The Bible speaks volumes on parenthood, childcare and the importance of prayers in shaping the destiny of children. For instance, Lamentations 2:19 says, "Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord: Lift up thy hands toward him for the life of thy young children: that fainte for hunger in the top of every street." That is a direct admonition to us as parents to sit up and begin to pray seriously for our children. The call in that passage is to "cry out in the night." The image that comes to my mind is that of Hannah, Samuel's Mother. With tears streaming down our cheeks we must learn to cry out for our children. This is not a wishy washy kind of prayer. It is not the short devotion before we go to bed. Rather, it is a call to arise 'at the beginning of the watches" to call unto God with weeping for our children. It is a call to travail. God is calling us into deep agonizing and heart-rending travail.