Child Dedication

A child dedication is simply dedicating your child to or giving your child back to God.

I tell my kids that it is a good thing they are past their return date or I’d take them back to the hospital.

What does it mean to give your child back to God?

Let me explain by giving you three reasons we do this!

1. Dedicating your child or giving your child back to God means you are acknowledging true ownership.

Psalm 127:3 ESV

3 Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.

Children are a heritage - a gift.

Better - they have been entrusted to us.

We are a stewardship.

We are recognizing that God can do what He wishes with them.

It is our job to prepare them for that.

We have a responsibility to give them up.

Don’t push them into what you think they should be.

Help them seek God’s will.

We should see this blessing the way the Psalmist talks about it.

Psalm 127:4 ESV

4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth.

An arrow must be sharpened.

Arrow heads were made from stone.

Carefully and meticulously chiseled and shaped.

An arrow must be straightened.

Choosing the proper branch.

Carefully whittling away the crooked parts.

This is a slow meticulous process.

This takes focus.

An arrow must be aimed.

An arrow must be released.

An arrow will travel a long way.

It will reach farther than you can.

An arrow is deadly.

It is a weapon of war.

It is an offensive weapon that penetrates the enemy.

1 Samuel 1:27 ESV

27 For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him.

2. Dedicating your child or giving your child back to God proves your own love for God.

Genesis 22:1–12 ESV

1 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” 3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. 4 On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. 5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” 6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. 7 And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8 Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together. 9 When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12 He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”

romans 12 tells us to be a living sacrifice.

That sacrifice comes from all that God has done for us!

Our children are part of that sacrifice.

Give them back to God.

Prove your love for him.

Show that you love God more than your kids.

Teach your kids that they have been given back to God.

Let them know that whatever God has for them is what you want them to do.

3. Dedicating your child or giving your child back to God is an outward commitment to raise them God’s way.

Ephesians 6:4 ESV

4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

First: Fathers, do not provoke.

Don’t irritate them by unreasonable demands and blame.

Lest they be discouraged.

Colossians 3:21 ESV

21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.

Bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Discipline

Training by chastening.

Instruction

Encouragement, reproof, whatever is required.

Intentional training and educating your child.

Disciple your child.

Adaline Lamb

Ephesians 3:16–18 ESV

16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,

Charlotte Cornell

1 Samuel 1:27 ESV

27 For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him.

Harper VandePanne

Psalm 127:4 NKJV

4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth.

Hudson VandePanne

Deuteronomy 6:5–7 ESV

5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

Matthias Belson

Psalm 127:4 ESV

4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth.

Isaiah Boutwell

Isaiah 6:8 NKJV

8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”

Hazel Boutwell

1. By dedicating my child today I am acknowledging that true ownership of my child belongs to God. As a parent I am have been stewarded this young life. My child’s life is God’s and He can do with it whatever He finds to be good and pleasing.

2. By dedicating my child today I am acknowledging that my love for God is greater than my love for my child. Thus I will pursue God’s will for my myself and my family. I can also trust that God’s love for my child is a greater love than I can ever give.

3. By dedicating my child today I am committing to intentionally raise my child in the nurture and admonition of the Lord no matter how hard it may be.