A Baptism & Baby Dedication Prayer

Father, today we bring our child to You — the way parents have done for two thousand years.

This little one was Yours before they were ours. You knew this face before we did. You counted these fingers before we could. So on this day of water and promises, we are not giving You something new. We are saying out loud what has always been true: this child belongs to You.

Bless them, Lord, through every age they will be — the toddler years we will laugh about, the school years we will pray through, the grown years we cannot yet imagine. Let them come to know You early, love You honestly, and follow You freely, with a faith that is their own.

And bless us, the family standing around them. Make our home a place where Your name is ordinary — spoken at meals, at bedtime, in trouble and in joy. Give us patience when we are tired, wisdom when we are unsure, and grace to show them what we hope they'll become.

Thank You for this day. We will tell them about it someday.

In Jesus' name, Amen.

When to Pray This

Pray this on the morning of a baptism, christening, or dedication service — or in the quiet after everyone has gone home. It suits any tradition, because it is not the ceremony itself; it is a parent's own words alongside it. Grandparents and godparents can pray it too.

A Verse to Hold On To

"Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God." — Mark 10:14 (KJV)