Have you lost an item before, how did you feel? Now imagine a little child misplacing an item. The chances of finding it is very slim; but God promises restoration for children.
And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.
Joel 2:25 (KJV)
This is one of God’s promises we can lay claims on. The promise of restoration!
The Lord is promising us total restoration. He has said we will find all we’ve ever lost.
So go to God with ‘Father to son’ important gesture and sort it once and for all.
We should daily read this scripture to our kids, so that they can understand the supernatural aspect available in God.
Declaration: My children enjoy divine restoration. They understand the supernatural. Amen
All through the Scripture we see that the spirit of fear is not to be allowed to have a place in our lives. Dear children, say no to fear.
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 (ESV)
The first thing in that passage says we should be strong and courageous. Strength is needed to do anything in life. Fear is a tool of the devil to weaken our resolve to doing anything.
The Lord is always with us wherever we go. We should not be frightened or afraid of any harm.
Yes, there will be instances where we might be overwhelmed, but the assurance from God’s word is enough to bring us out and place us on top.
We have the assurance of protection from God himself, saying he is with us. It is this assurance that we need to succeed in life.
This means we can do anything because God is with us.
What are those dreams and goals in your heart? What are those aspirations in your heart?
You can do it, only fear not.
As parents, we can build confidence in our children with this scripture.
Furthermore, God tells us he has no plans to leave nor forsake us.
We should train our children to put their trust and hope in God, not in man.
Action Plan: What are the things that make you scared? List them. You can talk to your parents about them too.
Prayer: Lord, help me to trust you. Take away the spirit of fear in me and build my confidence in you. Amen
Declaration: My children know no fear because the Lord is with them always. They are not afraid to do new things because they have assurance from God.
My children are grateful. That should be your declaration every time, as a parent. As a child, you must learn to be grateful always.
Ps 6:5 (KJV) For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?
Many of us lack the culture of gratitude. We seem to believe our parents will always have it figured out. “They are parents anyway, they should. If they don’t, why did they bring me to the world?”
It doesn’t really work that way. When you grow up, you will realize adulthood is hard work.
The psalmist is asking us one question we always ignore. He asks if anyone could give thanks in the grave.
The answer is no one can. So why don’t you do all the thanksgiving now that you are here?
Look at the way the message bible puts it.
Ps 6:5 (MSG) I’m no good to you dead, am I? I can’t sing in your choir if I’m buried in some tomb!
We don’t have to wait till we have the ‘big’ things before learning the culture of thanksgiving. As little as a candy or biscuit, it should be received with thanksgiving.
This means as parents, we should imbibe in our children and make them understand once they do something. We have to teach our children that there is no remembrance in the grave, hence, the need to give God all they can now.
Ps 6:5 (CEV) If I die, I cannot praise you or even remember you.
Children, now that you have breath, use it to praise God.
No one is praying for death, but it is something that will happen to virtually everyone. The prayer is that we all live to good old ages before returning ‘home’
Declaration: My children give God thanks. My children are grateful.
Prayer: Lord, teach my children the art of thanksgiving. Also, help me to imbibe the culture of thanksgiving in them. Amen
Action Point: List all those things you ought to be grateful about.
Today we will be examining “My Children Seek God Early.” It is good for your children to get to know God later in life, but early is better.
The bible is filled with several promises for us to profit with.
There are promises for good health, promotion, assurance, favour, mercy, strength, provision and so on.
One of such promises is found in
Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
Isa 55:6 (KJV)
It can be frustrating searching for your Sunday school notebook, especially on Sunday morning.
If care is not taken, you might have to forfeit it and use another note, so your parents don’t leave you at home.
There is a time to seek the Lord. There is a time to serve the Lord. God is saying a time is coming when you will seek me and you won’t find me. A time is coming when you will call my name and you won’t hear a word from me. May that not be our portion in Jesus’ name.
The above verse tells us that there comes a time when the Lord may not be found. Hence, it is wise for us to put them in the way of the Lord from the cradle.
Children, now is the best time to seek the Lord.
Do you remember what Solomon said?
Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
Ecclesiastes 12:1 (KJV)
A time is coming when you won’t find pleasure in all these things. Now that you are young, maximize the opportunity.
As parents, we are to ensure our children seek God early in life. No one is too young to seek God. Josiah became King at a very tender age and he ruled well.
As long as your children can call on you, they should be taught how to call on God. God will answer because he is interested in children.
Declaration: My Children Seek God. My children call on the Lord. Early in life, they turn to the Lord. Amen
The word guides. The word guards the heart. Now the heart is perhaps the most important part of the human body. An anomaly in the heart is not what anyone prays for. May our heart not pack up in Jesus name.
Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.
Proverbs 4:23 AMP
One way to safe guard our heart is to carefully sieve what we allow inside and one way this can be done is through the word. The word guides and guards.
Parents, let’s teach our children the word of God always. The word of God should always serve as a guide for us to follow.
The above scripture shows how important it is for us to guard our hearts. You cannot just allow anything into your heart.
Children, what does that mean? Do you know thoughts are very powerful? That is why we must ensure that we always think about positive things. And the word guides you to think positive thoughts.
That’s why the scriptures says in
Finally, my friends, keep your minds on whatever is true, pure, right, holy, friendly, and proper. Don’t ever stop thinking about what is truly worthwhile and worthy of praise.
Phil 4:8 (CEV)
This verse gives us a list of what to think about. So when next you are catch yourself wondering in thoughts or thinking about anything, check if it fits in the above description of what we are expected to be thinking about.
Children, ensure you always read the word of God and make it your guide. The word guides! Think about the promises of God in His words.
Prayer for children: My children receive grace to always study the word of God.
Prayer for parents: Lord, please help us to teach our children your word always, in Jesus Name. Amen
Declaration: The word of God dwells richly in the hearts of my children always. The word guides my children.
Gratitude is a great discipline your should teach your children. Pray and train your children to be grateful beings. Let’s take a look at this psalm.
O sing unto the Lord a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.
Ps 98:1 (KJV)
What a psalm!
Do you remember the song of Moses and Miriam and the children of Israel? After they crossed the red sea? These were grateful beings. Take a look at a part of their song of gratitude.
And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
Ex 15:21 (KJV)
What does this mean?
It means we should learn to give God the glory after every battle we fight. We should learn to be grateful beings.
Now, these days, we no longer fight physically, because the bible says;
For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds,
2 Cor 10:4 (AMP)
But whenever we do something through the help of God, we should always give him all the praise.
Parents, let’s always encourage our children to be grateful unto God even in the seemingly minute things. That way, they will learn to cultivate an attitude of gratitude. Teach your children to be grateful beings.
Prayers: My children are grateful in the name of Jesus. Amen
Action point: Be deliberate about your act of gratitude
Aside from the salvation of our souls, another redemption package we received is victory over death. Yes, victory over death. And we have to walk in victory.
“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:55-57(ESV)
Children, death has been conquered by Jesus. His death and resurrection on the cross of Calvary has done it all. Let’s walk in victory!
The sting of death is sin, and Christ took our sins out of the way, nailing them to the cross. Halleluyah! You need to understand this. Anytime the devil comes to you with funny thoughts of sickness or death, remind him of this scripture.
As parents, we need to constantly remind our children to walk in this consciousness. They should live a life of thanksgiving, giving praise to God for granting us the victory through Jesus Christ. That’s one way to walk in victory.
Do you remember this song?
Calvary covers it all My sins and shame, don’t count anymore All praises to the one who has ransomed my soul Calvary covers it all.
That’s what you should tell yourself all the time. it is a finished work on the cross. Your sins, sicknesses, pain, lack, insufficiency, and all manner of vices have all been taken care of at Calvary. Glory to God! Let’s walk in victory. Amen
Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for giving me victory.
Action Plan: Walk in the victory you have received.
Declaration: My children are victorious. They walk in the realization of what God has done for them.
The spirit of fear is one that can hold people in bondage, and stop them from succeeding. Appearances can look real but in actual fact are not. Your expectations are false and are looking real. How do you stop yourself from being overwhelmed with all the pressures of fear? Just take a moment to stop everything and just pray.
Praying helps you to get an understanding of what to do or not to do. Prayer is a tool to help you understand what is happening and how to deal with it. It helps you deal with the spirit of fear also.
The major thing is that you shouldn’t allow fear – any of your false expectations appearing real, to stop you from doing what you’re supposed to do.
God doesn’t want you to have any form of fear and even if you do, He asks you to release them all to Him. He can carry them all and has the solution to solving them. The spirit of fear should not torment you.
Children are a blessing. The more children you have, the more blessed you are (little wonder the bible says happy is man who has his quiver full of them).
There is a Scripture I will show you now; one that we need to rejoice and be glad about. In that scripture, God was decreeing and declaring that apart from being a blessing, our children are gifts from Him. Take a look at that Scripture:
Children are a blessing and a gift from the LORD.
Psa 127:3 CEV
How would you treat a gift you received from someone you esteem? That is exactly how children ought to be treated.
You and I know God never gives bad gifts. His gifts to us are beautiful and special because of His steadfast love for us.
Our children are a special gift to us, so as parents, we are blessed because of the presence of these little ones in our lives.
What do you do then? Go ahead and give God thanks for the gift of children. Thank Him for your children are a blessing. Amen
As godly parents, one of your priority should be how to disciplined children. You must remember that you will give account to God over them.
Don’t hesitate to discipline children. A good spanking won’t kill them. As a matter of fact, it may save their lives.
Proverbs 23:13-23 (GNT)
Discipline is good. The bible encourages it. Disciplined children are a blessing because those are the children that are well developed and balanced in society. The society is filled with undisciplined children, you don’t want your children to be a part of the statistics.
Love corrects. If you truly love your children, then you must learn to correct them. If you want them to turn out well, then like the bible says, a good spanking won’t kill them. Love does not overlook wrongdoing.
We have to teach and train our children (raising them up as disciplined children), and the Lord will help us in Jesus name.
Who is your friend? That is one question that you must ask and answer if you desire to become the best of who you are meant to be.
Julius had a problem. He needed a solution. This issue had been eating deep into him. He just couldn’t wrap his head around it. He began to emaciate as a result of excessive thinking. He wasn’t looking like the Julius everyone knew. His parents wondered what could be wrong with their once lively lad.
He knew he had to find a solution to whatever was wrong with him. Just like a flash, he remembered his one time buddy and friend, Samson. Who is your friend? Who do you call friend? Samson was not really born again, that was why he cut ties with him initially, but now, he needed his help desperately.
Oh, why didn’t I think about him before now? He asked himself.
Off, he dashed to Samson’s house and discussed with him. In the end, Samson had a good time laughing at his long time friend who was looking worried over a “simple” matter.
Samson told him what to do. Even though he knew it was wrong, he went ahead, as he needed a solution badly. Who is your friend?
This was what happened to Amnon, David’s son. What was heavy in his heart, became a small matter in the eyes of his friend because his friend had a devilish mind.
As a matter of fact, Bible says his friend was a subtle, shrewd and crafty person.
Amnon had a friend named Jonadab, who was the son of David’s brother Shimeah. Jonadab always knew how to get what he wanted,
2 Sam 13:3 (CEV)
Jonadab put Amnon in trouble, just like Samson did to Julius in the story above.
Little wonder the Bible says
Stop being deceived: “Wicked friends lead to evil ends.
1 cor 15:33 (ISV)
Who are those you call friends? Are they really worth it? Are they after your wellbeing or your downfall?
Talk to your parents. Let them help you identify who your friends really are.
Prayer: Lord, help me to identify my real friends. Amen
I want to bring to our remembrance something really important this morning. Dear child, you are a special gift! Yes, you! You really are.
It is something we know, but we sometimes allow the devil fill our minds with negative and false thoughts. This was exactly what happened to Jude.
Jude was always moody. He was always downcast and sad. He just couldn’t fathom certain things going on around him.
One thing that kept coming to his mind was that his parents loves his siblings more than they love him. He didn’t see himself as a special gift.
He fought this thought for weeks until his Sunday school teacher read this verse in church yesterday.
Gen 4:1 (KJV)And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord.
Dear children, this is how I want you to see yourselves henceforth. You are a special gift from God to your parents.
You are not a mistake. You are not ordinary. You came at the very right time God wanted you to come.
We all know God gives good gifts. That means you are a good gift to your parents, not just an ordinary gift.
Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father who created all the lights in the heavens. He is always the same and never makes dark shadows by changing.
James 1:17 (CEV)
Don’t conclude your life because of your present situation. You are a special gift.
Look on the bright side. You are perfect because God made you so.
Parents, let’s do well to encourage our children, assuring them of God’s love.
Prayer: Lord, thank you because I see myself the same way you see me. Amen
Action point: Tell yourself you are a special gift to your parents.
Declaration: I am a gift to my parents and to this generation.
It’s time to talk about health decisions. Your health is another important area of your life that you should make changes in. Don’t think because you are young, there’s no need for you to take care of your health.
This area is often neglected by many children and parents alike, until something bad happens.
May we not experience such in Jesus name.
Here’s a fact you should know – it’s the body you take care of now that will aid you when you are old. Don’t wait till you are thirty or forty before you start taking your health seriously. Start making better health decisions.
Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.
3John 1:2 (ESV)
Watch what you eat, drink, inhale or apply on your body. Beyond your physical body is your mental health. Learn to make better health decisions.
Be conscious of what you watch, read or listen to. If it doesn’t build your mind in ways that will make you a positive and fulfilled person, do not do it. Do not give in to peer pressure to do what is wrong. .
The bible cautions us to watch what we allow into our bodies and minds. So, review the past month and ask yourself questions concerning your health decisions. Some of the questions you can ask includes:
1. Did I eat right? 2. How often did I exercise or turned a potato-couch? 3. How many books did I read? 4. How did they impact my life? Did I take good health decisions? 5. What changes did I make from reading those books? 6. What type of thoughts did I think?
May the Lord help you make excellent health decisions this new month.
Prayer: Lord, I want to make better health choices in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Action point: Make a list of your new plans for the month and start doing them.
Declaration: I consciously guide my health. I am not careless with what enters my body. I make great health decisions.
The month has begun already. Are you making adjustments already? Are you finding this series helpful? I hope so. Today we will look at family decisions.
Today, we will be talking about families.
Most times, family members are the most ignored set of people. We tend to think that they will always be there or they don’t need much from us. We push them aside till we get into trouble or something.
Take a good look at your relationship with your family members to know if you’ve been making great family decisions. Do so by asking yourself these questions:
How often did you tell or show them you love them? How many times did you help them when they needed it? How often did you help your parents at home? How often did you obey parental instructions? How many times did you pray for your parents or siblings? What was the last gift you gave your family members? How often did you spend time with them? How often did you fight your sibling?
These are personal questions that will guide you in your journey to making better family decisions. You can and should add yours to these.
Showing love to your family is important and gladdens the heart of God. As a Christian child, you are supposed to value the family system. Christianity itself is a family of believers in Christ.
Prayer: Lord, I am grateful for the family you have blessed me with. I thank you for my parents and siblings. Help me to value them more in Jesus’ name. Help me to make great family decisions. Amen.
Action point: Start by saying a big thank you to your family members for being there for you throughout the year. You can make a big “thank you” card for them.
Declaration: I value my family. This month, I am more committed to them than ever before.
You have to learn to make better financial decisions as a child. Let me share a little of my childhood story with you.
From time to time, especially during the Yuletide, whatever financial gift I got went back to my parents. I remember my parents taking any financial gift I received from me with the promise of keeping it for me. Well, I never got my money back. I always forgot to ask. How do you even ask about such money?
Making good financial decisions highly impacts how you view and spend money.
The following questions will help you make better decisions financially.
Do you always spend all the money you receive?
Did you read books on financial education?
What do you know about money?
Do you buy everything you want because the money is available?
Did you buy everything you wanted as the desire came to you?
How much did you spend on things?
Do you see yourself as greedy?
For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
1 Timothy 6:10.
Hope these questions helped you assess the financial decisions you have been making. These are also questions to guide you on reviewing your financial goals this month.
The reviews are meant to point you towards the dangers of reckless sending and not to judge you.
May the Lord grant you the right perspective about money. Amen.
Prayer: Lord, grant me the favour to spend and save wisely. Help me to make better financial decisions in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Action point: Reflect on these questions and truthfully start to make changes. God bless you.
Declaration: I make better financial decisions in this new month.
Another area to review this year is your academics. Not doing well in school is a slap to your Christianity, so you must strive to make better academic decisions.
Do you know we are meant to top our classes?
Deut 28:13 (NKJV)And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them.
That’s the dominion mandate. That’s God’s original intent for you. One who is not spiritual ought not to be ahead in your class. You ought to call the shots! Therefore you must learn to make great academic decisions.
Reflect on the following questions;
How well did you perform in examinations and tests at school?
Did you understand all you were taught in class?
Did you seek clarification at any point?
How well did you pay attention in class?
How much time did you spend studying and reading? (this so much reflects the quality of the academic decisions you are making)
Did it have any impact on your grades?
How many times did you ask for someone to help you with your lessons?
Did you join a study group?
Did it have any effect on your grades?
What effects did it make on your grades?
How many hours did you spend watching movies or playing games instead of studying?
These are just some guidelines that will point you towards making great academic decisions – knowing what to continue, stop, or start doing. Insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result. So take an inventory and make your decisions afterward.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for your help with my academics. I am deeply grateful for your assistance.
Action point: Make better academic decisions – make a list of what worked for you and what didn’t. Plan to improve on what worked and stop what didn’t work.
Declaration: I take inventory of my life and make the necessary adjustments.
Do you think you are making better spiritual decisions? Your spirit man is the most important part of your life. Many people take care of other aspects and leave out the spirit man. This ought not to be so.
“The Holy Spirit is the one who gives life, that which is of the natural realm is of no help. The words I speak to you are Spirit and life. But there are still some of you who won’t believe.”
John 6:63 TPT
Your spiritual life is very important to your advancement in life. It’s on it that all other aspects of your life fall in or out of place. Therefore you must ensure that you always make better spiritual decisions.
It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
John 6:63 KJV
The flesh profits nothing. There is no gain in the flesh, so your spiritual
In reviewing your spiritual life, so that you can make better spiritual decisions, ask yourself the following questions
How prayerful was I? How consistent was I in the place of prayers? Did I participate in any fasting programme?
Was I attending Sunday school regularly? Did I read my bible daily? Was I faithful with my offerings and tithe?
These are just some questions that can guide you in making better spiritual decisions in this new month and beyond.
As the month comes to an end, it’s a good idea to review how you spent it. Doing this helps you make better decisions in life. It also helps you know what you have accomplished in different areas of your life and how to improve.
Imagine just living life without improving. These improvements can only happen when you have periodic reviews of your life and time spent.
The review can come weekly, monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly, or yearly, so that you can examine yourself and make better decisions.
Ps 90:12 (NIV)Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
A heart of wisdom is only possible when you number your days aright. This is achieved with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Don’t think only adults do this. You will reach adulthood someday and developing this habit early will positively impact your life. Not only does it show how well you fared, but it also helps you plan ahead for the new month. By so doing, you make better decisions and move forward in your life.
Look at the way message translation puts it.
Ps 90:12 (MSG) Oh! Teach us to live well! Teach us to live wisely and well!
When you take proper inventory of several segments of your life, you will know how to live well.
Make it a habit to take a review of your life from time to time, and then take better decisions from the review.
Tomorrow we will look at how to do this in every area of your life. Don’t miss it!
God bless!
Prayer: Lord, guide me as I take stock of this month. Help me see where I need to improve on in the coming month, and help me to be sincere enough to accept it. Help me make better decisions LORD. Amen.
Action point: List out areas of your life and start to review them. Tell your friends about it too. Involve your parents too, so they help out.
Declaration: God helps me to take stock of my life in Jesus name.
You must learn to be courageous little ones. Sometimes you might feel afraid to do something because you are afraid of failing or being mocked, but the verse below tells you to do otherwise.
Joshua 1:9 – “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.”
Fear is part of life, but it is not supposed to stop us from doing what we are supposed to do. Especially as children of God. So be courageous little ones!
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. This teaches us courage; so I say again ‘be courageous little ones.’
Joshua 1:7-9 (ESV)Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.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.”
Be courageous little ones. 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.
