Hopes and Dreams, Round III

Hopes and Dreams Round II
Hopes and Dreams Round I

Just as we did with Blythe and Becks, we picked four traits we've begun praying over our third little lady.  It's been really fun to watch the older two coming into their own, and to see some of the traits we've been praying since before they were in our arms coming into fruition. Now that Blythe is a little older, we try and really call out these traits in her, and point them out to her when she displays them and let her know how proud we are.

The traits we've chosen for baby girl three are the following:

Humility

Attentiveness

Faithfulness

Generosity

Humility

1. the quality or state of not thinking you are better than other people

Pride is a tough sin to kick-- one I don't think we ever really do this side of heaven. We're so "us" focused, aren't we? We pray our daughter thinks of others. C.S. Lewis said, "True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less."

What the bible says about humility: 

Philippians 2:3 "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves." 

Attentiveness

1. thinking about or watching something carefully; paying careful attention to something

2. Very concerned about the needs of others

Have you ever been with someone and when you talked to them you knew they cared and you knew they were really present with you? They were attentive to you and you could feel it? That's what we pray for our daughter. We want her to be intensely aware of what is going on around her so that she can respond to needs and care for others in deep ways.

What the bible says about attentiveness [The Message translation]: 

Matthew 13:16-17 

 “But you have God-blessed eyes—eyes that see! And God-blessed ears—ears that hear! A lot of people, prophets and humble believers among them, would have given anything to see what you are seeing, to hear what you are hearing, but never had the chance." 

 

 

Faithfulness

1. having or showing true and constant support or loyalty

2. deserving trust: keeping your promises or doing what you are supposed to do

 

Faithfulness is kind of multi-faceted. We pray our daughter is loyal and true to people; that she is loyal and true to her God. We pray she is a person that others can rely on. And we also pray she is faithful to her future spouse in her heart and in her actions, even before she meets him.  

What the bible says about faithfulness: 

Proverbs 3:3 

"Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart."

Generosity

1. the quality of being kind, understanding, and not selfish

2. the quality of being generous: freely giving or sharing money and other valuable things; providing more than the amount that is needed or normal: abundant or ample

 

Generosity is something that tends to be lost in a culture that is all about getting ahead. We don't want to be generous with our money, and we certainly don't want to be generous with our time or other intangibles. And so we pray that our third little daughter is generous in spirit. We pray she is generous in material things. We pray she is generous with others in a way that points to the generosity of our Father in Heaven.

What the bible says about generosity: 

Proverbs 11:24-25

"One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered."