Child Up-Bringing - Seminar 3

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Telephone numbers 0703 03636 59, 0703 76811 98. Email address lsmediaatlivingseed.org or visit our website at www.livingseed.org. Let us sit back and listen as the servant of God brings forth the Word of Life. Our Father, we thank you very much for this opportunity to speak concerning our children, particularly in this technology-driven world where everything is becoming digital.

What is the wisdom to raise godly children at such a time? Father, we are asking that your wisdom and your mercy will flow towards us in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are praying that for all of us who have children, and even those who do not have biological children, you will bring a word of urgency to our hearts to raise godly offsprings for you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are praying, Lord, that you will grant us understanding, grant us presence of mind, and cause this to be a definite contribution to what you are doing and what you have done in this retreat.

We ask it in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you, Almighty Father. In Jesus' name, we pray.

Like I said, this seminar, we will be handling it together as we are going. And I would like her to begin with a general introduction to this seminar. She is going to bring to us the need for raising our children and some of the general principles that we will have to put at the back of our mind before we start going into the various nitty-gritty of the seminar.

The first thing I would like to say before I hand over the microphone to her is that in this day and age, if God helps a family to raise children that are godly and that are mature and following God, it is not so much because they were particularly wonderful parents. It is because they have received mercy. And at the end of this seminar, we are going to spend some little time to beg God to have mercy on each one of us so that our fruit, our children, will not be speaking against us.

They will not be shouting our name in hell. Even if we escape to heaven, God will help us in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Praise the Lord.

Now, our topic this evening is raising godly children in a technology-driven world. I'm sure that as you are hearing that topic, you will be saying, hey, in this technology world, there are some special principles and there are some special things that must be done because the age and generation of our children is different from our own. And that's why we don't even know what is happening to these children.

We don't even know how to handle them. A lot of things are happening, and this one and that one. Of course, when I first saw the topic, I told my husband, I said, ah, technology world.

We are not that technology, technology. Well, you know, as we sat down to look at that topic, we discovered that actually, whatever generation that we are, that we are raising children, the principles that will be used to raise godly children are the same thing. There may be different practices.

There may be some one or two little implements that may be different, but the truth of the matter is that there is nothing new under the sun. The basic principles by which children will be raised in this generation will not be different. It will be the same thing.

Ecclesiastes chapter 1 verse 9 is a scripture that we all know very well. The Bible says, as it was, so it is. There is nothing new under the sun.

And the truth is that even though things are changing, development is coming in, but the truth is that there is nothing new as far as principles are concerned. I want to read a scripture to us. Proverbs chapter 24, Proverbs chapter 24 and verse 3. All right, let me help her to read quickly.

Proverbs 24 verse 3. The King James says, through wisdom is a house built and by understanding it is established. Let me read the Amplified Bible, which I know is going to help her much more. Amplified Bible says, through skillful and godly wisdom is a house, a life, a home, a family built and by understanding it is established on a sound and good foundation.

Okay, so the first thing I want to establish here is that at whatever generation we are talking about raising godly children, there are some set of basic principles that we work at any time. Whether it is in the last generation or it is this generation or the next generation that we are talking about raising godly children, there are some principles that we work and that scripture says, through skillful and godly wisdom is a house, a life, a home and a family built. So the first thing I want to establish with us is that what is going to give us godly children, what will give us a godly home, what will give us a godly family or a godly marriage is nothing else but godly wisdom.

Biblical principles. And I want to say that even in this age of technology, if we still raise our children according to biblical principles, they will turn out godly. I know that a lot of our children are misbehaving now.

Several of our children are no longer in church. Several of our children, those of us who are in discipleship, several of our children are not even following us to discipleship and it is giving us problems. And somehow we are excusing it as if it is their time.

In our own time, there was no internet. In our own time, there was no WhatsApp. In our own time, there was no technology.

Maybe that is why these children are misbehaving. Maybe that is why these children are no longer following us. But can I tell us this evening that biblical principles of raising children will still give us godly wisdom even though we are in the age of technology.

If only we satisfy ourselves to still use the biblical principles and not immediately intimidate ourselves. You know, once you hear technology-driven world, you get intimidated. Some of us don't even know anything about this technology we are talking about.

There are some of us that are quite knowledgeable. But some of us are not even knowledgeable. And those children can easily intimidate us as if it is our own time and we get intimidated.

But the truth is that there is nothing new under the sun. Biblical principles will still work and is still working. As bad as things are, we still have children that are turning out right.

We still have children who are following the Lord. We still have children who are in discipleship. We still have children who are even still wanting to enter into ministry.

As bad as things are in this age, biblical principles will always work. The Lord will help us in Jesus' name. Please don't be intimidated.

No matter the generation, biblical principles will work. The next thing I want to establish is that raising godly children, particularly in this age of technology, is the work of both the father and the mother. It cannot be left to just one parent.

It cannot be left to the mother alone. It cannot be left to the father alone. It is something that both the father and the mother must be involved in.

Malachi chapter 2 verse 15 is a scripture that we all know very well. Maybe we should quickly read it, but I know that we all know that scripture very well. Malachi chapter 2 verse 15.

Are you helping me to read it again? And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the Spirit, and wherefore one that he might seek a godly seed? Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none did treacherously against the wife of his youth. The Bible says, why did he make them one? Why is God bringing the husband and the wife together? Why the marriage? Of course, we have heard severally that the basic reason, the primary reason why God is giving a man a wife is for the wife to be a help in fulfilling the purpose of God over their lives. But this scripture we are reading here says, part of that purpose is so that you can have godly children.

So it is the expectation of God on both the man and the woman. Not just the man, not just the woman. Of course, not on a children church.

There are a lot of us who depend so much on the children church to help us to raise godly children. Some of us depend so much on Christian schools. And you wouldn't know that God is not expecting the Christian schools to be the primary place, or the primary people, not the teachers there.

That we raise our children for us. It is the responsibility of the parents, the responsibility of the father, the responsibility of the mother to raise their children in a godly way. The church can help us, they can add to it.

The Christian school can help us, they can add to it. But we are the ones that have the primary responsibility to raise godly children. Of course, not some uncles or aunties somewhere.

Not one nanny or one house girl or house boy. You discover that several of these other people, they do not have the same value that you have. They cannot help you to train or raise your children properly.

You are the primary person that God gave that responsibility and we will give an account of it. In Proverbs chapter 6 and verse 20, the Bible says, My son, keep thy father's commandments and forsake not the law of thy mother. The father has a role, the mother has a role.

And the Bible didn't talk about keep the commandments of your uncle or your auntie or the house girl or whatever. The Bible says, keep the commandments of your father and the law of your mother. You know, one day I was reading this Proverbs chapter 31, the virtuous woman's story that we, particularly the women, we like reading and talking about it.

But then I got to that Proverbs chapter 31 and then I decided to read it from verse 1. And Proverbs 31 verse 1 says, this is the prophecy of King, okay? It says, this is the words of King Lemuel. The prophecy that his mother taught him. It was a surprise to me that the story of the virtuous woman was actually the prophecy that a woman diligently taught her son who was a king.

It says, the words of King Lemuel, the prophecy that her mother, that his mother taught him. So all those things that we are reading about the virtuous woman, it was one mother that decided to teach her son. So you discover that the responsibility of raising godly children basically, primarily belongs to the parents of that child.

Nobody can help us to do it. Nobody can do it as much as you. Nobody can love your children like you do.

I remember each time our children were going to the secondary school for the first time. We sat down to school them and we usually told them one thing, nobody loves you like daddy and mommy. We said it to them over and over.

Nobody, no friend, no teacher, nobody outside there loves you, loves you like daddy and mommy or have your interest like daddy and mommy. Any other thing that anybody outside is teaching you, you can't trust it like you will trust what daddy and mommy says. So we normally tell them, anytime you have a question, don't ask your friend.

Call home, ask daddy and mommy. Anytime you have a conflict, why? Because the truth is that nobody else can have their interest like their parents. And if anything goes wrong with them, excuse me, who will take the blame? And particularly, let me just quickly say this before I go to the next thing.

Particularly for the mothers, you wouldn't know it. The mothers particularly have a peculiar and definite role to play in the raising of their children. The Bible says that a wise son makes a glad father.

What about the foolish one? What does the Bible say? It's the heaviness of the mother. It's the calamity of the mother. So when a child is doing well, you know that's even what they say in our African culture.

Every good child is the child of who? But when the child is also doing well on the other side, it's the child of who? Everybody is asking, where was the mother? What happened to the mother? Even the Bible says it. That a child that does not turn out right will eventually bring the mother shame. That's one scripture.

Another scripture says a child that does not turn out right, a foolish one, will bring heaviness and calamity to the mother. So particularly for those of us who are mothers, there is no way you are going to shift the responsibility of raising your children to. You can't shift it to anybody.

Yes, the daddies have a role to play, but the mothers particularly have a very strong role to play. We can't shift it to anybody. If the children don't turn out right, whether your child is a boy or a girl, it's not important.

For as long as you are the one that gave birth to that child, you have a strong responsibility to raise them using skillful and godly wisdom. The Lord will help us in Jesus' name. Finally, before I hand over to my husband, I want you to know that when we are talking about raising godly children, it's not something that just happens.

It doesn't just happen. It is a labor. If you are going to have godly children, particularly in this age, excuse me, don't let me deceive you.

It is hard work. It is serious work. It is a labor.

It must be deliberate. I want to read Deuteronomy chapter 6. Please let me open Deuteronomy chapter 6 and then I will read verses 6 and 7. Yes, Deuteronomy chapter 6, verses 6 and 7. The Bible says, and these words which I command thee this day shall be in your hearts. Verse 7 says, and thou shalt teach them diligently unto your children.

The Bible says you must teach your children how? How? Diligently. You must teach your children deliberately. It must be a deliberate thing.

It must be a diligent thing. It must be a careful thing. It must be, it's not, it doesn't just happen incidentally.

Children don't just turn out right. Just by mistake or just anyhow. It's a diligent labor.

It is hard work. The Bible says, you will teach your children these truths and principles that you have learned diligently. With every carefulness.

I think I read one translation that says, you will teach them with every care. It must be a deliberate thing. It is something you plan and pray and deliberately do.

I know that a lot of children these days are not turning out right. But we can't blame them. Nobody is doing a deliberate work over children again.

When we were given this topic, we decided to call our children. And when I was talking to our first born, I said, they asked us to come and talk on this topic. We said, ah mommy, please tell them.

If you are going to have us to be godly, you must be deliberate. Those were his exact words. Say mommy, please help us tell our parents so.

If we are going to turn out godly in this age, our parents must be deliberate. They must be diligent. I finished.

I called the other one. Exactly the same thing. They don't live in the same place.

They don't live in the same town. I called our last born. He said, ah mommy, that thing is being deliberate.

I said, what do you mean? He said, ah mommy, it is to do it deliberately. He also used the same words. It is to deliberately do it.

Most of the time now, our parents don't have time to do a deliberate work over us again. And that's why we are turning out bad. Raising godly children is not a joke.

It's a diligent work. It's a deliberate work. It's hard work.

It is labor. The Lord will help us in Jesus' name. And yet, the expectation of God over our marriage is that our children will still turn out godly and turn out right, even in this age of technology.

And can I inform you, it is possible. It is possible. It is possible.

The Lord will help us in Jesus' name. I think finally what I will just talk about is that I know it's possible that some of us are sitting down there and we don't have our own biological children yet. And you are wondering that, so what are we talking about? Number one, particularly for those of us whose marriages are still young, the truth of the matter is that God will still give you your own biological children.

And it's good for you that you are learning these principles now so that you will know how to arrange your life. But even for those of us that our marriages have been long and still we do not have, yet there is still an expectation of God over our lives to raise godly seeds out of our union. I remember the story of Abraham and Sarah.

You know Sarah didn't have a child for long. And yet there was a time when something happened to Lot. It was Lot.

And some people came and invaded him and carried him away. And Abraham stood up to go and fight. And the Bible said, Abraham, he armed his servants that had been trained in his house, servants that were born in his house.

318 of them. He didn't have any biological child of his own. But there was this army that he could quickly call to say, follow me, we are going to fight a battle.

The Bible said these servants were trained in his house. They were born in his house. So you see a mother Sarah, who even though didn't have a biological child, but had the heart, a large heart, to raise a whole army in her house.

Abraham couldn't have done it alone. So when we are talking about raising godly children, in fact, it doesn't have to be just the ones that come through our loins. Actually, it is the children that we take to heaven, that actually will become ours after this earth.

The children that we give battle through our loins, that end up in hell, they are ending up in hell. There is no reward to us from them. I remember one of our sisters, her mother used to tell them that she has two kinds of children.

There are some children that walked into her life with their heads, but that there are some children that walked into her life through their legs. You don't know the meaning. You know when you are giving back to your biological children, how did they come out when they are coming out? It's with their heads.

So she said, I have such children. But there are some other children that God has given me responsibility to raise. I'm not the one that gave back to them.

They did not come into my life through their heads. That is, I'm not the one that gave back to them directly. They walked into my life with their legs.

And yet, I have a responsibility to raise them in a godly way. So whether the children come through their head or through their leg, it's not important. The important thing is that every marriage has a responsibility to raise godly children.

The Lord will help us in Jesus' name. Alright. We, and maybe just one last word on the issue of childbearing.

Just like she has said, every union is supposed to take some seed with them to heaven. So if you do not have biological seed, there will always be, in fact, in this day and age, there are too many fatherless and motherless children all around us. Raise some for Christ.

If you want to adopt, adopt officially. If you don't want to adopt officially, in fact, they are all around you. And if you enlarge your heart, just as she is talking about, you will soon discover that the mother heart, the father heart, can still raise other people's children and still end up in life, and they are all calling you their father or calling you their mother.

I've discovered that parenting is something that can happen whether or not the person came from your loins. And God has given us, in fact, for our own. I got a challenge.

One of our elders was being buried some years ago in a lorry. He was a high-ranking civil servant and a Christian of many years, and they were burying him. What troubled me that day was that the biological children were struggling to find their livers.

People were standing from everywhere, that's my father. I'm a missionary somewhere, that's my father. I am a professional here, that's my father.

I am this. And they were not telling small, small stories. Some of them were sent to school by this man, some of them it was just godly wisdom and whatever.

And I picked a challenge. I said, even though I have just three children, so must I sit down because I have three children? Let me open my heart. And I began to discover that whether they come with their head, according to her, or they come with their legs, they can still be veritable children.

So please don't sit down because you do not have children and be sorrowing all your life. If you spend all the time weeping that you don't have children and eventually you still do not have the biological children, everything is a waste. And I have discovered many homes, when they decided to stretch out, there was one couple like that, when we were still pastors in Abekuta, they didn't have children, so they decided, let's go and adopt.

They were American missionaries, they came to Nigeria, so they wanted to adopt a Nigerian child and take her back to America. Something happened, the Nigerian government, they denied the child visa and they had already collected the child. So they said they were going to fight because the American government is not agreeing for them to take the child.

So they were looking for a place to keep the children and we offered to take care of this baby, just a tiny baby. In fact, she was just about the same age or so with our firstborn. And then they started fighting.

It took how many months? About six months before they could finally get a visa for this girl. We took care of the baby and all of that, eventually we sent the baby to go and meet them in America. Do you know that by the time this girl was arriving in America, a couple that has not had a child, by that time, I think they've spent about 10 or 12 years married, the woman discovered that she was pregnant.

So don't sit down crying. Stretch your heart and get doing something for God. Praise the Lord.

Now, we are going to be dealing with, in very quick succession, we decided to focus on what we call Implements of Raising Godly Children. And we are going to be looking at two categories of these implements. The first group, we call them Life Implements of Raising Godly Children, even in this technological world.

Let me make a comment about that technological world. We might as well just face it. The generation ahead of us is a technology-driven world.

But like my wife said, the principles don't change. The practicalities may be slightly different, but the principles governing it are the same. Our own fathers, they lived in the chalk, how did I call it, the slate and chalk generation.

I still make that. My own primary school, I still use slate and chalk. The kind that when you work, you are able to clean it and then you write again.

Our own generation, we are the paper and biro generation, isn't it? The next generation, let's just settle it down in our mind. I told a group, I said, give us some 10-15 years for you to see paper and biro. You may need to go to the museum.

Just like for you to see slate, now you may need to go to a museum. And I'm still alive. Some of us may still be alive when you will not see paper and biro again.

So we better settle down because we will have to raise children in this kind of age. Life implements of raising godly children. I'm going to give us about five of them and I'm going to be fast.

Number one, a consistent godly life of parents. Implement number one, what did I call it? A consistent godly life. The first equipment for raising godly children is the godly life of the parents.

When daddy's word is yea is yea, his nay is nay, they have seen a godly man growing before them. And he's consistent. He's not partial, he doesn't waver.

They see him standing straight for Christ. That is the first equipment for raising correct children. They see a mother who is passionate about God.

Who is godly in her own life. She doesn't tell lies. She does not abuse people.

She doesn't quarrel and fight her husband. They can watch that life. We have seen these people over the years.

And nothing has changed their testimony. That is the first equipment. The first implement for raising godly children.

The Bible says in Genesis chapter 1, verses 11 and 12. I may not wait to read some of the scriptures because I see our time is running out. The Bible said, every tree produces fruit.

How? After his own kind. There is no method or super principle that will make a sinful man produce a godly child. You cannot give what you don't have.

The seed of your life will be the seed of your life. So if you want to raise a godly life. No matter the technology.

Technology is only a platform. If daddy is secretly. Okay, daddy is not on the internet.

But he has pornographic novels. That was our own age. Pornographic magazines.

That daddy or mommy is secretly looking at somewhere behind. The children will only translate that to the technological platform. By the way, sometimes I hear that there are couples that so that they can enjoy sex very well.

They go and buy pornographic material. And they are watching it together in order to have correct sex. Me, I don't think that that's biblical.

You cannot use an implement of the devil. To try to train a godly man. Whatever you are doing is secret.

If you are beating your wife in the bedroom. Even if the children did not catch you. It's a seed.

They will germinate after that kind. What is the first principle for raising a godly seed? A consistent godly life. Do you have anything to add to it? We should be going ahead first because of time.

Number two. Like she said, we decided to talk. The first question we were asking the children is that.

Did you think that we raised you well? At least we wanted to check. And they spoke one after the other. Then we now asked them to start talking about.

What they felt affected them the most. As they were raised. The first thing was unanimously.

All of them said, we saw you deliberately doing it. The second thing they talked about. Which is biblical.

Is the issue of a continuous friendship. And involvement in the life of your children. A continuous friendship.

When I use the word continuous. Because usually, especially between mother and child. That bond of come and drink breast milk.

Everybody likes to play with small children. But as they start growing. And maybe the children themselves start showing some character.

The tendency is to allow the children to drift away from you. Those children start having children. Having friends.

They start having classmates. They start having a different world apart from mommy. If you are going to maintain a godly child.

You must not let go of friendship with your children. The first thing is to cultivate friendship. When they are very small.

When they are young. Daddy, play with those children. First of all, become their friend.

I don't know how I stumbled on it. But something just kept telling me. If you don't befriend this child.

When it will be time for me to start instructing this child. In the way I want him to go. I will not be his friend.

And how many of you have discovered. You know when a toddler. A small baby.

Their world is, my daddy said. My mommy said. Their world is daddy and mommy.

But once they start going to school. And they start having friends. What is their world? My friend.

My friend said. So I decided. I said.

I am going to be one of those friends. I am going to be the first friend. And we are not going to allow you.

To have another friend that is closer to you. Than us. This means.

First when they are small. We started by doing play. Small children, they like play.

Sometimes after I have traveled. I come back. I will just say.

Hey children. Let's do a repa. A repa in Yoruba is a. What will you call it? Rough play.

So we will go to the parlor. We will clear all the seti. Anything that can break.

And I said. Let me see. Which one of you can fall daddy down.

So I am standing like this. And they are grabbing my leg. They are pushing me.

You cannot fall me. Finally after five minutes. I land on my back.

Then they will start shouting. Yay. We fall daddy down.

What am I trying to do? It's just to break friendship. Sometimes their mother will wake up early in the morning. Even though all our children are boys.

And they have their boys room. Sometimes I will look for her. She has disappeared.

After her quiet time. I thought she is in the kitchen. Only for me to come out.

And she has gone to stay in the boys room. They can be there for two hours. She is just gisting with her boys.

Of course we got to learn. All their friends. When they go to school.

Ah. Mommy must know the person who is sitting on your right. The person who is sitting on your left.

You will know them by name. When they go to school. And it's holiday time.

We ask them to give the telephone number of mommy. To all their friends. Some of them are almost getting married now.

They still call mommy. Because deliberately we decided. We will not allow any of these boys.

To push us out of the circle of friendship. Once they succeed. You are out of their world.

Maybe I will allow her to make a comment on that one. I just want to read that Deuteronomy chapter 6. That we have read before. Deuteronomy chapter 6. That is 6 and 7. And these words which I commanded these days.

Shall be in thy heart. And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children. And then the bible says.

And you shall talk of them when you sit down in your house. And when you are walking by the way. And when you lie down.

And when you rise up. And then we came across this scripture. And it occurred to me that.

Even teaching biblical principles. Is not just when we sit down at the family altar. The bible said.

Teach them when you sit down. Teach them when you are walking by the road. Teach them when you lie down.

So that was what informed all of those things that we were doing. It was deliberate. Sometimes you want to go and buy something.

You can go out with a car. It's a long distance. So maybe 20 minutes if you walk.

But then you say. Hey boy. Follow me.

Let's take a walk. I want to go and buy something. It's deliberate.

And then as you are walking. You just start talking. And as you are talking.

Because when I'm doing such things. I would have prayed. I pray about it.

God as I'm taking this walk. Something must happen to this child before we come back. So as we are going.

And you just start talking. Somehow you will start talking. And you will talk into something.

And before you know it. You are sharing a biblical principle. You are sharing a life principle.

You are talking about an issue. It was deliberate. If anything comes into the house.

Maybe somebody gives us something. Deliberately we sit down around it. And we are talking about it.

I remember that it was. What I'm just talking about is that. Some of these things are just deliberate.

The bible says. When you sit down. When you lie down.

You go to their room. And you just lie down. That is even when they were growing.

Even when our children were still very small. Just like my husband said. They have gone to school.

They have come back. And you are just greeting them. Welcome.

How was school today? Fine. Who is that? Your friend. You say.

Is he a boy or a girl? Say. So what did you do in school today? So what did he say to you? I'm just trying to find out. And right from when they were small.

Right from when they were in the nursery class. Is when we started breaking that relationship. Deliberately talking to them.

And that's why I said. It is the mother that can do it much more. Sit down with your children.

Of course. One thing. That this principle of.

A continuous friendship. Demands. Is availability.

You cannot be. An absentee mother. And be able to achieve this.

You cannot be a mother. That goes out at 6am. And does not come back until 12 midnight.

Or 10pm. And be able to achieve this. It is not possible.

And you don't know. The unfortunate thing is that a lot of our children. Are involved in many many things.

That we know nothing about. Nothing. One of the boys was talking to me.

And he said that. He watched a film. There was this mother who was a career woman.

But had a very good house girl. That was taking care of her children. But she was not available.

She was always out. When the girl started her menstruation. The mother didn't know anything about it.

But the house girl knew. Of course the girl naturally told the house girl. Because the house girl was the one that was always available.

So the house girl taught her what she knew. Introduced her to maybe. How to use cloth or something.

What the house girl was using. And all of that. And the mother didn't know anything about it.

And some 1 or 2 years had passed. The house girl now left. So one day.

The girl now said mommy. I want to buy sanitary towel. The mother said sanitary towel.

For what? When did you start menstruation? The girl said 2 years ago. 2 years ago and you didn't tell me. Mommy you were not there.

You were not there for me to tell you. You were always at work. You were always in the office.

So how did you know about this? She said auntie taught me. So imagine that. The house girl.

And you know we had several of those children. We discovered it. Supposing the house girl had introduced that girl.

To lesbianism. You wouldn't know. There are a lot of our children like that.

You sit down with those children. Some of them were introduced to sex when they were 6. When they were 7. You leave them with one uncle. Several of such stories.

Or with one neighbor. I'm going out. I'm going to my shop.

Be playing with your uncle. And before you come back. The uncle is already sleeping with your 7 year old girl.

Your 8 year old girl. And they say if you tell mommy. I will kill you.

And you know small children. They will not tell you. Until they get addicted to sex.

There was one. I felt sorry for her. She got addicted to it.

And she couldn't get over it. Any time any boy faces her. She is the one asking for the sex.

She was introduced to it by a neighbor that her mother used to live with. Mother. Please be available for your children.

Your children. They need you. We can't afford.

That's one of the greatest implements. That's one of the reasons why our children are doing a lot of things that we don't know anything about. Now part of that that I want to talk about is to be involved in the world of your children.

Even when your children have left home. Maybe they are now in the boarding house. Or they are in the higher institution.

Please get involved in their world. Ask them questions. They have just gone.

They have claimed to be born again before they left home. They have gone to school. From time to time you are on the phone.

Which fellowship are you attending? Of course. I'm very close to my boys. Mommy.

Please pray for me. They said I'm going to lead prayer meeting. They are talking to me on the phone.

When they want to do exam. One of them still sends exam time table. Send your exam time table to me.

I am part of their world. Send your exam time table. The reason why they can't do it is because I'm always asking.

Sometimes we say you did not talk to me. Did you ask them? Ask them. Get involved in their world.

What did they do in your fellowship yesterday? They talk. I say so what is your own opinion about it? You are teaching. You are teaching them principles.

You are imputing something into them. But if you are not their friend. You can't achieve much with these children.

You see several of us. We are used to. How do we call that thing in our house? Habakkuk chapter 2 verse 10.

Say sit down. Open your bible to Habakkuk chapter 2 verse 10. You want to put one principle.

And those children are just saying. These people have come again. You have already inundated them.

With discipleship. Discipleship this one. No you don't have to.

Sit down. Relax. There are other ways.

Be their friend. When you sit down. When you lie down.

When you are walking on the way. But you must be deliberate about it. One thing that does not encourage friendship.

Is continuous criticism. How many of you like to be friends with somebody. Who is always finding fault with you.

No. And so. If.

You want to build. Friendship with your children. You will know.

How to see many things. And keep quiet. Until.

A more opportune time. We are going to talk about that. But if your mouth.

Is a continuous stream. Of. Correction.

Rebuke. Reproof. Hey you didn't do this one.

Hey why did you do that one. You will soon. Become like the man.

That brother was talking about. Did you remember. Lion.

Once they hear you coming. What will they do. One day.

I was studying my bible. And it was just. My own personal study.

And my heart. I don't know how my heart went to. These children.

They are not. They are not even interested. In staying around me.

They always like to stay. Around their mother. And I said these are boys.

They need me. God told me something that day. That changed me he said.

Biblical principles. Are hard enough. On the flesh.

It does not need. Harshness. To serve it.

The biblical principles are what. They are hard enough. On the flesh.

The flesh doesn't like them. So if the person who wants to. Apply the biblical principles.

If he is now harsh. What are they going to do. They throw away both the man.

And his principle. They say the simple reason. Why your children prefer.

To go to your wife. Is because you are hard. You are harsh.

With your serving. Of your principles. So I had to come back again.

And. Almost become a mother small. Just to open the door.

For them to come. Be available. But be available.

In a loving way. When we start talking about. The second set of implement.

Which we call physical implement. We are going to be dealing with. Another dimension of that.

But I just wanted to say. That. Aha.

Let me read Ephesians chapter 6. And ye fathers. Provoke not your children. To wrath.

But bring them up. In the nurture and admonition. Of the Lord.

Don't provoke. Don't stir up. The fight.

Inside them. Once you start making them to fight you. You have become an enemy.

And anything you want to say. Is no longer acceptable. I must move ahead now.

That's number two. Number three. And I will.

Speak about one aspect. And give her the microphone. To look at the second aspect.

I call it faith. And prayer cover. For your children.

Faith. And prayer cover. Let me talk about the faith aspect.

When your children start growing up. They start manifesting. You know.

They. Everybody is born a sinner. You yourself.

Even though you are born again. You were first of all a sinner. Before you became a saint.

Nobody was born correct. They are going to start manifesting. All kinds and manners.

Of characters. And the tendency is that. When you sit and you say.

Where did you get that? And then he is beating. He is shouting. He is abusing.

I learnt a principle. You must have faith. That no matter how.

Your children are growing. And behaving. These children are going to turn out.

Right. Are you hearing what I am saying? There was a scripture God gave me. Long before I got married.

All thy children. Shall be taught of the Lord. And great shall be.

The peace of thy children. Anytime I see something in those children. That I don't like.

I want to. I don't want to deceive you. There are times when me and the mother.

We will enter the bedroom. She is crying. Me I am shaking my head.

Because something has happened with the boys. These boys were not saints. From their mothers womb.

They had all the tendencies. That normal boys have. Sometimes you see.

A character like this. The mother I remember one day. She started crying.

What does this boy want me to do? As she was crying. I said don't worry. I don't know what is happening now.

We will continue to pray. We will continue to walk. But one thing I can assure you.

This child. Satan will not have this one. Almost all the children.

Maybe the first one is the only one. We didn't have too much trouble. But the other two.

At different times. They gave us hypertension. But.

While. She bursts into tears. And goes back crying and weeping.

And interceding. I stand on my two feet. I said I will not leave.

A vagabond in the earth. None of my children will be a project. For an evangelist.

This child that has come through me. You are going to be a child of God. Even if Satan walks on his head.

You are going to turn out right. All my children are going to serve the Lord. They may not all be preachers.

Whether they are professionals. Whatever they are going to be. They are going to serve the Lord.

And as I am doing that. She is doing the second leg. Of course we are praying together.

But much more. Let me allow her to talk much more. About the prayer cover.

That parents must have. Over their children. Let me tell you.

It is a labor. Alright. Definitely.

Psalm 127. Verse 1. The Bible says. Psalm 127.

Verse 1. The Bible says. Except the Lord build the house. The labor in vain.

That build it. The truth of the matter is. No matter what we do.

No matter how much we labor. Except the Lord. Build the house.

I tell you sincerely. One can labor in vain. So.

You must know that. Even though we are laboring on them. We are being deliberate with them.

We are being diligent with them. And like we said it is hard work. We are doing all the hard work.

But at the same time. One of the hard work. That we must do.

Is to pray for our children. Because. Except the Lord.

Have mercy on us concerning these children. The truth is that. There are Atalaya's.

All over. Do you remember the story of that woman. Called Atalaya.

She was the mother of a king. And then the king died. And she quickly went.

And gathered all her grandsons. And killed all of them. Because she wanted to make herself.

The queen. Even though she didn't know. That her daughter.

One of her daughters had stolen one of those. Sons. And went and hid that one.

Somewhere. Until the boy became six. And they enthroned him as the king.

There was a time when God came and said. Look. There is a lot of Atalaya all over the place.

And what is their objective? They have seen the seed royal. They have seen our children. Seed royal.

They have seen the future of these children. And they are trying to cut them short. They are trying to cut them short.

One of them. Is this technology that we are talking about. WhatsApp.

Chatting. The internet. Pornography.

A lot of these things are there. The television. All of these games all over.

There are a lot of Atalayas that have gone out. God is looking for somebody. Who is going to hide.

Her own children. Away from all of these Atalayas. That are scattered all over the place.

When Jesus Christ was born. When Jesus was born. It was the same thing when Moses was born.

The same thing when Jesus was born. When Moses was born. Pharaoh saw something that most of us Christians don't see.

Pharaoh saw the future of small, small boys that are born. Who are Israelites. He said, if I allow these children to live.

They will protect me in the future. When Jesus Christ was born. King Herod said, if I allow that child to live.

He is going to unseat me in the future. There is something they are seeing in the future. But we are not thinking about the future of our children.

We are only looking at them. I said, they are small, small children. This one is just one year old.

This one is just five years old. But these people, they are wise. They are looking into the future.

And they are ready to kill our seed royal. May the Lord not allow them in Jesus name. But.

We must cover them up with prayer. Please pray for your children. It is very important.

Cover them in the place of prayer. Pray for them regularly. Don't leave your children anyhow.

Pray for them on a regular basis. Pray for them every day. Pray about everything.

Pray about everything. There is nothing I do not pray about. Right from when the children are small.

When it is going to be a new session. Of course. We involve the children in the prayer.

I also involve them. As part of training them. It is going to be a new session.

We are praying about the class that they will distribute you to. The person that they will put next to you. We are praying about it.

The teacher that will be giving to your class. To teach you. It won't be one careless teacher.

It won't be one careless person. We are praying about every such a thing. And of course as they grow.

Their demands also changes. It increases. But pray about everything.

The Bible says. Don't be anxious about anything. But do what? Pray about everything.

There is nothing too small. That I don't pray about. I will pray.

And there is nothing too big. I will pray. I believe so much in prayers.

I will pray. I will call their name every day. I will pray for them.

I will cover them up. Because I know that. If everything turns out right for them.

It is my good. And if everything still turns out the other way. It is my good.

And can I beg those of us who are mothers. There is something that I have discovered. About the power of a praying mother.

There is a power. That is in a mother. Who is laboring over her children.

In the place of prayer. I heard this one story. There was one old woman.

Quite old. Who was traveling from one city to another city. And she was traveling by sea.

And as they were going. There was a lot of storms. The ship capsized.

And everybody in that ship died. She was the only one. They just discovered that.

There was one person. That old woman. She didn't die.

They put her in another ship. That one capsized a second time. She was the only one again.

That survived a second time. Third time she was the only one that survived. Fourth time she was the only one that survived.

And then when she now entered this fifth ship. She now told the captain. Her story.

Said this thing has happened several times. And so this captain in the fifth ship. Became afraid.

I hope he will not come and cause trouble for us. In this place again. So they now saw there was one.

Maybe a man of God. Who was inside that ship. So the captain went and said please come.

There is one old woman. She is just saying I cannot die now. She fell sick.

You want to tell the story. She fell sick. And she kept saying I know I will not die now.

I know I will not die now. And then she told the captain and said that. I know I cannot die now.

Because there is one of my sons. That is lost. And I am waiting for that son.

Until I see that son. I know I will not die. I have been praying.

I have been begging God. Until I see that son. I cannot die.

Every ship I enter capsize 100 times. I will not die. She kept praying.

And they now took this man of God. To go and pray for her. Lo and behold.

It was her son. Something kept that woman on. The labor.

The intercession of a mother. I read a book. About Abraham Lincoln.

He said I remember my mother's prayers. And they have always followed me. They have clung to me.

All my life. The prayers of my mother. I remember them.

They have clung to me. That is what has sustained me. Every time I remember my mother.

Agonizing in prayer for me. Every time my mother is praying for me. It has sustained me.

I read another book. That book was written by Robert Slyadon. The title is On Her Knees.

And she was talking. Robert Slyadon was talking about. His own grandmother.

The mother started a job. And then brought in the grandmother. To stay with the children.

And this grandmother. Was a praying woman. Robert Slyadon wrote about his grandmother.

He said my grandmother. Was always on her knees. And she taught me to pray.

Small boy. Five or six. When the grandmother is praying.

She will put the boy beside her. And put him in a position of kneeling down. Because she was always on her knees.

Mother. Your prayers. Will follow your children.

Wherever they go. If you make the habit of praying for your children. There is one story in the Bible.

That has challenged me a lot. It is in Matthew chapter 15. It is the story of the woman of Canaan.

Who had a child. That had a problem. A demonic problem.

And that woman took that child to Jesus. And said Jesus see this is my daughter. But when the woman got there.

She said Jesus have mercy on me. And it occurred to me. That if something is wrong with my child.

I am the one that has a problem. The woman did not say Jesus. Have mercy on my daughter.

She said Jesus have mercy on me. This is my child. The devil is tormenting her.

And we all know that story very well. The Bible said for some time. Jesus did not answer her.

But the woman did not go away. Then after some time. The woman kept crying.

After some time. The disciples came and said. Let us send this woman away.

But she did not go. She kept praying. Have mercy on me.

Have mercy on my daughter. Then after some time. Jesus when he was going to answer.

He said I am not sent to. I am only sent to the. Household of this one.

And then he said. I cannot give the food. Of children.

To the dogs. And the woman said Jesus. Even if you like call me dog.

It does not matter. This food does not belong to me I know. But have mercy on me.

And he taught me never to give up on my children. No matter how long it takes. For Jesus Christ to answer.

I am on my knees and I am praying. And I pray about everything. Anything and everything.

When my children have gone to school. And I have noticed that. They are walking with a particular friend.

That is not helping them. I do not have any problem with it. I may not even talk to you about it.

I am on my knees and I am scattering that friendship. Father in the name of Jesus. I scatter this relationship between this boy and that other boy.

In the name of Jesus. This relationship will not go further than this. I am praying until it will break.

And I can assure you it will break. Whether it is a relationship. With a boy.

With another boy. Or with a girl. I am praying about it.

I am on my knees. And the reason why I can discover a lot of these things. Is because I am close to them.

They talk to me a lot. One of the boys came and said. Mummy I met a new friend.

He was still in secondary school. I said. Is it a girl? He said beautiful.

Is it a girl? What is her name? He told me and told me. We just talked around it. I left it.

I went and said. Father in the name of Jesus. I destroyed that friendship today in Jesus name.

Turned their back against themselves. Every affection I scattered it. And I prayed.

I said. Hey young man. What about that girl? Mummy don't mind that girl.

She is useless like that. You don't even know what she did to me. I said.

Did she do like that? I said. Thank you. I pray about it.

Pray for your children. Praise the lord. If I allow her.

She will keep talking to you tomorrow. She is begging me. Number four.

Instruction. Correction. Challenge.

Instruction. Correction. And.

Envisioning. We spoke about deliberate names. This next thing.

Is to talk about. Deliberate instruction. Deliberate instruction.

Deliberate. Instruction. Of your children.

Now. This instruction. First and foremost.

I would like to break it into three. Parts. One.

Is biblical instruction. Deliberate. Taking of scriptures.

And imparting to your children. In that atmosphere of friendship. That has already been created.

And this instruction. Can take place anytime. And anywhere.

We are still going to be talking about it. Quickly before we finish. But a deliberate instruction.

Of your children. From the bible. Everything you see.

In the life of these children. Instead of jumping. And you know the problem.

With many of us. The child you have not instructed. You have no right.

To correct. What did I say? The child you have not. Instructed.

Just imagine that. A teacher enters the class. And he goes to first day of term.

First day. Of the first term. In that.

New session. And he goes to the board. And the first thing he writes on the board.

Is correction. What are the students going to say? Correction about what? But that's what many of us. Parents do.

You don't train a child. You don't talk to a child. About an issue.

You wait until she has done something wrong. And the first thing she is hearing. From your mouth.

Is correction. That's why you. Because everything is served.

On the plate. Of correction. Correction is correct.

But correction is only correct. After what? Instruction. Instruct your child.

Teach them about how to behave. Instruct your children. And then.

God gave us wisdom. To instruct our children. I am the first one.

To introduce my children. To the concept of pain. I saw them.

I saw him. Playing with somebody. And he hit the other person.

This boy doesn't know what is called pain. I waited. No problem.

It's a small child. Still. Crying.

Crawling. On the ground. The next time we were in the parlour.

There was a candle. He went near the candle. And he saw fire.

Children run after him. The mother rushed to remove the candle. I said no.

Leave it. We have an instruction to do. So I allowed him.

He carried his hand. When he carried his hand near the fire. He took it away.

Then he carried it. I said it's time to instruct you about pain. So I carried the candle.

I held his hand. I put the finger inside the fire. What do you think the mother is doing? My dear what are you doing? I said just be watching me.

The child screamed. Then I said sonny boy. Fire.

Pain. Fire. Hand.

Hand plus fire equals burn. Throughout all the life span of our children. We never had a fire incident with any one of them.

Once they see fire here. What do they do? Because I taught them about it. The first time.

That child beat me. Bite. First tense of bite.

As he bite me. I said it's time for instruction. I carried the hand.

Put it in between my very mature teeth. I'm crazy. He said yeah.

When you bite people. It pains people. Never you bite somebody again.

He will look at me. Then he will start crying. After crying then I will carry him.

And put him on my shoulders. And pat him on the back. And see his father.

What am I doing? That was when they were young. As they were growing up. I took every opportunity of instruction.

Sometimes. Their mother will. Just wake up.

Let me allow you to share. Except that when I give her microphone. Now she will not give me back.

Now talking about. Deliberately instructing our children. Right from.

Do you know that? Instructing your children in biblical principles. Starts from. Right from when they are very small.

In fact. Right from when they are inside your womb. Is when you start training.

Your children. Training your children. Biblical principles.

When they are small. Teach your children to have quiet time. Right from when a child is one year old.

Or two year old. Introduce them to their own personal quiet time. The other day you know.

As the meeting started. We have stressed the issue of. Personal devotion with God.

A lot of people depend so much. On family altar alone. When your child leaves you.

A child that you have not taught. To have personal devotion. When they go to boarding house.

The house masters will not be having problem with them. Even though you have sent them to Christian secondary school. The children are not used to having personal devotion.

Right from when they are young. As a mother. Sit down like this.

Put your six month old baby. On your leg. There is something called quiet time.

Put the baby on your leg. Be singing chorus. And use your hand to be clapping.

The hand of the baby you are singing. After that. Read one verse.

Two verses to the child. And then after that pray. Something is telling you.

How will the child understand. That child has a spirit. And what you are saying.

Is put the spirit of that child. That child will catch it. And as they are growing up.

When they become two. Put one on the right. Put the other one on the left.

Go and buy. The children have daily devotion. Daily milk.

Write the name of each child. On it. Buy bible for each one of your children.

We have a culture. On the day of the naming ceremony. The parents must buy a bible for that child.

That will contain the name. Of the child. Put one here.

Put the other one here. Teach them quiet time. As they are growing up.

By the time a child gets to primary one. Primary two. Introduce them to.

What they taught us. In scripture. Little book.

When you have read the bible. What you gained from it. You write it down.

Introduce them to primary one. They can write it. Introduce them to daily milk.

That is why I said. You will wake up at 4 am. You have done your own quiet time.

You sit down with them. You probably have finished your own quiet time. You have taken your bath.

Then you go and wake them. Of course. It does not have to be anything long.

Because they are still small. Their attention span is still very little. It may not be more than 10 minutes.

It may not be more than 15 minutes. It depends on their age. As they are growing up.

By the time they are in primary three. Primary four. You allow them to do it by themselves.

You are checking their little books. What did you write? Let me see. All those books that my children have written.

It is when they want to enter higher institutions. We go and pack everything and give it to them. They read it.

They laugh. By now they are used to having personal quiet time. They are used to writing their little notes.

Deliberately instructing your children. Apart from that. When something has happened.

Use every opportunity to teach your children. Somebody gives us something in the house. So we sit down.

To teach them. Giving and receiving. It is an opportunity.

It is time to go to school. We teach our children how to trust God. Sometimes when they are still small.

We have paid their school fees. But we do not let them know that we have paid their school fees. We say we must pray.

For God to give us your school fees. So they are praying. And I am praying with them.

We are teaching them faith. Deliberately. So when the money comes.

We say praise God the money has come. Deliberately teaching them. I remember.

Our last book was about. Maybe around 9 or 10. When he came and said I need a new pair of shoes.

And daddy said have you prayed about it? He said no I have not prayed. Why are you asking me? Go and pray now. We have taught you we are not your primary source.

God is your primary source. Go and pray. And you wouldn't know what happened.

We were already planning to go and buy that shoe. But the boy actually went and prayed. Come let's pray together.

And then we prayed. I didn't say we were already planning to buy the shoe. And then we left our house to visit.

An uncle of theirs. And as we entered the house. That uncle said.

Hey J boy. Come let me look at your leg. And he said.

It resizes you. And we were all wondering what resizes him. And the uncle went inside and brought a pair of shoes.

And said he went to UK. And saw this shoe. And something told him buy this shoe.

He didn't even know who he was buying the shoe for. It was not his own size. It was the size of a small boy.

And then he bought the shoe. And he has been keeping that shoe. Waiting for the child that will take it.

And as we entered that house. And they brought it out. And just exactly his size.

What do you think happened to that boy? His faith is strengthened. Say oh so I can pray. So as they are growing up.

We shift their attention from us. And say no ask God. As they are growing up.

They learn how to trust God. Teach them contentment. A lot of this.

This scriptural truth that you know. You know the story I told you about one of our boys. Who talked about a friend, a girl.

After praying. You know it didn't happen just overnight. So after praying.

I started praying and asking God for utterance. To speak to that boy. I was asking God for a particular scripture.

God give me a scripture. With which I will scatter this thing in the heart of this boy. And then one day as I was praying.

God gave me a scripture. That scripture that says rebuke not an elder. But then treat him as a father.

Abbey said the older women. Treat them as mothers. And the younger women as what? As sisters with purity.

So I was armed. I already have my utterance. And I was waiting.

So one day armed with my utterance. I just entered their room. And then we prayed.

They didn't know that I came for a purpose. So as we were talking. I just deliberately dragged my discussion to go to them.

I said hey there is even one scripture. I didn't carry Bible. Hey you open your Bible.

And then I started talking. And then I went to that scripture. The Bible says all young girls are what? They are your sisters.

And I said just like. And then I turned to that particular. Just like that girl that you talked to me about.

The Bible says. Treat all young girls as sisters. At this age that girl is your sister.

And the Bible says. Treat her with all purity. Deliberate instruction.

Praise the Lord. The Bible says. I'm afraid my time has finished now.

I talked about instruction. Correction. When you have instructed.

When they go wrong. The same implement. The same implement.

The same implement of instruction. Is the same implement of what? Correction. What she has just said.

Is actually more on the issue. Of correction. Rather than.

The issue of instruction. Because he has seen something wrong. And he has brought the scripture.

To adjust the thinking of the child. When they are young. Please correct your child early.

I beat my children with cane. When they were young. But I did not.

I think the oldest. That I beat. My first born by seven.

There was no more caning. I think it was the second born or so. Either second or third.

That I beat at 11 years. After a long time. That I have not beaten him.

At 11 years. He did something. And I said.

Daddy has to help you. To remember not to do this again. All my children have their cane.

When they were young. According to their sizes. I write their name on their cane.

And they are the ones that will keep their cane. It must not get lost. So when you do something wrong.

I say go and bring your cane. How many strokes of the cane? We negotiate. This one five strokes.

Give me three. I say no. I finish beating him.

The child can come back and play with me. They cry. Let your child cry early.

So that he will not cry long. Of course. By the time he is a teenager.

You carry a cane to be beating a teenager. You are three late. They will just do like this for you.

And be counting. One, two, three. And your cane is useless.

By that time. He is talking. He is praying.

He is discussing. Challenge. Envision.

Envision your children. Every time I tell those boys. There is a commission.

There is a commission over your life. There is a deliberate calling over your life. You are going to become something for God.

One day, one of them came to me. He said, Daddy, I want to ask you a question. Why is it that you are always telling me.

That I am a special boy. What is special about me? I said, I will tell you. So I opened the scripture again.

All the scriptures, promises that God has given me. Concerning those children. I started to show him.

I started to show him this. I started to show him. Then he came back and said.

That is the reason why I cannot have a girlfriend. I said, precisely. All the other people can do it.

You cannot do it. Let's take deliberate effort. To give your children something.

To look forward to in future. If a child, a girl. Does not have a vision.

Of a purity. And into a. A valuable. Estate of marriage.

She will chip in herself. We don't have biological girls. But we have plenty of girls in our hands.

Their parents themselves. Know that we are the first primary parents. There are several of them.

I will call and say. Has somebody told you that you are very pretty? She will look at me. I say.

I am telling you. Do you know you are very pretty? And I expect boys to start running after you. Because you are pretty.

But all these useless boys around. You must not fall into their hands. Do you know what I am praying God about you? One of these days.

When you are mature. I am praying to hand you over to a godly man. Who is serving God.

Who is doing well. And together the two of you will build a home. And your home will even be better than that of our own.

You will have children that will be godly. You will be one of the people that people will be pointing at in society. As an example to follow.

Would you like to do that? Yes. That is what I am preparing and praying for you. You must not allow any useless boy to touch you.

And they keep remembering it. I told you and I said. If you keep yourself.

Like I am praying that you keep yourself. I promise you on the day of your wedding. I am the one that will preach.

I said I promise you. If the lord has not come. And the lord has not taken me home.

No matter what I am doing. I will preach your wedding. Do you know that even though the girl.

That girl is out of the university now. She still reminds me. You promised you will preach on my wedding day.

I said as the lord leave it. And I am alive. There are several other things.

But time will not allow me. The final one. Please meet their needs.

Anticipate their needs. Don't wait until a child. Is crying and singing.

About a real need. Before you start believing. God with your faith.

For that child. To have that thing. What does it do? It builds their faith.

Not only in God. It builds their confidence in their parents. So that next time.

You tell them you cannot have this. They relax. I had an experience.

My boy went out somewhere and saw. I don't know whether it was a bicycle or something. One fantastic bicycle.

In the house of one rich man. And then he came back and said. Daddy.

He was still maybe. Seven or so. Around six or seven years.

Daddy buy me a bicycle. I said. Buy what? Don't you know I am a missionary? I am a pastor.

Where do you expect me to get that kind of money? Look. I don't have money for those kind of things. I harassed the boy like that.

And turned back. Then the Holy Spirit said. What a wonderful picture you are painting.

For your child about me. That those who serve God. Their lot in life.

Is suffering. And punishment. Is that what you want your child? That's the reason why many children of pastors.

They don't want to be pastors. Every time we are praying. We are praying.

You want this one. Let's pray about it. Go and be praying.

Go and say no. Never tell your child. That.

You cannot afford something. There is nothing. That God cannot afford.

We don't have something. Because it is not the will of God for us. If it is the will of God.

God can provide it. Am I correct to say like that? So for us. We think ahead.

When a child. Is supposed to have something. We don't wait for that child.

When it is time to be the one to start crying. When it is time to have a handset. For example.

None of our children has a handset. Until they finish their work. We will talk about that.

But. When it is time to have a handset. His daddy and mommy.

Is time for this boy to have a handset. We don't have money. But we have God.

Let's pray about it. We start believing God for him. Sometimes we have bought the handset.

We are the one who now call the boy and say come. We now notice that it is time for you to have a handset. Take this.

The boy will be excited. He will be very happy. Daddy and mommy are thinking about me.

Doesn't the Bible say that our heavenly father. Knows what we need. Even before we do it.

Before we ask it. Even as an earthly father. It is my responsibility to preempt.

The needs of my children. And use my faith to have collected it. Before the child.

All of them. By the time they are entering the university. They are entering with a laptop.

By the time the first one got it. The second one got it. The third one knew it was.

He didn't need to agitate. Because it is a tool. That they need.

The same thing with clothes. The same thing with anything. We are thinking ahead.

These children need this. And we are using our faith. To believe God for it.

In five minutes. I am going to talk about. The physical implements.

We have already talked. About all tasks. So I will not talk about it.

And I am happy. The message this morning. That talked about singing.

The atmosphere of your home. Is one of your first. Physical.

Implements. Number two. Our bedroom.

Right from when they are young. We train our children to respect. Our bedroom.

Since when they are toddlers. They will not respect anything. But once they start growing up.

You tell them no. You don't come into daddy and mommy's room. Without knocking and waiting.

For an answer. Because our bedroom. We call it our sanctuary.

That is the site. Of our own couple's altar. Most of the time.

But then we also use it for something. Any time. It is time to instruct.

When I want to say something to the children. That they must not forget. They meet me in my bedroom.

When I say. Meet me in the bedroom. They know that.

Because. There is something serious. When a child is to decide.

Which school are we going to attend. All of us are going to our bedroom. All the boys.

And ourselves. The nuclear family. We go and we sit down.

We discuss it. We pray about it together. In the bedroom.

That became a place where. Even when they also want to tell us serious things. They say daddy I want to see you.

Can I go to your room. And we are talking in the room. Then.

The third implement. She has talked about. Using every event.

Every occasion. To train the children. I will talk about two things quickly.

And we are going to stop. What we call. Family retreats.

Apart from the altar. In the home. Apart from the.

Bedroom. At least. Once or twice a year.

We have a family retreat that nobody goes to. Apart from. Just the five of us in the family.

We don't allow disciples. We don't allow relatives. We don't allow anybody.

Just the two of us. And this retreat can be up to one week. We are sitting down.

Each child. The last one we do at the end of the year. Each child will tell us.

All his successes and failures. In the year. Then he will tell us his vision for the next year.

We will pray about it. We will talk about it. We deal with issues.

We listen to messages together. We pray together. We talk together.

When it is time to start thinking about. I am beginning to receive. There is this sister that I am praying about.

We go to the bedroom. Or we go to this family retreat. And sit down.

You can see that all of these things. Are. Necessary implements.

In raising our child. The last thing is technology. Because that is their world.

I struggled for many years. To keep my children. Out of social media.

But I saw that I was fighting. A lost battle. So the next thing I did.

I decided to enter it into them. With them. Again.

I am the one that introduced my children to technology. In a way I am a little bit technological. So I opened email.

For each of those children. As soon as they were entering university. I taught them.

How to use the internet. I taught them the dangers of the internet. I showed them the difference.

Between browsing and surfing. Browsing. You go to a place specific.

To get the information you want. And you go out. Surfing is to just be riding.

The waves of the internet. It will land you into hell fire. And I showed them.

All of those things. Eventually I had to go into whatsapp. So I discovered that.

For my children. We had so much shown them. The dangers of this.

Technology. And social media. That right up to.

When they were almost 20. None of them did anything. Apart from email.

The first born now is in IT. So he has. To use social media.

He is the only one that has a facebook account. And he uses it for his. For his job.

With. So train them that look. That's where you can finish your life.

And it is being. Arranged by people who have no. Passion for your future.

Those who are doing. Facebook and all of those things. They don't have an interest in your future.

Don't spend your life there. Eventually we had to. Create a family forum.

On whatsapp. Every day we report there. When there is an issue.

They ask a question. We are no longer together now. They are all in three different.

Places. One of them is on youth service now. But we are in touch.

Almost every day we are talking. That's the advantage of social media. Use it to our advantage.

When one of the children was weak. In a subject. I went online.

Downloaded videos on that subject. And packed it for him. Sit down.

Go to this site. Look at this. Do this.

Do that. But that was possible because. By now our children have gained.

A confidence in us. They have gained a friendship. With us.

They trusted our judgments. So for any parent here. Who do not want your children.

To go astray on the internet. You have to enter it small with them. Any new thing that they are talking about.

Our children are coming to show us. Daddy have you heard about this. What is it? They teach me a lot now.

I was the one teaching them before. But they know it more than me now. As we are sitting down.

We are looking at the different ways. In which they can be beneficial. My time has finished long ago.

It is time for us to pray. Shall we bow down our heads and pray. I said at the beginning.

That if God. Helps you to build. Godly children.

It is because. God himself is involved. I would like you to pray for a few minutes.

And tell the Lord. I want to return. To raising those children.

Some of those children. Are outside of our families now. Some of them are already.

Out of the house. Some of them are even married. Maybe the only thing you can do.

For those ones. Is to pray for them. And maybe to try.

To regain their friendship. But the bulk of us. Sitting down here.

Our marriages are still under 10 years. Most of our children are still at home with us. Can you plead with God.

And say me. I will not leave a vagabond in the earth. I will not leave.

A strange boy. A strange girl. My child will not be one of these strange girls.

That are roaming the streets. With wrong clothes. My child will not be a problem.

For the body of Christ. People will not be pointing and say. He is the child of a disciple.

He is the child of a pastor. He is the child of. Somebody who calls himself.

A Christian. Plead with God. And say as we go back home now.

Lord help me. To raise these children. To leave princes on the earth.

To leave people who are. Godly implements. In the hand of God.

To leave people behind. With whom God can go on. To the next generation.

Tell the Lord. I am returning. To instruct.

To teach. Deliberately. To use every occasion.

Every incidence in the family. To instruct. I will not be quick to criticize.

I will be quick. To instruct. Can you hold the hands.

Of your wife. As she sits beside you and say. Lord Jesus.

Our offsprings. Will be in heaven. Whether you have biological.

Children or not. Hold your hands and say. We are going to contribute seeds.

To heaven. We are going to take children. To heaven.

Offsprings from our loins. Offsprings from our family. Offsprings.

From our union. We are going to take it. To the kingdom of God.

In the name of Jesus. In Jesus name we pray. Our father we thank you very much.

For this evening. We are grateful to you for this. Few.

Issues that we have been able to. Touch. We are pleading with you.

That you multiply it in our hearts. In the name of Jesus. As we go back home.

And begin. To make an attempt. To befriend those children.

To befriend our teenagers. To warm ourselves. Back into their hearts.

Please enable us. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. There may be children.

That have already gone out. They are already wayward. Father the only weapon we have is prayer.

We plead with you. Return them to us. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

As a people we refuse. To leave brother bonds in the earth. We refuse to leave.

Problems. For the next generation. Father we ask.

Have mercy upon us. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you almighty father.

In Jesus name. We are praying.