Pro-Life for all Adopted Life: A Prayer

Creator God,

You are God over all the complexities of this universe. You know the ways the stars were organized, and the infinite nature of the galaxy. You are a God who knows how our bodies were formed – tissue and bone, eye shape, and skin color.  You God, know all of the complexities, in our world, our countries, our churches, and in each of us. 

Today, we pray specifically about the complexity of adoption. We thank you that for many, adoption has been a blessing and a gift. We thank you for families that have been formed, for faith that has been handed down, and for the beautiful ways you knit together communities through adoption. We, as your adopted children in Jesus Christ, give you thanks and praise. 

God, we also recognize that while adoption is a gift, it is also complex and painful for those involved. It carries with it the trauma of separation and the grief of an identity lost. Even under ideal circumstances, adoption is difficult. God, we lament that in the future many of these circumstances will be far less than ideal. 

We pray now for children who are born into brokenness: for babies exposed to substances in utero, who never received prenatal care, whose failure to thrive began in the womb. We pray for them later in life as they struggle with ongoing addiction and deficits. 

We pray for children who will spend years of their lives under less than ideal circumstances: in neglective or abusive households, in foster care with multiple broken attachments. We pray for them later in life as they struggle with healthy relationships and identity confusion.

We pray for all birthparents – for those who remember their children for years to come, and also those who do not.

We pray for families who adopt or foster. Give them your wisdom, cover them with patience, and equip them with the resources they need. We pray for those who offer support in the form of social services, adoption agencies, and mental health. Be actively working in these systems now, God to fix what is broken and prepare for the future. 

We pray for our churches, schools and other institutions. As children walk through these doors with particular needs, would you ready our hearts to receive them, God? Would you already be at work in each of us to be open to the ways they will challenge our systems, demand understanding and compassion, and move us towards showing your love in new and complex ways? Prepare our hearts to be pro-life for all adopted life, working towards communities that accept and nurture from cradle to grave.  

Amen.