Prayer of the Children

Prayer of the Children

By Kurt Bestor

Can you hear the prayer of the children?
On bended knee, in the shadow of an unknown room
Empty eyes with no more tears to cry
Turning heavenward toward the light

Crying Jesus, help me
To see the morning light-of one more day
But if I should die before I wake,
I pray my soul to take

Can you feel the hearts of the children?
Aching for home, for something of their very own
Reaching hands, with nothing to hold on to,
But hope for a better day a better day

Crying Jesus, help me
To feel the love again in my own land
But if unknown roads lead away from home,
Give me loving arms, away from harm

Can you hear the voice of the children?
Softly pleading for silence in a shattered world?
Angry guns preach a gospel full of hate,
Blood of the innocent on their hands

Crying Jesus, help me
To feel the sun again upon my face,
For when darkness clears I know you're near,
Bringing peace again

Dali cujete sve djecje molitive?
(croatian translation:
'can you hear all the children's prayers?')
Can you hear the prayer of the children?

These are the lyrics to a powerful song written by Kurt Bestor; these are the lyrics to a melody that plays in my heart over and over and over again every single day.  Not a day goes by that I don’t “hear” these pleas coming from children all around the world.  I can’t shake it.  I can’t tune it out.  I can’t walk away from it or turn a deaf ear towards it.  This song was originally written about children living in the midst of the war-torn region of Serbia, Croatia, and Bosnia back in the late 1970’s.  But the lyrics are still very real, they depict the lives of millions of children each day, who are caught in the crossfire between good and evil.  These are the cries that beckoned this “prayercraft” carrier into action, into the middle of the war for the orphan.

I go through waves of emotions about these children.  There are days when I see all the efforts being put forth by countless families and churches, adopting children into their homes, traveling to minister to them in their own countries, or raising necessary funds and supplies for them.  I am filled with hope on those days.  But then there are days when all I hear are these cries, the pleas of innocent children for a better day.  I see the statistics of 147+ million orphans in the world today, and wonder how on earth all of these children are ever going to be “rescued”?!  I hear this song and I feel helpless.  I feel like my hands are tied, because I can’t even take one of these children out of their current misery and wrap them in my arms and offer them the love and compassion and security of a loving home.  Not even one.  I feel desperate for them.  And I often get angry about how many obstacles stand in the way of willing parents being able to adopt children in need of a home.  (The average cost of an international adoption is about $30,000—a price that is often thought of as the ransom people have to pay in order to free their child from greed and corruption!)

It is at the end of these days that God reminds me that He has no orphans!  He is ready and willing to claim each and every one of these children as His own sons and daughters.  “[He] will not leave [them] as orphans; [He] will come to [them].” (John 14:18)  God is the mighty rescuer, not us.  For Him there is no price too high (He already paid the highest price with the blood of Jesus Christ), there is no red tape to cut through or hoops to jump through.  No amount of greed or corruption can keep Him away from His children.  Their days here on earth may be filled with unbelievable pain and suffering, but that is only temporary.  Waiting ahead is the loving embrace of their Father, the safety and security of His love and mercy.  I have to trust that.  I do trust that.  That’s how in Heaven
(not on earth) all these children are going to be rescued!

In my own “despair” I must be a voice for the “least of these.”  A voice crying out for their rescue, a voice crying out to God to go to them.  My hands are not tied, they are lifted to Him in praise and thanksgiving for His promise to not leave them as orphans.  His promise of a better day, when they will feel His love again, be in His loving arms away from harm, and be taken as His precious sons and daughters!  Thank You, Abba, thank You for the hope You bring!