Praying for a Revelation Knowledge of God

For this post I would like for us to look at Ephesians 1:17-19:

That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what [is] the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power (KJV).

In his prayer for the Ephesians Paul was asking that God would give to the Ephesians the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.  Most times we want revelation from God about people, about things or about certain situations, but it is rarely that we pray asking for revelation knowledge of God Himself.  But that was Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians.  It is important for us to have an accurate knowledge and understanding of who we are.  Yet it is far more important (and beneficial) for us to know and understand who God is.  

Paul continued to ask that the eyes of their understanding be opened up (enlightened) to know the hope to which God has called them, the riches of Gods glorious inheritance.  It would take supernatural intervention for us to fully understand what God has given to us in Jesus Christ.  The hope of his calling could be seen as the purpose for which God has called us.  This can also be seen as hope for the future. 
David Guzik in his commentary on Ephesians 1 sums up very well “the hope of His calling” from a futuristic point of view.  According to Guzik the believer has a glorious future of resurrection, eternal life, and freedom from sin, perfected justification, and glorious elevation above the angels themselves (Dvvid Guzik-http://www.blueletterbible.org/commentaries).

 “According to the working of his mighty power” This mighty power is the same power that raised Christ from the dead.
Although Paul prayed this prayer for the Ephesians it is relevant for us today as well as for our children.

 Lord, please my children the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, and the knowledge of You.  Help that their eyes will be opened that they will know the hope to which you have called them, the riches of Your glorious inheritance in the saints and His Incomparably great power for us who believe.  In Jesus’s name Amen

In His service,

Vilma

Stop Crying and Start Rejoicing

As I write this post I am thinking of mothers who may have trained their children according to proverbs 22:6, but at this point in time they are filled with disappointment because of the path that their children have chosen.  I am thinking of mothers whose child or children may have found themselves into situations that are unimaginable, of mothers whose children are incarcerated, homeless or maybe, you do not even know where they are or and have not spoken to them in years.  I am thinking
of mothers who feel abandoned by their children, who have worked tirelessly to send their children to college and they graduate and are ashamed of recognizing you as mother.  As hard as this may be, I would like you to stop a minute and listen to what God is saying to you in the book of Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 31:16-17 - This is what the LORD says: "Restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears, for your work will be rewarded," declares the LORD.  "They will return from the land of the enemy.  So there is hope for your future," declares the LORD.  "Your children will return to their own land.  (NIV)

The Lord is saying stop crying, because the hard work that you put into raising your children, into training them, will be rewarded. Stop crying, because they – (meaning your children) will return from the land of the enemy.  That is where they are in the enemy’s territory, yes they have been lured away, but they will return.  He did not say they may return, but they will return.  There is hope for your future, in other words there is something to look forward to.  Your children will return to their own land- they will return to a place of peace and safety and wellbeing.  So as difficult as this period in your life is, stop looking at the present situation and start to focus on the future, start rejoicing knowing that they will come home.

Father I thank you that (insert name) is not going to settle for where the enemy has lured him/her to.  I thank you that their eyes are opened and that they are moving back to a place of safety.  Father I release this heart of heaviness in exchange for one of rejoicing as I take comfort in your word, thanking you for your promise.  In Jesus’s name Amen.

In His Service,

Vilma

DISCIPLINE- OOPS- YES WE SHOULD

DISCIPLINE- (Instruct, train, correct)
So many times we hear words like “that child has no discipline” or I have never seen such an undisciplined group of individuals” or things like “she has no home training” All these phrases convey the same idea, a need for more structure and training in our society.  I do remember however, that things were not always like this, children seem to have been more respectful of their elders, teachers spent less time with trying to discipline individual students that they seem to be doing now, less teenagers were in trouble with the law or being incarcerated.  What happened?  Who dropped the ball, and why?
As Christian parents and Christian mothers in particular we were given a mandate regarding our children.  It is our responsibility to train our children, (these wonderful gifts) in the way or path they should go, and not to leave them to make uninformed decisions by themselves.

Proverbs 22:6- Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.  Most times parents seem hesitant to discipline or train their children.  However, if we do not train them in the way of the Lord, then the world will train them in the ways of the world.  That sweet baby in your arms now, if left to run wild and without training will someday become something else in the arms of the law.

Training needs to start early in life, but if you did not you can start now, it may be more difficult but it is doable.
Think about you wanting to enter a race, run a marathon or lose weight you train for it- you do not expect to do well or win the race if you do not train.  You cannot expect to be an overcomer if you don’t train your mind and spirit in doing and having faith in the word of God. We cannot expect our children to be well equipped if they are sent out to battle without the correct gear or armor.
When you train for a race: you start with small steps; you may work out for ½ hour then build up to 2 or 3 hours.  You do not just go to the Gym one day a week but may go for 4-5 days a week.  Consistency is key to achieve the results we need.  Not only do you exercise, but you also try to eat healthy, and get adequate rest.  You do not give up until you achieve your goal.  You put all the energy and enthusiasm you can into it.  You believe that if you do what it takes that you will be successful in achieving your goal.  You have faith in yourself.
You do the same thing when you want to Lose weight to fit into your bathing suit, or that new dress etc. or if you are getting married and need to fit into that wedding dress.
God is expecting the same thing when it comes to our children/ his children.  He expects us to train, and to discipline with the same fervor you would if you were trying to accomplish a personal goal.  Let us look at the word Train as an acronym.  Training should involve
Teaching   Relationship- Admonish   Inspire and Nurture

If we turn to Deuteronomy 6:7-9 http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Deu&c=6&t=KJV > we see the intensity with which God intends for us to do this training.  We need to do this at every opportunity we have.  Training should also be by example; we should always demonstrate the things that we teach.  We cannot leave the training or teaching of our children to their teachers, daycare centers, neighbors or friends.  The responsibility is ours. As we teach, build relationships admonish, Inspire and nurture we are building confidence in our children to take their place in the world. We need to take our time to build a good foundation- secure and strong– so incase the walls crumble the foundation will remain strong.

Proverbs 14:1 -Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.  
Training your children is one aspect of building your house, not taking the time to train them is one way to destroy that house.

In His Service,

Vilma

Characteristics of the Eagle

Mothers are you getting weary with the tide of events, and the trials of life as it relates to your children? Could it be a result of the choices they made, or due to an absent father, or abusive relatives or friends?  Here is some encouragement to you from the word of God, Isa. 41:10.  “Fear thou not, for I Am with you, be not dismayed, for I Am your God, I will help you, strengthen you, I will uphold you, with the right hand of My righteousness” It is possible that those you expected to be there for you at the hour of trouble never showed up, however let me remind you that there is One who sticks closer than a brother, His name is Jesus, and there is none like Him. He will always be there for you, when no one else will.  

Before the year gets further let us pause and reflect on our lives as mothers, as we partner with God in ensuring that His purposes for our children come into manifestation.  First as admonished, mostly in the Pauline Epistles, we need to be transformed into the likeness of Christ Jesus, more so in our motherhood.  What is this Likeness?  God used  simple and familiar things in His illustrations to describe to us His nature such as: the Vine so that we perceive ourselves as branches, as the Husband so that we look at ourselves as the bride, as a mother so that we see ourselves as His children at His eternal breast.  But one of the most intriguing illustrations is that of the Eagle, (Exo. 19:4).  What can we learn from the Eagle?

Let us take a look at some mysteries that characterize the Eagle`s life.
His Nature:
The eagle is a unique creature and so are we, we are created in that divine image of the Father, regenerated in His Son, no wonder the world cannot understand us, a special people. So the next time inferiority knocks on your door, remember how unique and unpredictable you are.  You need to think of your children as being unique, and should always remind them of this fact- they are not just different, they are unique.
His Habitation:
The eagle, especially the Bald eagle, likes habitats near the open waters, partly because that is where it gets its food, and also because of the serenity that accompanies that atmosphere.  Our motherhood will succeed as we intentionally make our habitat where we also can get food - in the word of God (Col. 3:16).  The eagle also searches for old-growth and mature stands coniferous or hardwood trees for perching, roosting and nesting.  Motherhood is a challenging responsibility; you cannot afford to keep company that does not foster godliness, search for people, and divine friends who encourage God ward gravitation.  The eagle is extremely sensitive to human activity, and stays away from human disturbance, as a mother you must choose fellows who fit in one ship with you, people who are God minded about their children in their character, speech and prayers. The eagles congregate in certain locations during winter, as we mother our children, seasons come when we wonder what is happening to our children, we cry and groan, because they sometimes do things we are not proud of, in such times, go to your own people with whom you will raise one voice unto the Father on their behalf (Acts 4:23).
Welcome to M-PUSH!!  That is what we do here, and it works.
His Battles:
The eagle when faced with a challenge by an enemy, picks the predator on its spicules, soars high, on thermal convention currents where no other bird survives except the eagle, and without fighting, the enemy dies a natural death.  Most of us have lost some battles with/for our children by the words we release from our mouths. The eagle perches on trees with good visibility, open structures and proximity to prey.  Mothers, position yourself in the heights of prayer and worship, where you see the enemy before he spots you and your children. Some of those battles with teachers and doctors reports, will be won faster on your knees than mere talk, (2Chro. 20:17).
His Rearing:
 The eagle builds its nest, large and thick enough to protect the eaglets; one of the strategic aspects of this nest is that it is made with thorns facing outward, those thorns remain like that so long as they are young. When they get to a stage of learning how to fly, the mother turns the direction of the thorns to face inside, the eaglets get disturbed and jumps out, only to find that it is open space, and down they go, this stretches their wings, but before they land on the ground the mother eagle pounces and they land on her wings, she takes them up again and this she does repeatedly until they learn how to soar on their own and she releases them. As mothers, we have to be sensitive to know when our children have attained the age of learning how to fly, let them learn how to clean up, cook, take responsibility not as a duty only but as part of life. Let them know the place of hygiene in godliness; it is for the good of their future. Just like the eaglets, it may not be soothing to them but later in life they will thank you for doing so, and more so, you want to hear God say to you, “well done, good and faithful servant” Amen

Guest Blogger

Jennifer Ikonne

Praying God Promises For our Children

In previous posts, I have talked about the need for us as mothers to know the promises of God for our children, so that when we pray for our children we are not praying for things that God did not promise them.  If we look up the word promise it means an assurance that one will act as specified.  The New Unger’s Bible dictionary defines promise as a solemn assertion, by which one pledges his veracity that he will perform, or cause to be performed, that which he mentions.
In other words, what God has promised He swears/pledge that He will perform it. Numbers 19: 21 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
Having given this reminder let us look at one of His promises in Ps. 37:23-26:
 "The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in His Way.  24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with His hand.  25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.  26 He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.”  (KJV)
Let us pray that out Children will have their steps ordered by the Lord and that they will delight in His way.  Take comfort in knowing that if they fall or stray from what they know, be certain that the Lord will hold them up so that they will not completely be cast down.  David in verse 25-26 adds to our assurance in saying that throughout his life He never saw a righteous person forsaken or this children begging for food.  He continued to remind us that God is ever merciful and because of that our seed is blessed.  Be comforted.

In His Service,

Vilma

Praying Scriptures Over our Children

For this post, I would like us to look at Ephesians 3: 14-21.  This is a prayer that Paul prayed for the Ephesians.  However, as we look at this passage, we can also prayer these words for our children.  This is relevant whether our children are babies, toddlers, teenagers or adults, whether they are well behaved or not, and whether they are meeting our expectations or not.

¹⁴ For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.  ¹⁶ I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.  And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. ²⁰ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!  Amen.

These are very powerful words to pray and I trust that you will insert your child or children’s name in all the relevant areas in these scriptures. 

Please take a special note of verse 20- Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.      

Paul is saying that this is according to his power that is at work in us.  The power that is used in this passage is referring to Dunamis power.  This power to accomplish these things through Christ is at work within.  It is not our ability, but God’s.  All these things that Paul was praying for–being rooted and established in love, the ability to grasp the love of Christ belong to us as children of God, but we have to believe that this is so.  When we truly believe someone has given us something, we stretch out our hands to receive, don’t we? 

What other way to end this passage (V 21) but to give glory to this awesome God.

What are some of your expectations for your children when you pray this prayer?  Let me hear from you.

In His Service,

Vilma

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Child Rearing in the Year 2012

Happy New Year to all our mothers in the blog world, and a warm welcome to our new mothers.  As we start the new year I would like to share some thoughts about child rearing in the year 2012.

Child rearing in this day and age can be very challenging. Most people would agree that raising children in any era has it’s own set of challenges.  I am sure that some mothers would readily agree that when we were growing up our mothers did not have it half as challenging as mothers do these days. What then is the cause of this and what has changed?

Unlike those days gone by, mothers today are faced with a unique set of challenges that seem to make it so much more difficult to raise their children. A major source of these challenges manifest in the form of technology. This includes: computers, texting, tweeting, facebook, video games, and of course television.  Yes, challenges have changed...but the methods have not.

Putting it in perspective:

As mothers, it is imperative that we are empowered with the right knowledge base from which we carry out the important ministry of child rearing.  God has not only entrusted this very vital ministry to us, but has provided the resources for us to be successful at it. For example, it is important for us to remember that our children are made up of body, soul and spirit.

Body is where the senses dwell; soul is where self dwells; spirit is where God dwells

The soul is made up of three parts: emotion, intellect and will. Children, created by God, disobey your command because their "soul-life" activates their personality [that is, their mind, their will and their emotions]. Knowing this help us use wisdom to deal with the issue of disobedience.

Likewise, it is important for us as mothers to be familiar with the fact that our children go through developmental stages, and that these stages are accompanied by certain behaviors. Erik Erikson, the famous developmental child psychologist, has done an excellent job outlining and explaining these stages.  This is important for us as mothers to know because it helps us to understand that, for example, the 2 year old that is hitting and taking other children’s toys should not be labeled a “bad boy” because he is going through the stage where these behaviors occur or are expected. If we are not aware of these stages and corresponding tasks and behavior; when we observe certain behaviors in our children we end up blaming demons, the devil and others.

Child rearing at times not only tests our faith in God, but it also puts our witness on display. It is imperative that we have faith in God in spite of how that child behaves. We have to trust that God will do what He says he will do. We cannot focus on the behavior; we have to focus on the word of God. Your faith will sustain you in the challenging times. Jeremiah 17:7-8 says: “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD And whose trust is the LORD. For he will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; but its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought Nor cease to yield fruit.” 

God bless you richly! 

In his service,

Paula Watson

MPUSH Team Member

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