Daily Devotions - Thursday 12.06.07

“For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
--A voice of a prophet

The prophet realized that we develop many names for the child that is born. We bring many names to this season of the year and each of those names is sacred. The insightful prophet is telling us that the very essence of God enters into our midst as a child. 61 years ago UNICEF was founded (December 11, 1946) and people around the world joined together to form the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund. Children are so important. During the rest of this week, I want to share with you excerpts of Marian Wright Edelman’s prayer for children.

O God of the children of Somalia, Sarajevo, South Africa and South Carolina,
Of Albania, Alabama, Bosnia, and Boston,
Of Crawcow and Cairo, Chicago and Croatia,
Help us to love and respect and protect them all.

O God of Black and Brown and White and Albino
Children and those all mixed together,
Of children who are rich and poor and in between,
Of children who speak English and Spanish
And Russian and Hmong and languages our ears cannot discern,
Help us to love and respect and protect them all.

--Ben Keckler
12.06.07