My children learn to praise God; that should be your disposition. Children are meant to render praise to God. Dear child, learn to praise.
From the mouths of children and nursing babies you have ordained praise on account of your adversaries, so that you might put an end to the vindictive enemy.
Psalms 8:2 (NET)
God is telling us that children have been chosen to sing praise unto His name. We should therefore learn to encourage them in all they do.
The aim of children singing praise unto God is to put an end to the activities of the evil one, can you imagine? Therefore, my children learn to praise God!
So children, keep singing unto God. Daily lift up your voice and give God praise. God is setting up the enemy as you do so. Amen
Declaration:
My children give God praise and thanks daily. They are not tired or discouraged. Praise is a weapon of victory in their mouth. My children learn to praise God!
Praying for the unsaved is the instruction of God to everyone of His child. Who are the unsaved? There are people who don’t know about Jesus. They could be around you or not. These are the people you should remember constantly in your prayers.
Pray that the Holy Spirit will help them to accept Christ into their lives. They could have heard about Christ and still be unwilling to accept Him. It’s only the Holy Spirit that can convince them of who Jesus is and make them yield to Him. Pray also, for those who have never heard of Christ before. Pray that they will have an encounter with someone who would tell them about Jesus. Remember that praying for the unsaved is your duty.
God loves it when we pray for people to know Christ because He wants everyone to enjoy the benefits of having Christ in their lives.
How songs Can make or mar you. Your ears are wonderful organs given by God for listening and also for balance. What you listen to can affect you. Songs, words, instrumentals, poetry, and so on all have the power of touching you.
When you hear a great Christian song, you either pause to soak it in or sing along just because you can identify with the words. So, also when you listen to songs that don’t glorify God or cause you to feel or do what you are not supposed to do.
Songs that use vulgar or harmful words aren’t good for you. They are songs that glorify evil and immorality. Listening to songs like that only teaches you bad words and how to use them. Over time you become well versed in them till they become part of you.
Apart from songs, people can also use bad and foul words around you. Are your friends or mates at school using vulgar words around you? Speak to them about using such words, and if they don’t listen, stay away from them, because they will only teach you to be like them.
Listening to Godly and inspiring songs helps to lift your spirit and connects you with the Holy Spirit which leads you into worship, praise, petition, exaltation, revelation, and more.
Also, people can pass influence with their words either to do good or bad. Watch out for the elderly people around you. What are they saying? Are they speaking hateful words to others? Words that inspire you to hate others? Do not listen to such words for they are ungodly.
Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding.
Prov. 2:2 NLT
Listen to wisdom (good, life-giving, helpful, loving, et cetera words) so that you will concentrate on who God has made you to be, should be, and can be. In other words, listening to wisdom will help stay holy before God.
Forgiveness is a necessity in this life. Do you want to know how to advance in life? Then learn how to forgive. Let’s look at the story of Bayo.
Bayo didn’t like how his brothers treated him. They always teased him about his love for reading and studying. They called him names like “effico”, “bookworm” and more. He wished he could just tell them what was on his mind. They weren’t that perfect too. He knew their flaws too and what they did in secret.
At church, he learnt about forgiveness. The Sunday school teacher used the story of Joseph to explain how to forgive.
That was going to be hard for Bayo. So, he approached the teacher and told him about what he was facing at home. The teacher explained the reason why he had to forgive his brothers just like Joseph did.
By the time they were through, Bayo learnt why he had to forgive and how to do so. It was a relief to him. He wasn’t going to continue in unforgiveness towards his brothers.
When you speak to other believers about an issue, you get more knowledge. They help you to understand what you are feeling, why it is wrong or right, and what to do about it. When the believer is older than you, you get to hear about their or other people’s experiences on issues like yours.
So, find a believer like yourself and share your fears or issues with them. This is how to advance.
God is a speaking God. Therefore you need to learn how to hear God when He speaks; this is simply because His words give you direction.
See what he says about the way he speaks
1 Tim 4:1a [KJV] Now the Spirit speaketh expressly…
God speaks to everyone including children. Remember the story of little Samuel in the bible, who later became a strong prophet that ministered to the Israelites and anointed kings? God speaks, and you should learn how to hear God when He speaks.
Our heavenly father wants to speak to us and He does so in different ways. One of such way is through His word- the bible. The bible is the only place where all of God’s words reside.
Reading the bible is one of the ways you can hear from God. When you read about what God did, how He did it, and who He did it for, you get to know more about God.
Maybe you are facing a situation and don’t know how to go about it, read the bible. God will speak to you through a verse or chapter. He will direct you to a book where someone just like you, faced the same dilemma you are in.
When you read through, you will learn how the person resolved it with God’s help.
Heb 4:12 [AMP]For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the sbreath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart.
The bible says His words are living. They are alive, quick, and sharp. Always speaking. See it as God speaking directly to you.
You need to learn how to stand up for your friends. It is called commitment. But I have to give a warning right here: don’t be committed to evil. That being said, let’s look at the little story of Ann.
Ann just couldn’t hold it in any longer.
“Stop lying!” She lashed out at Janet and the rest of the girls. “Sandra is not like that. She is my friend and I don’t like that you are talking bad about her behind her.”
Imagine if you were a friend like Ann. You wouldn’t stand back and watch others run your friend down, saying wrong things about them.
I am sure Sandra would have been mightily happy to see how Ann fought to keep her reputation safe.
Being a good friend entails you shutting up people when they talk bad about your friend. You know what they are saying is not the truth. You want the world to know what the truth is.
Jonathan defended David before Saul. He knew the type of person and friend David was, that was why he was able to defend him. He didn’t care that his father would rebuke him. All he cared for was that no one would smear David’s name in the mud in his presence.
May God give you the grace to be a friend that stands to defend your friends, Amen.
God bless you.
Prayer: Lord, help me to stand and defend my friends against backbiters in Jesus name. Amen.
Action point: Will you stand up for your friend today?
Declaration: I will stand up for my friends, at any cost.
Little children, believe in yourself. The book of Philippians has a wonderful verse you can commit to memory as children.
The thirteenth verse of the fourth chapter tells you what you can do as a child or follower of Christ.
“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me”
(Phil. 4:13 KJV)
Let’s see another version so you understand it well.
Imagine the possibilities you have access to do with this verse. The writer is showing you that you can do all you desire to as long as you have Jesus. Therefore my little children, believe!
Your strength doesn’t come from you, your possessions, friends, families, or education. It comes from Jesus. He gives you the strength to move on and accomplish everything you need to accomplish.
If there is a huge task or challenge in front of you, remember this verse. Say and believe it. Jesus will show you how to carry it out with ease. My little children, believe.
It doesn’t mean that you won’t do your part. You pray and act according to the leading of Jesus.
Beyond learning at school, you get to relate with other individuals. Therefore you must learn how to be a responsible student. There are teachers, non-teaching staff, and your fellow students to relate with at school.
Every school has rules and regulations guiding its operations and existence. Students are meant to obey these rules and regulations at all times.
As a student, the first way to show responsibility is by obeying the rules and regulations of your school. Yes, to be a responsible student, you should obey the rules.
Obey your leaders, and accept their authority. They take care of you because they are responsible for you. Obey them so that they may do this work joyfully and not complain about you. (Causing them to complain would not be to your advantage.)
Heb 13:17 [GW]
You should also ensure that you help other students to obey the laws of the school. When a fellow student is doing something contrary to school rules, you should tell him it’s against the rules. That way you have done your part.
Do not also follow other students to break the rules. Rather than do this, report to the teachers. Be a responsible student.
In class, ensure you are not causing distractions or joining others to do so. Your class is part of the school and whatever rules the class teacher lays down should be obeyed.
These are just some ways you can show responsibility at school.
May God guide your hearts towards obeying rules and regulations at school. Amen.
Prayer: Lord, give me the grace to be a responsible student at school. Amen.
Action point: Do you know your school rules and regulations? If yes, are you obeying them? If no, get them and read so you can start obeying them.
Declaration: I am an obedient child. I obey laid down rules and regulations.
You must learn how to be like Jesus. People will often disappoint you in this world. There are things you expect them to do or not do that they will not do or do.
You can’t expect people to always be the same. They are humans like you and have to deal with so many things.
But one person will never disappoint you. He is Jesus, the son of God.
In the book of Hebrews, we see how the son of God remains the same forever.
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.”
Hebrews 13:8
This verse is saying that before you were born, Jesus was loving and kind (yesterday), and He is still the same kind and loving person He is today, and that He will still remain loving and kind tomorrow and forever.
So, you can see how Jesus has remained the same all through generations. He was kind and loving to your great-grandparents, grandparents, and parents.
He will be and is kind and loving towards you as He will be to your children. He will never change towards you. No matter the sin you commit as long as you ask for forgiveness, that’s it.
Let this be a weapon to use when the enemy tries to tell you that Jesus will fail you. Tell him that your Jesus will never fail you.
May the Lord’s love continually surround you all the days of your life. Amen
Prayer: Lord, Jesus, thank you for displaying your trustworthiness all through generations. I rest in Your reliability. Thank You.
Action Point: Are you gradually losing focus? Retrace your steps right away.
Little children, be courageous. Sometimes you might feel afraid to do something because you are afraid of failing or being mocked. The verse below tells you to do otherwise.
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9
Fear is part of our lives but is not supposed to stop us from doing what we are supposed to do, especially as children of God. But you must learn to be courageous. Little children, be courageous!
God doesn’t want us to be afraid of anything because, according to the verse above, He is with us all the way.
This was what he told Joshua when the children of Israel were going out to tackle an enemy. He told them not to be afraid. They believed Him and went out to battle. Guess what happened? They came back victorious. So little children, be courageous.
May the Lord give you victory and eliminate every spirit of fear in you. Amen.
Prayer: Lord, give me a spirit that is bold and courageous in You. Help me conquer mountains in Jesus name I pray. Amen.
Action plan: Bring every one of your fears before God. Ask Him to show you what to do and obey His instructions.
There are several ways you can make your parents happy, and you should make them happy. This morning, I will show you one of the ways to do that.
One good way to make your parents happy is by truly listening to them when they are speaking to you. Looks simple right? But that’s just it.
Don’t be too quick to talk back, interrupt, grumble, or be rude to them. When you keep quiet and listen to them, you get to hear what they are saying, and what they want you to do.
Listening is also a way of showing that you care about them and their feelings and that you understand what they are going through. This will make your parents happy. It’s hard enough being parents to you and your siblings, juggling work, church, the home and so many other parts of their lives.
Give them room to breathe by just hearing them out. They think they are old-fashioned or country bumpkins. They were once teenagers like you and understand you more than you know or can imagine.
After they finish speaking, then you can speak and tell them what you feel. Every parent loves to hear their children air their views. This will make your parents happy.
If you have done something wrong, apologize and mean it. This way, you get to listen and they get to listen to you too. Both parties have a win-win situation.
“My child, guard my sayings; store my commandments with you.”
Prayer: God, please teach me to listen so I can understand what my parents are communicating to me concerning my actions and words. Give me the grace to learn to listen. Amen.
Action plan: Make your parents happy. The next time your parents are talking to you about something you did wrong, listen and don’t argue. Apologize when you should and need to.
Declaration: My children are good listeners. They don’t speak back to me. They are very cooperative.
This morning, let’s look at one powerful, inspiring, and breathtaking verse in the bible. The verse says that you were wonderfully created.
“I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.”
Psalm 139:14
What is this verse telling you? How do you feel when you read this?
You should feel important and unique that your Yahweh says you are as wonderful as all His works. You were wonderfully created.
Let’s break down this verse
“I praise you, for I am fearfully…
This means that you are meant to instill fear in the enemy’s heart because you are made of God.
“…and wonderfully made”
Never has the world seen a unique and one-in-a-lifetime person like you. The world has never experienced you before. Out of all the billions of people on the earth, none is like you. You were wonderfully created.
“Wonderful are your works:”
Everything God made is wonderful, exquisite, and a blessing to all mankind. This same God made you.
“my soul knows it very well.”
The psalmist acknowledges that even his soul knows how great a creation he is. He knows that God didn’t make him ordinary. God made him be a special type of creation, different from all the other creations of God. Do you also know that you were wonderfully created?
Write this verse down and memorize it. When people try to put you down and say you are nothing, tell them how the mighty God made you the most special of all His creations.
May the reality of how God made you always stick with you. Amen.
Prayer: Lord, thank You for how special you made me. I am special. I am special.
Action point: You were wonderfully created. Reflect more on this phrase and on the verse in study. Write down the wonderful things you know about yourself. You can also ask people around you too.
One of the reasons God created you is for you to continually praise Him. God needs you to praise Him. You must learn how to honour God with your praise.
Praising God is a sign that you honor Him as your creator and this gladdens the heart of God.
God made both living and non-living things. Non-living things can only be appreciated by you and in a way, you are praising God for creating such wonderful and exquisite creations.
But as a living thing, with breath in your lungs, you are the ultimate praise singer of God.
His praises should continually fill your mouth and heart. Just like the psalmist.
Psalm 150:6 – “Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!”
Praising God should be a habit. One that you can and should never stop doing. Praising God should be programmed into your daily living manual. You must learn how to honour God with your praise.
May the Lord’s praises fill your mouth constantly. Amen.
Studying the Bible with your grandparents is another good way to love them. Grandparents can be cool bible study partners too. It would be an honor to them to hear their grandchild ask them to be co-bible study buddies. Since they have vast knowledge and experience of God, they make good teachers of the word.
By doing this, you make them feel they are a part of your life and that they are not forgotten or useless. They feel relevant, wanted, and loved. Even if it can’t be done physically due to location, you can do it online.
Grandparents love to spend time with their grandchildren and would jump at any opportunity to do so. Every godly grandparent wants to share their faith with their grandchildren.
There’s a way to be a true friend. Let’s look at the story of Stephen and Benjamin. Stephen noticed that Benjamin always stayed back in class during lunch break for some days now. Benjamin was his classmate and friend. Stephen decided to speak to Benjamin today immediately after the lunch bell rang.
“Benjamin, where is your lunch pack?” Asked Stephen
Benjamin looked away and tried to smile but Stephen saw that the smile was a fake one.
“I noticed you haven’t been coming to school with your lunch pack.” Said Stephen “Is there something wrong?”
Benjamin shook his head refusing to meet Stephen’s probing eyes. “Nothing.”
“Will you share my lunch with me?” Offered Stephen
Stephen remembered what the bible says about helping others in Galatians chapter six and verse two.
“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
Carrying each other’s burdens is a sign of true friendship because a friend should offer to help his friends when they have a need.
Even if they don’t ask for help and you notice that they need help with something.
This is what Jesus says about helping our friends
John 15:14 You are my friends if you do what I command.
Don’t you like to be friends with Jesus? How about calling Him your best friend? Then do what He commands. Help your friends.
I pray that God will strengthen you in the area of helping your friends.
Prayer: Lord, Jesus, thank You for the wonderful friends You surround me with. I pray that You make me a better friend. I want to be always ready to help my friends in Jesus name. Amen.
Action point: Will you look round at your friends today and see what areas they need help with. You could also ask them what they need help with.
Declaration: I am compassionate. I share what I have with my friends.
There are great benefits of reading the Word. Now, God speaks to everyone including children. Remember the story of little Samuel in the bible, who later became a strong prophet that ministered to the Israelites and anointed kings?
Our heavenly father wants to speak to us and He does so in different ways. One of such way is through His word- the bible. The bible is the only place where all of God’s words reside.
Reading the bible is one of the ways you can hear from God. When you read about what God did, how He did it, and who He did it for, you get to know more about God.
Maybe you are facing a situation and don’t know how to go about it, read the bible. God will speak to you through a verse or chapter. He will direct you to a book where someone just like you, faced the same dilemma you are in.
When you read through, you will learn how the person resolved it with God’s help.
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Heb 4:12 KJV
The bible says His words are living. They are alive, quick, and sharp. Always speaking. See it as God speaking directly to you. This is part of the benefits of reading God’s word.
We have to keep learning to share. The bible everywhere talks about sharing and helping the needy. In the Old Testament, the Israelites were instructed to harvest their grains in such a way that the poor and needy will still have something to eat.
In the New Testament, the apostles all shared what they had to take care of those who did not have.
The group of followers all felt the same way about everything. None of them claimed that their possessions were their own, and they shared everything they had with each other.
Acts 4:32[CEV]
Likewise, in the book of Romans and chapter twelve verse thirteen, the writer speaks about helping Christians like you.
Take care of God’s needy people and welcome strangers into your home.
Rom 12:13[CEV]
Another translation puts it this way
Share what you have with God’s people who are in need. Be hospitable.”
Rom 12:13 [GW]
Do you have a friend who is a believer like you, maybe at school, church, or the neighborhood? Do you share what you have with them according to the verse above?
As a Christian, you are supposed to first share with your fellow brethren as the apostles did in the bible. Jesus said we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. keep learning to share.
Your neighbors are your brothers and sisters in the Lord.
May the Lord instill in you a heart of love towards your fellow Christians. Amen
Prayer: Lord help me love my fellow Christians as commanded. Amen.
Action point: In what ways can you share your things with fellow Christians who are your friends?
Declaration: I share my things with those around me.
Do you know that you need a shepherd? There are several reasons a sheep needs the help of a superior being. In face, a sheep knows better than to be alone without any help.
The first reason is for safety. The first way to ensure your safety is to have a shepherd. Jesus is your shepherd, and He is the good One.
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep”
John 10:11 NLT
He repeated it here
“I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me,”
John 10:14 NLT
What does a shepherd do? He looks over a flock of sheep. He is their guardian, watching over them.
A shepherd also protects. He keeps them safe from being attacked by other animals stronger than they. He is their provider, ensuring they graze on the choicest grasslands.
As a child, you have to be under the protection of somebody. That’s why you have parents to look after you. They gave birth to you and really care for you. They will protect and provide for you because God has made them shepherds over you in this world.
Prayer: Lord, help me to obey my parents who are my shepherds in Jesus name. Amen
Action Point: Have you been disobedient to your parents? Repent.
Declaration: I am an obedient child. I listen to my parents.
