Speaking Life To Our Kids
Have you found yourself asking your child, “why can’t you ….?” Fill in the blank. Why can’t you hurry, why can’t you pick up your stuff, or the best yet, why can’t you mind? Well, I have, and I have been convicted about it. The Lord has shown some light in this area; the area of my tongue. Oh! How the enemy likes to use our tongue.
God’s Word says we can speak life or death with our tongue and I desperately desire to speak life. But there are those times where our flesh wants to lash out. I always considered myself a life-giving, yet honest mom; one that spoke life and truth. However, recently I have noticed that is not the case.
When God showed me during moments of frustration my words were still insinuating she wasn't enough, and she couldn't be what I expected, I was utterly broken. A negative and critical spirit is a generational curse, and it has to be broken. I am entering a new season of being at rest, spending more time with my daughter, and being intentional with every word I speak to her. Making sure during instruction and affirmation I am speaking to her potential not just what I see or don't see in her.
This is hard when you don’t see their behavior changing. It's so easy to point out what our kids are not doing, how they aren't trying, and not minding. Instead, try saying I know you are not obeying, and this is not who you are. You are an obedient child, and I love you, but here is there are consequences to your actions ___ is your discipline. It's so easy to point out their flaws, so let's make it easy to point out their greatness!
My Mission
I am on a mission to take 5 worlds of life that contradict her current behavior and have them in my heart to speak into her and pray over her. In the meantime, I found these beautiful prayers from Lysa Terkeurst blog that I wanted to share:
PRAY
For boy or girl just change the language. Try inserting their name!
1. Let her learn early in life that to obey You, God, is the best way to the life her heart truly desires (1 Samuel 15:22).
2. May she find comfort in Your ability, God, to reach her, hold her, and rescue her (2 Samuel 22:17-18).
3. Let her find confidence in You, God, even when hard times come and she doesn't know what to do, by keeping her eyes fixed on You (2 Chronicles 20:12).
4. May she keep herself under control and not give full vent to people and situations that anger her (Proverbs 29:11).
5. Let her walk in the security of Your assigned worth to her. Give her a strong work ethic and health to accomplish all her tasks. Give her a heart that desires to extend her hand to those in need. Protect her for the right husband, a man of respect and Godly honor. And let her be a woman of joy and laughter whose Christ-centered character is what makes her most beautiful (Proverbs 31).
I hope that you join me in praying for our children and that we will be prompted to speak encouraging words that can change their life.