Samuel

 

“Build me a son, O Lord, who will be strong enough to know when he is weak, brave enough to face himself when he is afraid, one who will be proud and unbending in honest defeat, and humble and gentle in victory.

“Build me a son whose wishes will not take the place of deeds; a son who will know Thee — and that to know himself is the foundation stone of knowledge.

“Lead him, I pray, not in the path of ease and comfort, but under the stress and spur of difficulties and challenge. Here let him learn to stand up in the storm; here let him learn compassion for those who fail …”

“Build me a son whose heart will be clear, whose goal will be high; a son who will master himself before he seeks to master other men; one who will reach into the future, yet never forget the past.

“And after all these things are his, add, I pray, enough of sense of humor, so that he may always be serious, yet never take himself too seriously.

“Give him humility, so that he may always remember the simplicity of true greatness, the open mind of true wisdom, and the meekness of true strength.

“Then, I, his father, will dare to whisper, ‘I have not lived in vain.'”

General Douglas MacArthur

I am the daddy! But before that, I am the son of a Holy God, and the husband of a good woman. If I desire this life for my son I must, as much as it is within my means to do so, live this way myself for him to follow. I must lead by example and teach him both how to win, and in the case of failure how to get back up. Should God grant me this blessing, I pray that I am ready for the fight. I pray that I will never back down, never give up, and that my sword is never as sharp as my use of the Word of God. Nonetheless, that sword will be sharp and ready to defend faster than that of my enemy. God willing, I desire a long life with a healthy wife and son. A life that allows me to see him get married and have kids of his own. But if his life is needed in a way that is more important to God than it is to my prayer, then I pray that I am fully willing to accept whatever the outcome may be as I know from experience that God will be at my side. I am a blessed man and I am at peace with the next step, whatever it may be... Thank you Jesus!