Securing a Glorious Future for Your Children (1)

by Pastor Faith Oyedepo, Week 2, April, 2008

Dear Reader,

I welcome you to God’s guidance for securing a glorious future for your children. This week, I’d like to talk briefly on how to raise your children in the fear of the Lord. The Word of God says: Behold, I and the children whom the LORD hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion (Isaiah 8:18. Your children are meant for signs and wonders.

God has given those children to you to raise in His fear, so that they will become an ensign to the world around them. No one can help raise these children in a better way other than you (the parents). The church, the school and the society cannot take your place as parents in terms of child raising.

The greatest inheritance you can leave for your children is proper upbringing in the fear of the Lord. The Christian upbringing you give them today will remain with them for life and they can impart the same to their children’s children, thereby raising a generation of godly children. When you create the fear of the Lord in their hearts, you have secured a great and a glorious future that cannot be dashed or tampered with.

Your children must be raised on a solid foundation. If the foundation is faulty, then there is no guarantee for the future. The foundation of your children shall not be faulty in Jesus’ name. No wonder the Bible says in Psalm 11:3: If the foundation be destroyed………Invest in the foundation of your children so that you will have joy from them. I pray that all parents reading this article today will radiate joy over their children tomorrow in Jesus’ mighty name.

Man is a tripartite being. He is composed of Three parts: spirit, soul and body (1Thessalonians 5:23). This automatically means that man has spiritual, emotional and physiological needs which have to be met. Children are no less human. They too are spirit, soul and body. It follows, therefore, that they have needs in these three realms which must be satisfied. Now, let’s consider one the three main aspects of children’s lives and see how you can instill the fear of God into them.

Spiritually

This is one major aspect that can never be thrown out in raising God-fearing children. Just like adults have spiritual needs so also the children do. The Bible tells us in John 4:24 that God is a Spirit. God made man in His image; therefore, man is essentially a spirit being. It is with that spirit that contact is made with God. Hence, each of those children can have contact with God, that is, they can establish a relationship with God. Don’t assume that your children are going to heaven simply because they are born into a Christian home, or because they attend Sunday school. No! They must confess Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. Thus it’s your responsibility as parents to lead them to do so.

After this foundation has been laid, we can now begin to build on it. The scripture must be opened and shared with them. You have to create time to sit down and teach them the Word of God. This is of great importance because it instills the fear of the Lord into their hearts, so that when they grow and get out into the world, God’s fear that has been planted in them will preserve them in the way of the Lord (Proverb 22:6). Remember Joseph, his parents were not there, yet, he refused to sin against God (Genesis 39:9).

It is important to note that every single life has a purpose. Every child is created for a purpose. The Word of God says: Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations (Jeremiah 1:5). Jeremiah was ordained a prophet from the womb. So by prayer, locate your children’s ordination and propel them along that part. Also, teach your children on how to pray correctly, bearing in mind the different kinds of prayers. Introduce your children to their heavenly Father, encourage them to pray daily. Finally on meeting their needs spiritually, introduce them to active, Christian service in the house of God. Ensure that you make time available to meet their spiritual needs.

If you don’t have the fear of God as parents, there is no way you can raise up your children in the fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. If you don’t have the fear of the Lord, you cannot have access to Christ and Christ is the wisdom of God.

The grace to have the fear of God is the preserved of those saved (born again). You get saved by confessing your sins and accepting Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. If you are ready to be saved, please say this prayer: Dear Lord, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me my sins. Cleanse me with Your precious Blood. I accept You as my Lord and Savious. Now I know I am born again!

If you prayed this simple prayer, you are now a child of God. He loves you and will never leave you. Read your Bible daily, obey God’s Word and seek Christian fellowship (John 14:21).

Call or write, and share your testimonies with me through:

E-mail: faithdavid@yahoo.com Tel. No: 234-1-7747546-8;

For more insight, these books authored by Pastor Faith Oyedepo are available at the Dominion Book Stores in all Living Faith Churches and other leading Christian book stores.

? Marriage Covenant

? Making Marriage Work

? Building a Successful Family

? Raising Godly Children

? Success in Marriage (Co-Authored with Bishop David Oyedepo).