I love how the Lord teaches me. Recently, my son and I were going through a “season of correction.” This is what I call the times when my children face learning challenges that require me to learn too. My son was struggling with excellence in his work. I know it is my job to train him up, but often times my methods are epic failures. I was turning into a nagging mom. It was awful!
After a few days of constant correction, and yes, irritation from me, the Holy Spirit stepped in. As I was seeking the Lord, in frustration, He began to open my understanding. I am currently doing a studying on the Holy Spirit. As I read the scriptures about the Holy Spirit, the Lord began to teach me. It began with these two scriptures:
1 Corinthians 14 (ERV)
14 Love should be the goal of your life, but you should also want to have the gifts that come from the Spirit. And the gift you should want most is to be able to prophesy. 2 I will explain why. Those who have the gift of speaking in a different language are not speaking to people. They are speaking to God. No one understands them—they are speaking secret things through the Spirit. 3 But those who prophesy are speaking to people. They help people grow stronger in faith, and they give encouragement and comfort.
I have been asking the Lord to help me understand prophecy and how it should work in my life. As I looked at this scripture, I began to see the Holy Spirit in me as the mother of my son to help him grow stronger in faith, to encourage him and comfort him. Another words, to prophesy to him. A radical thought, I admit. I needed the Lord to lead me further. He brought these scriptures to my heart.
Romans 4:17 (ERV)
17 As the Scriptures say, “I have made you a father of many nations.” This is true before God, the one Abraham believed—the God who gives life to the dead and speaks of things that don’t yet exist as if they are real.
Proverbs 18:21 (ERV)
21 The tongue can speak words that bring life or death. Those who love to talk must be ready to accept what it brings.
Hebrews 11:1-3 (ERV)
11 Faith is what makes real the things we hope for. It is proof of what we cannot see. 2 God was pleased with the people who lived a long time ago because they had faith like this.
3 Faith helps us understand that God created the whole world by his command. This means that the things we see were made by something that cannot be seen.
God spoke and it was……this is the same God who lives in me. Who is teaching me to become Christ like as I parent my son. In Genesis 1, God saw darkness and He spoke light. As imitators of Christ, this is how I am to act too. How does this relate to parenting my son? God is giving me the faith to see the character of Christ in my son and declare it. To speak in faith…to prophesy over him. Believe me, this was hard to do when all I saw was my son continually making the same mistake over and over. It felt like a dark area, but just as God spoke light and it was, I am determined to follow His example. I asked the Lord to show me what to speak. I began to remind my son that he was a man of excellence because the Holy Spirit, who lives in him is a Spirit of Excellence. That because Jesus is the Lord of his life, he has access to all that Jesus is.
Talk about an amazing event…..my son began to do his chores with attention to detail. He began to notice when he was only doing things half way and correct himself. It was miraculous for him and me. The situation went from me trying to parent in my own way, always pointing out what wrong. To me speaking by faith what God has planned for him.
Just the other day as we were doing devotions, my son, blessed me so much. He talked about being a man of excellence and serving God with all his heart. It has become a part of his identity. His old identity produced the sin over and over. But as he focuses on his new identity, he starts producing excellence in his life.
So, for me, prophesying is recognizing the places that need building up, and comfort and speaking what God has revealed. It comes from seeking the Lord and listening and then obeying. I will continue to prophesy to my children as they are growing and learning. For I desire to speak His word, according to His purpose to help them grow stronger in faith, to be encouraged, built up and comforted.
Tapestry ~ Treasures 
Good word! God has been working on me with my son as well. Thank you! Thank you also for coming by my blog and following! I look forward to reading more from you as well! 🙂
Dearest Jenni,
I read this with tears in my eyes! I have just shouted at my youngest daughter for the ..th time today and sent her to her room for her bad behaviour towards her brother. I seem to be shouting at her all the time lately and I am so ready to try something new! To say your word is timely is such an understatement! THANK YOU for sharing your experience. I am off to hand my situation over to the Lord.
God bless you my dear friend!
And I am so glad you sent me this link – I knew you were all talking about setting this up, but I didn’t realise it had been done. I will be back to read more from other names I recognise, really soon. But first, God and I have some things to talk about 🙂
With much love, Ali
Jenni:
As I read this I was delighted on so many levels. The artwork is amazing! What a difference your diligence to seek out God on behalf of correcting your son understanding, not just his behavior brought a positive result. Today, my prayer is that someone will read this and know that there is encouragement and hope in God’s word…search Him out, His wisdom endures to the generations.
My devotion for you: Ecclesiastes 12:9-10~~
“Not only was the Teacher wise, but also he imparted knowledge to the people. He pondered and searched out and set in order many proverbs. The Teacher searched to find just the right words, and what he wrote was upright and true.” Blessings…Zoey
Zoey, I loved your devotion. May the Teacher always teach me how to minister to my children, my husband, my friends. Thank you for sharing this with me.