Mark 9:36-37 tells us, “Jesus put a little child among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, ‘Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf (or in my name) welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not only me but also my Father who sent me.’”

We see another account of Jesus interacting with children in Mark 10:14-16. “One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him.

“When Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry with his disciples. He said to them, ‘Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.’ Then he took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them.”

These passages show us the depth of the love that Jesus had for children. For him to take time to spend with young ones was out of the norm for that culture at that time in history. However, Jesus stopped whatever he was doing and intentionally showed affection and respect for them on multiple occasions.

Why? Well, Jesus said that he never did anything unless the Father told him to do it. I believe that Jesus’ compassion for the children was indicative of the Father’s love for them. Of course, we can see the Father’s heart for children throughout scripture, from the beginning to the end, as instruction is given for both parents and children alike.

Do we follow God’s example in how we deal with children and youth? Do we regularly pray for them and look for opportunities to train them up in the ways of the Lord? How might we pray for the children and youth in our community?

Here are a few suggested prayer points. We should pray for God-honoring teachers, staff members, administrators, and curriculum in our schools. We should ask God for the school board to have wisdom and guidance as they make decisions and set policies.

We should look for and act upon opportunities to tangibly demonstrate God’s love in our schools. We should ask God to help those families who home-school their kids or choose to have them educated in other private settings.

We should pray for the safety of our kids through the remainder of the summer break and as the new school year begins later this month. We should ask for their protection from the rampant chaos and confusion in our culture and society.

We should pray for our churches’ children’s and youth programs as well as other local organizations and individuals who provide services for them.

Jesus showed loved for young people during his ministry here on earth, and he continues to love and care about them even now. Do we share his heart for our children and youth? Are we doing everything within our power to set them up for success in this life and beyond?

If we can honestly say that we’re doing whatever we can for our young ones, then let’s keep on doing it. If we can’t say that, then perhaps we need to reevaluate our priorities and make sure that the desires of our hearts are consistent with the desires of God’s heart.