Baruch Ata Adonai, Elohaynu Melech ha-Olam, she-he-che-ya-nu v’kee-y’ma-nu v’hee-gee-ah-nu laz-man ha-zeh.
Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has granted us life and sustained us and enabled us to reach this season.
(Names of parents), the Word of the Lord tells us that the Son of God has a special place in His heart for little children. One day when people brought babies to Yeshua, for Him to touch them and bless them, His disciples were annoyed and rebuked the people. After all, babies aren’t important. They don’t have political or economic power or social influence, and wasting time on them is no way to build a great movement.
However, Messiah had a very different attitude. He rebuked His disciples and said: Let the children come to Me and stop hindering them, because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. On another occasion He said: See that you never despise one of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in Heaven are continually seeing the face of My Father in Heaven. Babies are very important to God the Father and Messiah the Son.
When we dedicate children to the Lord, we are following the example of Channah, the mother of the prophet Samuel, who made a vow and said:
O Lord of Hosts, if You will look on the affliction of your servant and give your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life.
The Lord answered her prayer, and after Samuel was miraculously born she said: For this boy I prayed, and the Lord has given me my request which I asked of Him. So I have dedicated him to the Lord; as long as he lives he is dedicated to the Lord.
Dedication comes from the Hebrew word “Chanach,” the same word used in Chanukkah. Chanach means to initiate, to begin, to start something that will serve God’s purposes.
Chanukkah celebrates the dedication of the Temple. Like the Temple was dedicated to the Lord, so children, while they are young, are to be dedicated to God, so they can be a Temple for the Spirit of God to live in.
(Names of parents), you are to train XXX from his earliest age to know the Three-In-One God, to fear the Lord, to be loyal to God, and to be committed to obey His wise principles for living.
Teach him the Word of God when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.
Focus your teaching on the Messiah, and His great mission to save human beings, and His teachings, and His miracles, and His death and resurrection and ascension and His return.
Teach XXX that his most important responsibility is to serve the Lord and carry on the ministry of the Messiah, and build up Messiah’s Community from within, and proclaim the Message of Messiah to those without.
Plant these truths in his mind until they take firm root. Help him practice these things until they become good spiritual habits.
(Names of parents), do you promise to raise XXX to know and love and obey and serve the Three-In-One God? Our community and your friends and family who are present today are witnesses.
And you members of the Messiah’s Community, do you promise to encourage (names of parents) to raise this child as a follower of the Lord?
Let’s pray: God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob, righteous and holy God and Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, and our God and Father too, we acknowledge that children are a gift from you; the fruit of the womb is a reward that You give. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth. How blessed is the man and woman whose quiver is full of them! May (names of parents) rejoice in this child, as it is written: Let your parents be happy; let your mother be thrilled with joy.
Lord God, Ruler of Heaven and Earth, sustain this child for his father and mother. May XXX fulfill his name. [Make a prayer for the child based on the first, middle and last name].
In Your great mercy, O Lord our God, give XXX a heart to know You and serve you all the days of his life. May he understand Your Word and practice it. May he enter into the New Covenant and the salvation found in Messiah. May he grow up to be a faithful son who forever remains within Your house. May he be blessed in this life and be rewarded with eternal life in the world to come!
XXX, this Sabbath day, this 2nd day of July, 2022, corresponding to the 3rd day of Tamuz, 5782, your parents have dedicated you to the Lord. Like Samuel before you, may you always be dedicated to Him. The kingdom of God belongs you those like you!
May He who blessed the fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and brought a Savior to their children, may He bless this child who was dedicated to the living and eternal God this day.
XXX, may the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you His favor, and give you wholeness, completeness – His peace. Amen.