.
Oh Father, we pause right now to pray and to mention these names to You. We love them. We can't imagine Heaven without them and among these names that are coming to You, Lord, are children and grandchildren. Oh, great Father of love, who so often stopped to hear the faintest cry of a child in this world, please hear our prayer. Send the Holy Spirit to these people that we have mentioned to You. We are so helpless, Lord, and so weak. We cannot change the course of their life. We cannot save them. Only You, oh God, can put in force and put into motion what needs to happen so that these people that we love will be saved and be ready when Jesus comes. Oh Lord, please send Your spirit and the angels to them right now and draw them to You. This is our prayer in Jesus name. Amen.
So Jesus brought those children right up there on His lap and He laid His hands on them. And He prayed for them and He asked God to bless those children. And the mothers and the children were greatly warmed. I believe their lives were changed because of that prayer. And so I want to mention three things to you about this incident with Jesus. It won't take long. Real quick, just three things.
The first one is in Matthew 11:28, always remember this: we serve a God who is always giving the open invitation to come to Him. He is a God of invitations, several of His parables had to do with invitation. He told the parable of the master who was throwing a rich feast, and he says go out into the highways and the byways and invite them to come in. He said come in to the feast. And then in another parable, he said compel them, urge them, beg them to come in to my feast. How much does God want you and your children to be in Heaven? He is pictured as the God who invites, who compels, who urges those to come in to the banquet. To come. He is an open God. It says come unto Me. Can you say it – from memory even? "Come unto Me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest." He is the God who says come, come. He wants you to come.
"The chimes of time ring out the news, another day is through.
Someone slipped and fell. Was that someone you?
You may have longed for added strength, your courage to renew.
Do not be disheartened for I bring hope to you.
It is no secret what God can do.
What He's done for others, He'll do for you.
With arms wide open He'll pardon you.
For it is no secret what God can do."
Many of our songs mention the idea of arms open wide. He is the God of invitation. He says let the little children come. Let them come. Steve Green has that song. I think it's Steve Green, or it might be – I get the two guys mixed up sometimes – Steve Green and Michael Card, but you know: "Let the children come. Don't dare drive them away." Right? You've heard that? Let the children come. Jesus is the God of invitation.
In John 1:39, when He was asked, Master where do you live? He said come and see. So what can we learn from this example of Jesus. And that is first of all, to have an attitude of openness, of invitation, to our children, our church, and to our friends. To be open with people in our life and to invite them into our life, into our church. Did you know that according to a Gallup poll, 65%, and that was exactly what the poll said, 65% of Americans said when they were asked would you go to church if a friend invited you, would you go to church? 65% said yes they would.
Many people are waiting only for an invitation. You know there's a lot of young people that are just waiting to be asked to do something. A lot of children would do things if we would ask them, but too often we pass over them. Thinking about other people who could do – you know, I think a lot of our committees, you can quote me if you want to, I think a lot of our committees on all levels of our church would be better off for the presence of a young person on that committee. First of all, they might not have some of the attitudes that are expressed at times. Are you with me? Are you listening? Hello? And secondly there'd be some fresh ideas that would be on that committee. And thirdly, there'd be some energy. Something might get done because most young people tend to be doers and not just talkers. Well, sometimes you can do too much to, so we need the talkers too.
But we need to have an openness of letting people come. There was a Christian family who were missionaries in Sudan and after the missionaries had been there they noticed that at least in the area where they were that the Sudanese families are very close and that the children were very obedient and there was just a closeness in the family – not fragmented like we are so often in America. And so this lady in particular sought out on guy that had been to America and who new the cultures and he'd been educated here in America and he understood what the dynamics were. And so she said tell me, tell me why is it that so many of the Sudanese families seem to be so well adjusted and we seem to have such a problem in America. And he looked at this lady and he says in America people have watches, but in Sudan we have time. Is that profound or what?
Taking the time to be open with the people in your life. Inviting them to come to church. Inviting the children. You know there are a lot of children who would receive Christ as their Savior if they were only asked to receive Jesus as their Savior. I have a friend who is a minister's wife and she made her decision to accept Jesus Christ at the age of 7 because she was invited to receive Christ as her Savior. And she's been faithful to Christ ever since that first decision. And she is a tremendous power for Jesus. There are many of you – who of you here, I'd like to know, how many of you here made your decision for Christ, to follow Jesus, before that age of 15? Can I see your hands? Look at this. Now keep them up and look around. I want you to do this. Come on. Keep them up and look around. That's a lot of people. You made your decision. Do you know that we are told by researchers that unless a person receives Jesus by the time that they are 15 – that they are converted and receive Christ by the time that they are 15 – there is more than a 70% likelihood that they never will.
What kind of importance does that put on what we as a church, and what we as schools, do with our children? And as teachers and as preachers and as parents and grandpas don't pass up an invitation to say – Bill, Jane, whatever that child's name is. Jared, that's probably more up to date, you know, have you ever thought about giving you life to Jesus? That's all you have to do. Just ask. Jesus was open. He asked. He created an environment where there was an openness. You know?
As you know I wasn't raised a Seventh Day Adventist Christian and I am gonna tell that story one of these days, but I'm just gonna say just this much right now and that is this – that I went to Sabbath school I think maybe three times my whole life. Okay, are you with me? You got that picture? I was not raised in any church. I didn't go to church. I wasn't raised a Seventh Day Adventist. I went after my mother understood the Sabbath. I think I was taken to Sabbath school I think three times in my childhood years. Okay? Out of those three times that I went to Sabbath school they are vividly impressed in my mind and I remember every single visit. I even remember what they taught.
Those of you who have children Sabbath schools, your position is so high that I cannot even begin to tell you how important that is. You are making impressions on children that will last their whole lifetime. It's so significant that I fail for words to describe it. Those of you who may be teachers in our congregation this morning, you're work with our children is so incredibly important that it makes me sad to think that you don't get more recognition that you deserve for the work that you do. Because you are modeling those children for life. And finally, you mothers, we are told that the highest position on earth, the highest position on earth, is that of the mother. Training your child for eternity. There is no greater, no greater work than that of raising the children.
Number two, Matthew 8:3. This is such a cool thing about Jesus. I wanna be like Jesus. Do you wanna be like Jesus? I wanna be like Jesus. I really mean that, I'm not just saying that. I feel that, I mean that in my heart.
"I would be like Jesus, be like Jesus this my song.
In the home and in the throng, be like Jesus all day long.
I would be like Jesus."
Jesus was open to people. He didn't shut people out. He was open. We need more of that in the church. Jesus was a person who took time to express love. He didn't always do it in the same way, but He took time to express love. And if you notice in Matthew 8:3, this story has never ceased to touch me. I don't know how many times I've thought about it and read about it, but this is the most incredible thing. This leper – just imagine you're a leper. Everywhere you go – "Unclean, unclean" you've got to shout. I mean just think about some birth defect you've got. What if you had to publicly tell everybody about your birth defect all your days. Huh? What if you had to show people your birth defect wherever you went and say "Birth defect!" You know? Wouldn't that be awful? What if those of you who've had cancer had to go around everywhere you went and say "Cancer, cancer." How awful that would be. Huh? And then here's this leper, he's out going "Unclean, unclean." It was a terrible, dehumanizing thing. He could not be around any other people except lepers. That's it. And he could not talk with them. He could not be in their proximity. He could not touch them nor be touched by them. And that was the one thing that the lepers missed the most, was that they could not touch nor be touched by another human being for the rest of their days.
So, he comes to Jesus. He heard about Jesus. That Jesus received everybody. He was open. Jesus was open. He had an openness. It was open. It was safe to be around Jesus. And Jesus received this leper – "Unclean, unclean." So the leper comes into the presence of Jesus, everybody else stands back. Everybody else retreats away from this untouchable. He comes right up to Jesus and he pleads out to the Lord, and he says – I mean, my heart just breaks with this – he calls out, he says Lord, if You are willing You can make me clean. I tell you that's the cry of every human heart in one way or another, is to be clean. You know what I mean. I'm not talking about your body; I'm talking about your soul. The greatest hunger of the human heart is to be clean in the soul. And he knelt down there before Jesus and he said if You are willing You can make me clean. And you know the very first thing He did? He touched him. That's the very first thing He did. How long – how many years since he'd been touched by a normal human being. And before Jesus ever did anything about his disease, He communicated to him I don't care what you are. I don't care how you are. I don't care what's in your body, or in your heart, or in your mind. I love you. And He reached out and He touched that untouchable person. That really touches me. Reminds me of that great Gospel hymn:
"He touched me. Oh, He touched me
and, oh, the joy that floods my soul.
Something happened and now I know.
He touched me and made me whole."
Yeah. He touched him. Isn't that awesome? He touched him. Jesus was affectionate. The Bible says He picked up those little children and He hugged them. He was affectionate. Now, you know, these days touching is a touchy situation. Gotta be careful. And it's important that we be careful. It's very important that we be careful because some kids have been deeply wounded and damaged and gotta be careful. But, you know, you can go too far too. There's appropriate ways to touch kids. I think it'd be a shame if kids could not be touched appropriately in the appropriate way. Something that those of you who are teachers and those of you who are Sabbath school teachers, it's something that you need to study and understand so that you don't get into trouble, but also so that you know how to communicate at the right time and in the right way to a child who may need that loving touch at just that right moment. You understand what I'm saying? Anybody there? You with me? Say "Amen" if you're awake. Those of you who weren't awake – you're awake now.
It's important that we show that we love. But you know there are five Biblical ways to show that you love people. If you haven't read about the five love languages I'd encourage you to read about those five. They're all in the Bible, okay? They're all there in the Bible. They come right out of the scripture. Giving gifts is a way to show that you love somebody. Spending time with someone is a way. Boy, there's a big one. Spending time with somebody. How many of us have – how many of us take time? Third one is giving words of affirmation. Just taking a few moments and saying something to encourage the other person. Another one is physical touch. Another one is deeds of service. And in all five of those ways God has shown His love for us.
And so, Jesus took the time to express love. It can change a life, to express love to someone. A man was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison and while he was in prison he became acquainted with a Chaplain. The Chaplain took the time to get to know this guy. This is a true story. He sat down with this guy one-on-one one day after he'd spent a few times with him, he looked this young man in the eyes and he said to him "Are you angry?" That's all. He just bluntly said "Are you angry?" And the man said, "I'm so angry I don't know what to do." And he went on to talk about his life and how he was raised and the things that happened to him and all this stuff that happened in his life. And the anger just poured out of him. It was like the guy had a very, very sharp razor and sliced open a boil and all the ugly stuff came out. Just poured out and the Chaplain just listened. And finally he had spent all this anger that was inside and he looked at the Chaplain after he'd been quiet for a couple minutes. And he said you know what, you're the first person in my whole life who ever cared enough to ask me how I felt and who listened to why I felt the way I felt. As a result of that visit that man gave his life to Jesus Christ and he became a totally changed person. Because someone took the time to love.
There are lots of people in our world who need somebody to be like Jesus. Somebody who will go and who will give the appropriate touch, who will say the words, who will do the deed. How would our church, how would our community be changed if we would get to know the names of the children. How of you can say that you know the names of the children sitting in this room right now? I can't say that. I'm working on it though. But how many of you can say that? That you know the names of the kids in this church. One community found out, a very small community found out, that the drug problem in their community and the criminal activity in their community went down when the community leaders and the store owners began to take the time to get to know the young people and find out their name. Just finding out their name. Just expressing that interest.
And we have Gary Hopkins in the Seventh Day Adventist Church who has traveled all around the United States on behalf of our Church and also the government, to a degree, encouraging interaction between the government and the church in this area because the government is actively looking for mentors in all the communities of America who will take the time to get to know young people because they found that when a young person has a significant adult in their life that criminal activity goes down something like 50-60% in that community. And that child becomes like 60-70% less likely to be involved in drugs and over 50% less likely to be involved in questionable behavior because they have a significant adult person in their life.
Jesus took the time to express love to people and what a difference it made. Jude 22 says show compassion and make a difference. Here's an interesting quote in "Review & Herald" - It says, "If in the lives of all God's people, the character of Christ revealed, we should see thousands more converted to the truth." The character of Christ, now, what is that? Is that obedience? It involves that, but beyond that, way deeper than that, broader than that is the fruit of the Spirit - Love, Joy, Peace, etc.>
Finally, Jesus prayed for the people. I want you to turn to first Timothy 2:1-4. Jesus prayed for the children. He was open to them. He loved them. He expressed His love to them and He prayed for them. First Timothy: "Therefore I exalt first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all Godliness and reverence, for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." I was talking to my wife this past week about this subject again and I mentioned to her that as I grew up, I don't have – somebody said this morning that they don't have a big conversion story – well, I don't really have a big conversion story either. Cause I never got involved in drugs. I never got involved in smoking or drinking or any of the typical kinds of things that you think about when a young person comes out of the world and becomes and Christian and gives his life to the Lord. I didn't have any of that. I can't say - I grew up in a smoking home. My mom and dad both smoke and there was lots of booze around and all kinds of stuff going on and I had plenty of opportunities to go to parties in high school. All that stuff I never did.
And I asked my, I talked to my wife about that several times through the years. It's a great mystery to me. I had plenty of opportunity. I had no restraint really to keep me from it. I could have done any of those things. It was freely available. I had the opportunity to do it. I didn't do it. Well, after I'd learned quite a bit about prayer and had experienced quite a few things, I had a suspicion about something. And I want all the grandmas, if you were inclined to be half-mast, I want you to be wide-awake right now cause this is for you. I asked my oldest sister - her name is Joyce - I said, "Joyce was anybody praying for us kids all those years we were growing up?" She said, "Uh-huh." She said, "I didn't know this until a few years ago, but you know Grandma?" "Yeah." "She prayed for each one of us by name every single day and pled with God," she said, "for our salvation."
Touches my heart deeply to think that my grandmother was praying for me faithfully every day. Her prayers made a difference. I know. I know why I was so much less inclined to be involved in those things. When our oldest son was involved in things that tore our hearts out, when he was involved in things that were hurting his body, we were praying for him specifically. Asking God to make him miserable. Asking God to make those sinful activities untasteful to him, distasteful to him. To make those things – to trouble him, we asked God to trouble him, to make him miserable. Finally one night, and some day I'll tell you more of this story, but finally one night he came home and he knocked at the door cause he didn't have a key anymore. And I went to the door and he came in and his exact words to me were "Dad, I want to come home." He said, "I'm tired of being the prodigal son. Can I come home?" I said, "Yes, we want you to come home. With all our hearts we want you to come home."
That night we stayed up very late, into the wee hours of the morning as he was telling us his story and one of the things he said to us was he said you know all the time I was doing all that stuff, he said I was miserable. And he said it didn't taste good and it didn't feel good and I was just miserable the whole time. And my wife and I just exchanged little glances with each other when he said that. How many times we had prayed those very specific prayers. Oh, listen, brothers and sisters. There is a God in Heaven who loves and who hears our prayers. He cares for you and He cares for all the children of the world. Brown and yellow, black and white, all are precious in His site. Jesus loves the little children of the world.
"I am so glad that my Father in Heaven
tells of His love in the book He has given.
Wonderful things in the Bible I see.
This is the dearest, that Jesus loves me.
I am so glad that Jesus loves me.
Jesus loves me. Jesus loves me.
I am so glad that Jesus loves me.
Jesus loves even me."
Let us stand for prayer. Oh Lord, we stand in awe at Your great mercy. You know how we human beings are Father. We aren't even open to each other a lot of the time. We get offended. We say things we shouldn't say. We make mistakes. Sometimes, Lord, even our closest friends get upset with us for a time. Don't talk to us. But You never do. You never act that way toward us. You're always open to us. Your door is always open, no matter what we have said or done. No matter how we have mistreated You or despised Your mercy, yet, You remain open to us and willing to receive us. As little children, You said come to Me and I will receive you.
Lord, You know how damaged we are. We don't express our love like we ought to. We forget. We get distracted. We get selfish and we don't show interest in others to the degree that we could and should. But You're not like that. Every day You shower us with Your love, Your gifts, Your presence, Your encouragement. Every day we are the benefactors of Your great love. Oh Lord, it really touches us to think that You're always praying for us. That You never stop praying for us. That You mention our name often through the day to our Heavenly Father. Please, Lord, change us.
"Change my heart, oh God, make it ever true.
Change my heart, oh God, may I be like You.
You are the potter; I am the clay.
Mold me and make me. This is what I pray.
Change my heart, oh God, make it ever true.
Change my heart, oh God, may I be like You."
So, Lord, help us to love the children. Whatever their age may be. To be open to them, to love them, to pray for them. We know You'll help us and we thank You for this in Jesus name. Amen.