Part One: Prayers For Family Milestones

: Prayers for Family Milestones

I’M NOT SURE HOW the night before birthdays has become such a thing in our family.

When we whisper the last bedtime story and tuck in the final covers, my husband and I sneak into the kitchen to blow up dollar-store balloons, balance on kitchen chairs to twist and hang streamers, and pull hidden gifts from under the bed. It’s never fancy, and I often reuse birthday banners, but it always ignites a sense of anticipation. We’re bone weary and brain exhausted in the throes of parenting four young children, but this ritual of coming together, of anticipating our kids’ delight and surprise, builds excitement in our hearts.

We find ourselves reflecting on the day we met our birthday child—marveling at their growth, reflecting on what has been, and wondering what might be. The sprinkles I shake on the cupcakes become a prayer, and suddenly I’m remembering the moment I first laid eyes on them, praying over their spiritual journey in Christ. My searching for the last bit of Scotch tape to wrap a present is a prayer for their creativity and sticky fingers.

Celebration is a crucial tenet of the Christian life (see Philippians 4:4). We don’t need grand parties or opulent gifts—even simple moments can serve as an invitation to remember, to enter into divine conversation and reflect on the joys of the complicated, curious humans we get to raise.

Parenting in times of celebration invites us into the present reality that the Spirit dwells among us. We know intimately that sorrows fill our lives, but the Christian life is also marked with much rejoicing, too. There are the big moments, of course, such as the birth of a child. But celebration also comes in the delighted squeal of a child at a new seedling sprouting from a cup of dirt or a flourishing touch on a finger painting or a teenager’s first paycheck.

I’m inclined to focus on God and prayer when life is challenging. When I’m aware of my lack, I’m aware of my intimate need for God’s provision and love. But when life feels celebratory, I’m likely to forget—to leave an invitation unsent for the Creator of all good things, the Savior who sets the table (see Luke 22:14-16) and turns water into wine (see John 2:1-11). A Jesus who says take and eat (see Matthew 26:26). A God who is the orchestrator of the Year of Jubilee (see Leviticus 25:1-13).

When we pray for our children, when we mark our times of celebration, we’re entering into the ancient tradition of worshiping a perfect God who is the very definition of parental love. These prayers of celebration include spiritual, developmental, and familial milestones—and also the small, sacred victories that are so easy to forget.

As parents, we need no reminder that our babies are worth celebrating. May we remember that this is how the Maker of all things feels about us, too—beloved simply because we are His children. Worthy of love simply because we are. And then may we accept this truth as a cause for celebration.

Living in celebration does not mean we wait until things are perfect to rejoice—it means we are aware of God’s inherent goodness. We’re awake to glimmers of extraordinary wonder in our comings and goings.

May these liturgies of milestones, family celebrations, and tiny victories remind us that we feast with God as we enter into the spiritual adventure of parenting and praying for our daughters and sons.