Prayers for the Abused/Neglected

So after reading about the recent tragedy of a couple abusing torturing their 4 foster children and biological child, I have had many thoughts running through my mind.  First and foremost, I need to know how any person, especially a parent, can think it's okay to do such horrible things to children.  Secondly, I want to make it known that I love my son more than anything in the world.  He irritates me to absolutely no end from time to time, but I would never in a million years do anything to hurt him.  There have been several times where I have had to let him cry in his crib so I could give myself a time-out because I could not deal with him effectively and felt myself becoming stressed.  At one point, I just couldn't deal with him at all and went so far as to make his dad keep him overnight (this was his first overnight since we had split up).  Never, not once, did I think to tie him to anything or hit him anywhere besides his bottom a time or two.  Thirdly, I thank God every single day that my mother never abused my sisters and me.  Now three girls, with only 18 months between them, is enough to drive any person crazy, especially a single mother.  But she never hurt us and never neglected us.

It is a sad shame that these events have taken place.  The children will be in my prayers for obvious reasons.  The parents will be in my prayers as well.  What they have done is despicable, yes.  I am praying for their hearts to be changed and for them to feel as much remorse as I do for what those kids have had to go through.  The physical damage will heal but the emotional havoc that they have endured will go on for many years to come.

And lastly, I must speak out to those involved with the department of child services.  I ask that you take a look at your protocol for placing children in foster homes and take steps to ensure this kind of thing never happens to another child.  It's bad enough they can't be with their biological families so lets not make it worse by placing them with horrible strangers.

Say this little prayer, or come up with your own.  These children, and so many more that we don't know about need our help today and everyday.

"Father God, I ask that you ease the physical and emotional pain these poor children have been dealt.  I pray that you will heal them and bring them safety and joy in this difficult time.  Lord I ask that you work on the two people responsible for this abuse and neglect.  I ask that you give them heavy hearts so that they can see the wrong in all of this.  I pray right now Father that you will see to the safety of all the other children in the world and that nobody else has to deal with anything even remotely close to this.  I ask this all in your holy name.  Amen."