Ministering to children
I have three young children under
10. One of the many questions
we are asked when talking with
parents about prayer ministry and
inner healing is, “How can I pray
for my kids? I can hardly get them
to sit still at dinner, let alone for
any prayer or civilised discussion!”.
I want that for my house!
So where does that leave us? If
the brain isn’t developed and I
recognise my child has unmet
needs or trauma and I’ve recognised
there is ‘something more’ going
on that I KNOW God can meet
and heal, how do I minister to
and pray for them so that they
Great question! I hear you. I too can live fuller, more joyful and
am an imperfect parent trying to integrated lives through Christ?
find answers as to why my 4 year
old turns into a little monster I don’t have all the answers but I
when I ask him to put his shoes want to submit to you that it’s the
on, only to end in a wrestling child’s personal spirit that is most
match overshadowed by the open and in need of nurture, love
phrase “I hate shoes and I hate and strengthening. The human
you!” (That’s my son shouting (personal) spirit is an eternal gift
by the way… most of the time.) from God. It’s given at conception.
It has needs. It can be wounded.
Firstly, we need to realise that at It never sleeps or switches off,
such a young age, kids don’t have unlike the soul that disengages
the mental capacity to absorb and as we sleep. It has tremendous
assimilate many aspects associated ability and functions beyond the
with healing of the heart and soul (mind, will, emotions). If you
transformation of the inner man strengthen and nurture the child’s
through the mind. Repentance, spirit, it will bring transformation
salvation, sanctification, true from the inside-out.
forgiveness, dying to self, bitter
judgements, rightly expression So with that in mind, I want
emotions etc are not easy to grasp to give you a few links and
and require a level of maturity resources that will make a
AND neurological development difference in your child’s life.
that we don’t develop till later
in life. (This is scientific fact Arthur Burk from Plumbline
by the way.
Check out the Ministries has created some great
subject of brain Myelination.) audio tracks you can download and
play to your children when they
John L Sandford’s definition of sleep. We even play them in the car
a person who is fully human, “A or around the house. They can be
person who is fully human is one played off a phone, tablet, burnt
who has a renewed and awakened to a CD or whatever. There are
personal spirit (in Jesus Christ) by many different types of blessings
which he identifies with what is in and they work. In fact, many
the “other”, and cherishes what is in adults love to listen to them too as
the other, more than his own life.” they address your spirit and speak
scripture, love and encouragement.
GREAT RESOURCE
There are links to these free
resources on my blog at http://
w w w. d a v i d t e n s e n . c o m /
ministering-to-your-children/
Elijah House has heaps of teachings
on their website but one that links
to ‘speaking to the person’s personal
spirit’ is this one that can be ordered
and posted in DVD. It’s for prayer
ministers but really explains the
approach and power of addressing
a person’s spirit. CLICK HERE
I should mention also that this
type of ministry to your kids is
not replacement for your prayer,
love, time and care for their
body and soul. All those things
nurture the spirit as well, because
we are i ntegrated and incarnate
beings. I believe the best thing
we can do for our kids spiritual
development is deal with our
own junk first and foremost –
then we are in a greater position
to allow the life of Christ to be at
work THROUGH us into them.
Matt 7:3 ”Why do you look at the
speck of sawdust in your brother’s
eye and pay no attention to the
plank in your own eye?
Written by David Tensen
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