From the Album Joy – An Irish Christmas Live

Lyrics

Before you close your eyes to sleep
I have a promise still to keep
As I hold you in my arms.
I pray your little frame grows strong
And that faith takes hold while you are young;
This is my prayer for you.

Hold my hand;
I’ll teach you the Way to go.
Through the joys, through the tears,
The journey of these years,
May you trust Him ‘til the end.
May you trust Him in the end.

This world is not as it should be,
But the Savior opens eyes to see
All that’s beautiful and true.
Oh may His light fill all you are
And the jewel of wisdom crown your heart;
This is my prayer for you.

Hold my hand;
I’ll teach you the Way to go.
Through the joys, through the tears,
The journey of these years,
He is with us ‘til the end.
He is faithful ‘til the end.

You’ll travel where my arms won’t reach
As the road will rise to lead your feet
On a journey of your own.
May my mistakes not hinder you
But His grace remain and guide you through;
This is my prayer for you.

Take His hand
And go where He calls you to.
And whatever comes, seek Him
With all your heart;
This will be my prayer for you.
mmmm Father, hear my ceaseless prayer;
Oh keep them in your care.

Dún do shúil (Close Your Eyes)
Dún do shúil, a rún mo chroí
(Close your eyes, oh love of my heart)
A chuid den tsaol, ‘s a ghrá liom
(My worldly joy, my treasure)
Dún do shúil, a rún mo chroí
(Close your eyes, oh love of my heart)
Agus gheobhair feirín amárach…
(And you will get a gift tomorrow)

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Song Story

“In the spring of 2008 I first prayed for a baby and in the spring of 2011 God answered that prayer with the birth of our beautiful daughter. My joy was full but so were the fears I wrestled . In some ways I felt like a baby christian again caught in a whirlwind of emotions learning and applying what I have known and trusted in to a completely new life - I know I’m definitely not the first to feel that! Friends of ours had given us a card when their first son was born full of prayer requests for his little life, a prayer for every day of the month. My prayers were not quite as coherent as that especially at first but the urgency of the moment drove me to my knees - ‘help her, help me’ baby prayers at 3am, prayers as I heard the baby monitor light up in the morning, prayers when I thought of her safety, her soul, her future, prayers with my husband, prayers while Eliza listened in.

When people had found out that I was pregnant one of the most frequent comments I received was how my creativity would discover a whole new vista of inspiration as I became a mother. So when Eliza came I was anticipating a fresh flow of profound poetic thought but instead I was swept up in the constant flow of changes and feedings and ‘Old MacDonald had a farm’! I was expecting full sentences but I was blubbering looking at my beautiful girl! I actually wondered if I’d ever be able to write again. I just about tucked some thoughts away to ponder later when my brain would start to fit itself back together again (nowhere near a completed process!). As I continued to learn the wonderful balancing act and privilege of mothering, homemaking, writing, traveling and singing Keith and I began to write a song for Eliza choosing this theme of praying for her and the end result was ‘A Mother’s prayer’.

My parents have faithfully prayed for me my whole life and I remember when I was younger my mum met with other mums to pray for all their children, a ‘Moms in touch’ group in Belfast. Even just the knowledge of that helped me and I want Eliza to know we are praying for her and trying to guiding her in this context that reaches to the call and purpose of her whole life and an understanding of the Lord’s faithfulness. We’re now in the toddler stage and some of the prayer needs are shifting and we wanted the song to reflect the different seasons - ones we had discovered and then those still to come. We also wrote it to remind us of our promise to pray for her through all the years we’re given. We hope this song for her and even more our praying for her might catch her ear and guide her heart as she grows up.”