Are you feeling afraid of something? STOP! Turn around, face the fear and use the sword of the Word! Declare over your fear, “So we can say with confidence, the LORD is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?” (Hebrews 13:6). “So, with Him on my side, I’m fearless, afraid of no one and nothing.” (Psalms 27:1 – MSG). Fear is not to be managed. It is to be dealt with using the Word of God and the authority Christ has given you.
If we want change in our world, we must first use our authority and defeat the enemy in our hearts and home.
Many gave prophetic words that 2020 was the year of vision, yet others gave words that it was the year of the MOUTH, highlighting the importance not just of what you SEE but what you DECLARE after you have eyes that see. I find it super interesting that one aspect of the coronavirus is that we are required to cover our mouths. The natural realm always mimics what is going on in the spiritual realm. While I see the importance of honoring our leaders who ask us to be wise in wearing masks, I see greater wisdom in making sure we are opening our mouths in our homes and declaring BOLDLY! Your mouth may be covered in the natural, but you are not on a gag order. In fact, now more than ever, it is time to teach your children how to declare God’s truth boldly. May I encourage you to sit as a family and create your declarations? Say them out loud, boldly, and with authority. This virus is defeated! As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord! No weapon formed against me shall prosper! God, have your way with me! I will know what to do because Jesus lives in me! God always leads me! God sits upon His throne! I am covered and protected! My mind is filled with hope and peace! The virus will bow to Jesus! God knows what He is doing! We will overcome! Jesus’ blood paid for it all! Peace is our strength! The tomb is EMPTY! Jesus is ALIVE – TODAY!
I want to share with you the nature of fear and how it affects our parenting.
I had this dream years ago and have never forgotten it. It was the kind where you wake up and fear is still in your room. I will spare you the details, but I was in a normal room with a stage in the middle. On the stage were different scenes of really awful things happening to people. My dream was graphic and vivid. When I woke, I asked the Lord what He wanted me to know about this awful dream, and He said, “You are not to be entertained by fear. It is a room you have the freedom to wander into, but I am telling you not to. The longer you stay in the room, the greater the chance of you being center stage – get out as quickly as you can.”
Whoa! I think that word is for more than just me! This is why it is so important to guard our children and what they are being entertained by. Fear is not entertainment. It is the enemy’s tool to steal, kill and destroy peace, relationships, freedom, joy, sleep, rest, connection, destiny, identity, etc.
When I hear a child speak a lie about themselves (I am not smart enough, I am slow, I can never figure this out, etc.), I simply tell them that they are partnering with something from God’s enemy. Do they want to continue to partner with that (they do have free will), or do they want to throw that one out? Then, I told them they could kick out or throw out whatever thoughts came to their mind that wasn’t of God. Hudson, who was only four then, literally went to the front door and motioned like he was kicking something out before slamming the door. Yeah, like that! Kids need to be taught that not every thought that crosses their mind is theirs, and they can be empowered to say NO!
“I had been wondering if what I was teaching my 18-month-old was even working. Over the last month, I have noticed he walks into the room when the light is off and starts to cry. He runs to me and says, ‘Momma, it’s dark. I am scared.’ As he was running away, something rose up within me, and I told him to go back in there and tell the dark, ‘I AM NOT AFRAID,’ and I stomped my foot down. We did this for a whole month. He would cry, and I would remind him, and then he would tell the dark he wasn’t afraid and walk in and grab a toy. Finally, I turned the lights on for him after he walked through the door. But this morning, he walked into the dark living room, and I heard him say all on his own and stomp his feet, ‘I AM NOT AFRAID!’ He came to me so proud, stomping his feet, and said, ‘I am not afraid.’ Needless to say, we had a party in the kitchen when he told me this. Lisa, I thought you should hear this… What you do for parents even when their kids are too young to comprehend. They do, and I’m so grateful to see my son stomp on the floor to say he is not afraid!”
We don’t want to use our parental authority to control our children to keep our childhood wounds comfortable. We want to use the way our children trigger us to get healed so that we can respond to them as a loving parent.
Teaching children to ‘check your peace’ is a great way to train them to self-govern their choices.
Years ago, I came out of my bedroom and could not locate three of my four children. Alarmed, I raced from room to room. I began yelling their names outside, looking up and down the sidewalk for three young children. I was a breath away from panic when I heard the Lord say, “They are okay, but this is serious.” I jumped in the car and drove around looking for them. I spotted them talking to a homeless man. They bolted away from him the second they saw me. Teaching children to ‘check your peace’ is a great way to train them to govern their choices by being led of the Spirit. “He hasn’t left us as orphans but is with us and guides us” (John 14:18).
They got in the car, and I could smell fear all over them, but I didn’t say a word. We got home, and I called a family meeting. I told them that they scared my heart and reminded them of our family rule not to go where my eyes cannot see them. They asked for forgiveness. We hugged and carried on, but something didn’t sit right, and an hour later, it was still nagging me. I asked the Holy Spirit to show me what my lack of peace was, and He said, “Lisa, they did not just disobey you; they disobeyed Me.” There it was.
I called them all back and asked, “When you walked outside the door, was there ever a time Holy Spirit spoke to you?” They all burst into tears, telling me how they heard they were not to go up the sidewalk or that they should warn their sisters to come back home and how He told them they should not talk towards that man, yet each time they ignored Him and carried on. I told them with tears rolling down my cheeks that I have rules to keep them safe but that they have the Holy Spirit to help lead them when they are wandering outside of what is safe.
I asked them if they felt peace in their belly as they were walking away, and they all said NO. That was Holy Spirit telling them they were getting too far.
We must empower our children that PEACE is their pillar, and when peace leaves, it is time for us to STOP and pay attention to what He is saying.
Isaiah 26:3 – “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you because he trusts in you.” When our eyes get off Him, and we wander away, the first thing that leaves is our peace.
We, as believers, must take this one step further than just boycotting sexual things like movies, toys, games, etc. We must walk as spiritual governors and rulers and take authority over the spirit behind it. How?
“Sexual spirits, I see you. You are exposed. I command you to go and declare the name and blood of Jesus defeats you. I invite Holy Spirit to continue to expose and reveal this spirit in our homes, cities, and government. I cover (child’s name) from being introduced to and influenced by this spirit and pray for peace, purity, and protection over their mind, body, and heart in Jesus’ name.”
We have been given dominion over this rampant spirit, but our job is to exercise our God-given, Jesus-paid-for authority. We also have the privilege and honor of ushering in the Kingdom to invade the heart and mind of every person associated with it.
