Anand's dedication ceremony

(Held in Bangalore, at home on 1/1/2010)

(Pradeep)
Our Father,
What a joyful privilege it is to come to you and call you “Our Father”!

We thank You because You have loved us with an everlasting love. You have lavished your love freely on us, loving us while we were still sinners, undeserving, helpless and hopeless in every way.

(Ashita)
We thank You because You have welcomed us (who were formerly children of wrath) into Your family. You have given us Your spirit of adoption so that we can now call You, O Holy God, our Abba, our Father.

(Prashanth)
We thank You because You have brought peace, making us who were formerly separate and far away, members together in Your Body through the cross. We thank You that we have become fellow citizens with all the saints, and members together of Your family.

(Prem)
We thank You because You have made us heirs of God, and fellow-heirs with Christ. We thank You that through Jesus’ death on the cross, He has become for us wisdom from God, our righteousness and sanctification, and redemption.

(Pramod)
We thank You that You have given us, who were hopeless, the hope of glory- Abundant Life, now and in the world to come.

(Preethi)
See what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called the children of God!

(Pradeep)
We come before You today, Our Father, acknowledging that every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. What have we got that we have not received from You? Compassionate Father, You have dealt with us kindly, and not as we deserve!

(Jacob Ninan)
We acknowledge that children are a gift from You. Today, we want to especially thank you for the gift of Anand David Ninan.

We thank You for the opportunity to come together as his extended family, O Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.

(Pradeep)
Our Father,
Thank you for this precious gift in Anand! How wonderful are Your dealings with us! How perfect in every way!

We accept this gift, Our Father, with trembling and joyous hope. We dedicate ourselves to be faithful stewards of this treasure you have entrusted to us. Yours he is, and to You he will belong.

(Arpita)
Give us the grace, Our Father, to be good parents to him. Help us to love him, and yet hold on to him lightly, as though not possessing him.

Give us the grace to be good examples to him. We know that he will see our sins, weaknesses and inconsistencies clearer than anybody else. Work Your purposes in our lives and family, so that Your Name is glorified even through our own earthen vessels.

(Pradeep)
Give us the grace to build our home on You, so that Anand may be surrounded with an atmosphere of unconditional love, selflessness and sacrificial giving, filled with the resources he will need in order to be drawn to You.

Give us the grace, today and every day, to dedicate Anand to You.

(Arpita)
We pray that You will cause him to be born again early in life, that he may come to know You, fall in love with You, and live his life passionately for You.

We pray that he may find love, security and purpose in You.

We pray that when the time comes, You will give us the grace to release him to be used by You, O Master of the Vineyard. We pray that he may be used as an arrow, released to accomplish the specific purpose that he has been prepared for.

(Nalini Abraham)
Our Father,
You have heard the desires of these Your children. Give us the grace, as Anand’s extended family to support and bless them on the way.

(Susan Ninan)
Give us the grace to be examples to this little child You have placed among us. Help us to provide this family the encouragement, support and help they need to find and accomplish Your purposes in, through and around them.

(Jacob Ninan)
Pradeep, Arpita and Anand, we bless you In Jesus’ Name. We dedicate ourselves to walk with you as you continue on this exciting journey.

We thank You, Father, because You have filled us with hope. We thank You that through Jesus, You have given us all things pertaining to life and godliness. We thank You that You provide the resources needed to live the life You require of us.

(Continues and closes with prayer)