Speaking LIFE Into Our Children

By Sandra

I ran into a friend at a restaurant yesterday, who wanted to get our kids together for a fun day before her son’s school begins next week. She shared with me that she would love to homeschool, if her situation allowed. God touched my heart when she shared that. She had been shopping for school supplies and said that she hated this time of year.  I sensed that she loved the extra time with her son that summer allows.

As many children, teachers, and parents are filled with anxiety or dread as the new school year begins, homeschool parents can relax. Not because it’s so much easier for us. We know it is difficult to teach our own children on some days. We can be filled with joy and peace, though, because we have such a privilege in imparting knowledge and wisdom to our own family, and because we know that God is our help. We have positioned ourselves to keep our children on the narrow path, teaching them all the life skills for survival and all the spiritual truths they need to prosper.

Teachers have a captive audience for hours each day. I am so thankful and delighted that my children receive their instruction and wisdom from their parents. What an opportunity! My husband and I have learned to speak blessing over our children because we know that it brings life into their learning and life into their hearts. The Bible teaches us to speak positive words over one another. There are many examples of great leaders who rose up with God’s blessing due, in part, to the words spoken by a person in authority over them.

In Ezekiel 37, the Lord tells Ezekiel to speak life into dry bones. I believe that‘s what the Lord wants us to do over our children and our schools as well. We may not see excitement for learning or enthusiasm for science immediately. But God honors our prayers. Ezekiel did what God asked and the bones began to make a rattling sound. They came together with all the tendons and began to have breath. God-honoring words bring life where there used to be only dryness or death. We must challenge ourselves to see the possibilities in our children. If we can envision what they could be, we can speak that “life” over them. We know that a prayer, surrendered to God, has a tremendous effect. (James 5:16)

Take the “Life” challenge for the next month...Speak an intentional blessing over each of your children at the start of the day. Declare that he is blessed and has God’s favor in learning. Declare that he is growing in wisdom, stature, and favor with God and with man. Declare that he is blessed in his coming and going. (You get the idea.) Have faith that God is at work behind the scenes, and keep speaking “LIFE!”