Raising Kids Who Hunger for God

Luke 1:37
For with God nothing shall be impossible.

If you are childless, remember, the above verse was spoken over an empty womb. (Psalm 113:9)
Don’t grow impatient in your marriage or push God’s hand. Toni has been married for 44 years
and has been praying for a very long time. She just recently got an answer to it. Always pray and
never give up. (Luke 18:1-8)
Look up Titus 2:1-5
Titus 2:4
That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their
husbands, to love their children…

Proverbs 27: 23
Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy
herds. {look...: Heb. set thy heart}

Children don’t last forever. They are here today and gone tomorrow. Be diligent everyday,
keeping the end view in mind. Always teach them. Do not pass up the opportunity to teach them.
Children who roll their eyes, shrug their shoulders, stomp their feet and slam their door is an
outward appearance of their inward heart condition. Discontented, rude and selfish children will
get a rude awakening in the real world. It is not my job to make my children happy. It is my job
as a parent to build true character in them. The fruit of the spirit, love, is the impetuous for all the
other fruit; joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.
(Galatians 5:25, 22, 23)

Correct your children when it is needed. Don’t wait until daddy gets home. Do not be afraid of
hurting their personhoods or fannies.Do it in love, (never in anger, condemnation, judgment,
criticism, repulsion, resentment or harshness) Do not leave your children to themselves. Have the
best interest of their hearts in your mind always, as much as you can.

Love God with all your heart, mind, soul, strength and understanding. Teach your children to
take responsibility for their actions. Don’t be so quick to bail them out when they fail. If you set
godly standards and characteristics for yourself AND WILL LIVE BY THEM
CONSISTENTLY DAY AFTER DAY, and will build godly standards and characteristics
in your children, you will raise children who hunger for God. Let Christ be your rock in the
hard place (not stuck between a rock and a hard place). You cannot give this to your kids if you
do not have it yourself.

There is a 12 part DVD set by Bennie & Sherree Phillips called, “How to Raise Children Who
Hunger for God,” that was produced over 20 years ago but there is also a book available by the
same name. Look for it at Amazon.com or your local bookstore.

Your children are your mission field.

Children are visual and take things literally. They do not understand heart motives or how to
subdue what is in their hearts. So you have to point it out when you recognize it and teach them
how to renew their minds.

God’s love overrides human error. There are no accidents with God. He knew the children were
coming. God has a plan and a purpose for everyone, even children born outside of wedlock.

Isaiah 44:1-4
1 ¶ Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen:
2 Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb,
which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun,
whom I have chosen.
3 For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry
ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine
offspring:
4 And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water
courses.

Ephesians 1:4
4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the
world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

Let there be more of him and less of me. Let him live in me, and let him live through me, via his
holy spirit. It is Christ in me the hope of glory! (Colossians 1:27 ) If you hang out with garbage,
you will smell like trash. Hang out with Him who imparts to you a sweet smelling savor! He is
like honey and myrrh. He is the fragrant rose of Sharon. Remind your children of every moment
they have had with Christ. Point out each encounter they have with him. Strive to awaken the
spirit in your children. Hebrew midwives put a drop of oil on newborns’ tongues to awaken their
taste buds to eat. What are you doing to awaken your children’s’ palates?

EXPANDING YOUR VISION FOR MOTHERHOOD

Your children are your mission field now. Have a vision for each one of your children. Stay-athome
moms are so very important. If you have to work because it means you won’t eat
otherwise, then do not feel condemned if you have to work outside the home. The first 5 years
are especially important. Moms assist in their children developing vibrant, deepening
relationships with Jesus Christ. Get rid of worldly passions and desires from your own life! Build
up on your kids strengths. It’s more than family devotions. It’s more than going to church. It’s
more than attending Bible studies. Those are all good. But the primary key to developing kids
who hunger for God are the foundational character qualities built into their lives and you being
an inspirational role model for them to follow!
But the primary key to developing kids who hunger for God are the
foundational character qualities built in their lives and you being an
inspirational role model for them to follow!

Do you gossip? Do you criticize your husband? Do you yell and scream at your children when
things are not going well? Are you frequently impatient with others or critical and judgmental? Is
one foot in the world and one foot in fellowship with God? Do you disrespect authority and blab
about the unjust speeding ticket you received? Do you return money you found? Do you return
too much change received? Do you promptly return things you borrowed in good condition?
How well do you pick up after yourself?
Live out God’s life in front of your children. Let them catch you praying to God. Show respect,
diligence and courage everyday. A half-hearted attempt will equal a half hearted result. Get over
PMS. (There are nutritional/herbal things you can do to help accomplish this, but mostly, put on
the mind of Christ. He did not let his moods overrule the spirit of God). Be consistent even if
(especially if) you are tired. The enemy sees your children as his mission field if you do not see
them as your mission field! The most sacrificial position is to be a parent. Parent them from
God’s Word and with His perspective, not from your moods, emotions, See your child five years
from now if you let this thing slide. What is the cost of letting it slide? If you are tired and cannot
stand them in your face right now and you let it slide, what will it cost them and you? We ALL
develop a taste for what we see and hear a lot of whether it is good or bad. Let your children be
spoiled for the real deal the genuine Jesus Christ from your life. Taste and see that Yahweh is
good!

Psalm 34:8
O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in
him.

Every study confirms that parents are the greatest influence over their children, more than
school, media and peers. Parent your children by faith not by fear. Pour all that is good into
them.

TEN GOALS
1) Raising spiritually passionate children
A. Deal with attitudes of heart.
B. Pour passion for them into them
C. You be the real deal.

2) Raise compassionate kids
A. Deter self-centered attitudes.
B. Teach them to overcome shyness. For goodness sake, if they hide behind you
don’t just say, “Oh Johnny is shy.” This reinforces shyness, it does not overcome
it. Encourage Johnny to look people in the eye, deal with people and say hello
instead. Teach children to say please and thank you and you’re welcome, yes
ma’m, and yes sir, no ma’m, and no sir.
C. Teach them patience, kindness, faithfulness.

3). Raise unselfish, generous kids.
A. This flows from goal number two. Be the example. If you have selfish ways in you
and you always have to have your own waywith your husband and friends, if its your way or the
highway, then your kids will imitate that attitude as well. Is your tone of voice sounding
irritated? Irritation is a selfish attitude. If you feel pressure while you are parenting, catch a
breath, and ask for the Lord’s presence to refresh you. (Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that
labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.)
B. Dig in, hold on, and repeat. Train your children to give cheerful responses. Respectful
and cheerful.
C. REPEAT. REPEAT. REPEAT.
D. Teach them to share. Their friend gets to sit in the best place and have the biggest
piece. The friend chooses what to play.

4).Teach your children to be loyal.
A. Teach them to abide by your rules no matter what every one else is doing.Teach them
that disappointing hearts is worse than breaking the rules.
B. Recognize and teach them that the inner working of the heart is more important that
outward compliance. (Matthew 21:28-32)

5) Raise children who serve.
A. Personal sacrifice

6) Morally pure children
A. Do not steal. Tell the truth. Own up to mistakes. Abstinence is God’s pure right way.
No condom will cover the sin.
B. Keep away from worldly passions. (What worldly influences do you allow in your
home? Radio, TV, movies, video games, internet)
C. Know what your children are about and what pushes their buttons.

7) Build Humble Children
A. Teach them to admit their mistakes, wrong doings. “It was me. I did it.”
a. See if there is a pattern developing and nip it in the bud.
b. A liar is capable of anything. Their word is not good.
B. Build in them a sense of remorse.

8). Raise respectful children
A. Respectful words, attitudes, actions.
B. As a parent, do not be over bearing and rude to your children. That is disrespectful.
Honor others. Write thank you notes, remember birthdays and send cards, be thoughtful.

9) Raise Reliable, Accountable and Responsible Children
A. Plan. Have criteria. Give your children responsibilities based upon their age and their
interests. Capitalize on their interests.

10). Mature Children
A. maximum potential. Responsible attitude to God’s calling, discernment. No blaming
others. Move forward in God’s plan.

Deuteronomy 11:18-22
Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul,
and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets
between your eyes.
19 And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou
sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest
down, and when thou risest up.
20 And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and
upon thy gates:
21 That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the
land which the LORD sware unto your fathers to give them, as the days of
heaven upon the earth.
22 For if ye shall diligently keep all these commandments which I
command you, to do them, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his
ways, and to cleave unto him…

Luke 24:32
And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he
talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?

Let your children see you on your knees. Let them see you studying God’s Word. If you look
and act and talk like the world, re-access your life and do God’s best. ACT LIKE YOUR
CHILD’S LIFE DEPEND UPON IT, BECAUSE IT DOES. Do not shelter them from the
world; protect them from it.
Tell your teen, in the moment, please be patient with me, I have never had a 16 year old before.


c.GodsGirlsMinistry April 15, 2010 http://www.godsgirlsministry.com/ Used with permission