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Tag: Keeping your teenagers pure

  • Keeping your teenagers pure (4)

    Dear Reader,

    You are most welcome to this wonderful, and life changing edition. In the first week we discussed the beauty of teenagers.

    In the second week, I shared with you how to understanding your teenagers. Last week, I taught on Reasons for keeping your teenagers.

    This week I shall be exploring the Tools for keeping your teenager. Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it (Proverbs 22:6).

    To train means “to mould the character, to instruct by exercise, drill; make obedient; to put or point in an exact direction, to prepare for contest.” A necessary part of child training is discipline; it is what completes and makes it effective. There is a way to train up a child, and discipline is a part of that way.

    Discipline means training, especially of the mind and character, aimed at producing self-control, obedience, etc.

    The child who refuses to go to bed at night, is the same child that refuses to learn scriptures and follow the Lord. Just as surely as I’d see that child so to bed, I’d see that child come to God. To refuse to discipline your child is to prepare Him for your destruction. That was how Phinehas and Hophni, the two sons of Eli were destroyed. Their father refused to discipline them. He knew about their immorality, yet he was complacent. 1 Samuel 3:13 says: For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.

    Child training is the responsibility of the parents (both father and the mother);

    It is God who opens our ears to discipline and commands us to return from iniquity.

    How does God expect us to discipline our children? He expects us to do it with the “rod.” The rod is the tool of discipline; it must be used to mould the character and give shape to the live of our children. Scripturally, there are two types of “rod”- the spiritual and the physical.

    The Spiritual Rod

    The spiritual rod is the Word of God. It is the strongest rod you can use in disciplining your child. It has the in- build capability to change and transform the life of your child, more than any physical cane can.

    Only the Word of God can reach into the soul and spirit of a man, penetrating deep into places where a physical rod cannot go. I want to challenge you to use more of the spiritual rod than physical; it has a more lasting effect.

    The Physical Rod

    The physical rod is the cane. Never form a habit of always beating your child with cane. It may, however, become necessary to reprove a child with a cane once in a while. There’s an adage that says, “Spare the rod and spoil the child.” This has some truth to it, particularly when you understand the rod to mean both the Word of God and the physical rod. But spanking a child should be very occasional, or else the child becomes hardened.

    You must never beat your child out of anger. Otherwise it would be just to placate your anger.

    Prayer

    We can never underestimate the life-changing effect of prayer. Prayer releases the power of God to be at work in the lives of your children. The physical world is controlled by the spiritual. In prayer, you wield control over the physical realm.

    As Christian parents who desire to see their children brought up in the way of the Lord, make out time to pray with and for them. Praying with them is important, because in the process, they learn the art of prayer.

    On the other hand, praying for your children will help them walk in God’s plan for their lives.

    LOVE

    Love is very patient and kind… it is never glade about injustices whenever truth wins out. 1 Corinthians 13:4, 6 (LTD)

    Your use of the rod and prayer should be to ensure that what is right should be done by your children. However, when administering these instructions of discipline, remember that love is patient and kind. Always let your children know you love them, and that your reason for disciplining them is because of your love for them.

    However, for you to be able to keep your teenager in the way of the Lord. You need the help of the Holy Spirit, for Him to help you. You need to accept Him into your life as your Lord and Saviour. Are you born again? If your answer is no, please say this prayer with me. Dear Lord, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me my sins.  Cleanse me with Your precious Blood. I accept You as my Lord and Saviour.  Now I know I am born again!

    Congratulations! Until I come your way next time, please call or write, and share your testimonies with me through: E-mail: faithdavid@yahoo.com; Tel. No: 234-1-7747546-8, 07026385437, 07094254102

    For more insight, these books authored by Pastor Faith Oyedepo are available at the Dominion Bookstores in all Living Faith Churches and other leading Christian Bookstores: Singles with a Difference and a Living Witness

  • Keeping your teenagers pure (3)

    Dear Reader.

    You are welcome to another exciting edition. This week, we shall be re-emphasizing again on, Reasons for keeping teenager pure. As you open up your heart to God’s Words concerning your teenagers, I see God opening your eyes to see and to know what to do to keep, and to direct them in God’s ways.

    There are basic truths about child training, which when you embrace and practise, will enable you to raise godly children. These basic truths form the foundation of child raising; as you know, the foundation of a building is its most important part (Psalm 11:3).

    Let’s take a look at these key points.

    God owns your children

    One of such truths is, knowing that your children in actual sense do not belong to you, but to God. He has simply put them in your charge and made you their caretaker.

    The only way to preserve the coming generation is to train the children today. We must understand that the little ones of today are the giants of the Christian faith tomorrow; they will constitute the church of Jesus tomorrow. Thus, if the present move of God must be sustained and increase, then parents must be awake to the call of God to raise godly children. The future of the church depends, to a large extent, on what we do with our children today. Psalm 11:3 says: If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?

    This means if you lay a solid foundation for your children in the Word of God today, then there will be co vacuum tomorrow. Now that your children can be shaped and moulded, shape them and mould them according to God’s standard.

    It is a commandment

    Another fundamental truth that you must understand about child training is, it is a commandment from God. A commandment is a law or an order. So, in case you previously thought child raising is an advice, a suggestion or a thing you do at your convenience, understand this: child training is a commandment! It is a must for you! It’s a commandment from God, not from man.

    Remember, however, that God’s commandments are not grievous. My husband says, “His commandments are not to grieve you, but to groom you!”

    A refusal to train your children in God’s fear is absolute disobedience to God’s commandment.

    It requires deligence

    God specifically instructed Israel to mind the words of His command and pass them down to their children with all diligence. So, child training is no small responsibility, it must be done carefully and purposefully. Note that successful farmers do not scatter their seeds on the highway as they travel. No! They acquire a piece of fertile soil and sow diligently and deliberately, expecting a bountiful return.

    Children spend a greater percentage of their time at home with their parents. So, Christian parents need to sit down and teach their children the scriptures.

    It is a seed

    Successful farmers pay close attention to the quality of seeds they sow, particularly as they want to make good profits from the harvest. Child training God’s way is a seed with promises of great reward.

    Understanding this dimension of child training enables you go about it as a labour with profit. Genesis 8:22 says: While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.

    There is profit in sowing the seed of a sound Christian upbringing in your children. Personally, there were certain positive instructions that were sown as seeds in my life as a little girl, that I will forever be grateful to my parents for. I didn’t enjoy the rigour of the training then, but now I have good fruit to show for their labour of love.

    If you sow the seed of good child training today, you will reap the fruit of peace, joy and fulfilment tomorrow.

    To keep your children and teenager in God’s ways and directions, you need to be in a good relationship with God. You to accept Him as your Lord and Saviour. Are you born again? If not, Please say this prayer of faith: Dear Lord, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me my sins.  Cleanse me with Your precious Blood. I accept You as my Lord and Saviour.  Now I know I am born again!

    Congratulations! Until I come your way next week, please call or write, and share your testimonies with me through: E-mail: faithdavid@yahoo.com; Tel. No: 234-1-7747546-8, 07026385437, 07094254102

    For more insight, these books authored by Pastor Faith Oyedepo are available at the Dominion Bookstores in all Living Faith Churches and other leading Christian Bookstores: Single With A Difference and A Living Witness

  • Keeping your teenagers pure (3)

    Dear Reader.

    You are welcome to another exciting edition. This week, we shall be re-emphasizing again on, Reasons for keeping teenager pure. As you open up your heart to God’s Words concerning your teenagers, I see God opening your eyes to see and to know what to do to keep, and to direct them in God’s ways.

    There are basic truths about child training, which when you embrace and practise, will enable you to raise godly children. These basic truths form the foundation of child raising; as you know, the foundation of a building is its most important part (Psalm 11:3).

    Let’s take a look at these key points.

    God owns your children

    One of such truths is, knowing that your children in actual sense do not belong to you, but to God. He has simply put them in your charge and made you their caretaker.

    The only way to preserve the coming generation is to train the children today. We must understand that the little ones of today are the giants of the Christian faith tomorrow; they will constitute the church of Jesus tomorrow. Thus, if the present move of God must be sustained and increase, then parents must be awake to the call of God to raise godly children. The future of the church depends, to a large extent, on what we do with our children today. Psalm 11:3 says: If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?

    This means if you lay a solid foundation for your children in the Word of God today, then there will be co vacuum tomorrow. Now that your children can be shaped and moulded, shape them and mould them according to God’s standard.

    It is a commandment

    Another fundamental truth that you must understand about child training is, it is a commandment from God. A commandment is a law or an order. So, in case you previously thought child raising is an advice, a suggestion or a thing you do at your convenience, understand this: child training is a commandment! It is a must for you! It’s a commandment from God, not from man.

    Remember, however, that God’s commandments are not grievous. My husband says, “His commandments are not to grieve you, but to groom you!”

    A refusal to train your children in God’s fear is absolute disobedience to God’s commandment.

    It requires deligence

    God specifically instructed Israel to mind the words of His command and pass them down to their children with all diligence. So, child training is no small responsibility, it must be done carefully and purposefully. Note that successful farmers do not scatter their seeds on the highway as they travel. No! They acquire a piece of fertile soil and sow diligently and deliberately, expecting a bountiful return.

    Children spend a greater percentage of their time at home with their parents. So, Christian parents need to sit down and teach their children the scriptures.

    It is a seed

    Successful farmers pay close attention to the quality of seeds they sow, particularly as they want to make good profits from the harvest. Child training God’s way is a seed with promises of great reward.

    Understanding this dimension of child training enables you go about it as a labour with profit. Genesis 8:22 says: While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.

    There is profit in sowing the seed of a sound Christian upbringing in your children. Personally, there were certain positive instructions that were sown as seeds in my life as a little girl, that I will forever be grateful to my parents for. I didn’t enjoy the rigour of the training then, but now I have good fruit to show for their labour of love.

    If you sow the seed of good child training today, you will reap the fruit of peace, joy and fulfilment tomorrow.

    To keep your children and teenager in God’s ways and directions, you need to be in a good relationship with God. You to accept Him as your Lord and Saviour. Are you born again? If not, Please say this prayer of faith: Dear Lord, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me my sins.  Cleanse me with Your precious Blood. I accept You as my Lord and Saviour.  Now I know I am born again!

  • Keeping your teenagers pure

    Dear Reader

    You are most welcome unto the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ. This month, we shall be exploring, the Beauty of Teenagers. My prayer for all of you is that as you pay attention to God’s Word today, your life will never remain the same.

    Everything on earth is designed to function according to times and season. The sun, for instance, rises from the east at a certain time of the day and must of necessity change direction, heading towards the west as the day progresses and then sets ultimately as it is designed to do. No wonder the Bible says: To everything there is a season. (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

    This clearly means that life is in phases, and as long as the earth remains, different seasons of life shall continually be in force.

    Now, that you are a teenager, remember that you cannot be one forever; it can only be for the present! What you do with your present as a teenager, will ultimately determine what you will find in your future.

    To be a teenager is to be whole, outstanding, unique, separate and positively different! God is interested in your wholeness. To be whole, you must discover who you are in the content of God’s Word. You must act on your discoveries from the Word.

    God is not an unrighteous God and He certainly is no respecter of persons. What He does for one, He is willing, ready, and able to do for another. He is rich unto all that call upon His name, and that includes you! He knows your phase per time, and He has not forgotten you.

    So, rather than whiling away time, or sitting down bemoaning your situation wishing, desiring and devising means to get out of your teens, you can productively engage this season to deliver all that it holds for you before it’s over.

    Benefits of Teens years

    It Helps You to Draw Near To God

    The benefit of the teens years cut across the three dimensions of your life-spirit, soul and body. It takes an effective harnessing of these three dimensions to enjoy maximally the benefits of the teenager years.

    Your teenager years are the most effective time to be actively engaged in the pursuit and service of your Creator

    The truth is, your relationship with God will reflect in your relationship with man. Don’t just be a Christian who goes to church only on Sundays. Be not deceived, what you sow determines what you reap.

    It Is the Prime Time of Life

    Another cardinal benefit of the teenager years is that it is the prime time of life. I strongly believe that it is in recognition of this that the Bible says in (1Timothy 4:12) says

    Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

    Unusual strength is one of the characteristics of this prime time of life. Your strength seems to be at the peak. You become very adventurous. This explains why youth and teenagers are known for unusual strength.

    It is the best time for self-discovery, as well as your mission on the earth. It is the time to find out where you actually belong in life.

    Mobility

    Mobility is another benefit of teenager years. There is movement not only of the physical body, but also the mobility of time, money and decision.

    Financially, you enjoy cost effectiveness because lesser money is spent since you are the only one involved. It is the best time to learn and practise the principles for effective money handling. Develop the required strategies to make money your servant, not your master.

    For you to enjoy the beauty and benefits of a teenager, you need to be in good relationship with God. Are you born again? Have you accepted Him as your Lord and Saviour? If you haven’t. Please say this prayer of faith: Dear Lord, I come to you today. I am a sinner. Forgive me my sins. Cleanse me with your precious Blood. I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Now I know I am born again!

    Congratulations! Until I come your way next week, please call or write, and share your testimonies with me through: E-mail: faithdavid@yahoo.com; Tel. No: 234-1-7747546-8, 07026385437, 07094254102

    For more insight, these books authored by Pastor Faith Oyedepo are available at the Dominion Bookstores in all Living Faith Churches and other leading Christian Bookstores: Singles With A Difference and A Living Witness.