Kingdom Parenting

Kingdom Parenting

COVERING YOUR TEENS

Two of my teens were working through some big things. It caused us all to find a new way of responding and relating with each other. They aren’t five years old anymore and need to be given the space to manage things on their own, even if it means they are waffling a bit. It’s challenging for me at times. God woke me up quite early, and I snuck out of bed to spend time with Him. I heard Him tell me to pray for the kids, but I got this sense I was to sit outside their bedrooms. I grabbed my worship music and AirPods, sat in the dark at 4am outside their bedrooms, and just prayed in the spirit. I began seeing things affecting them, weighing on their hearts, and I felt an overwhelming sense of compassion for them. I asked, “God, how come I haven’t seen that before?” and heard Him say that I so often expect the kids to come into my world – my agenda, my schedule, my teaching, my instruction, my leadership, etc., but haven’t been very good about crawling into their world. UGH! I repented! And then prayed like a mama bear for her children.

WORD CURSES

When I hear of parents saying their kids are such brats, mean, little devils, terrors, a little spoiled diva, crabby, disrespectful, or a nightmare, what I hear is, “I have not yet figured out how to be an intentional parent to teach, train and equip my child with skills that will make them successful in life.”

SCHOOL CHECK-IN

With school starting back up again, make sure you are playing the HIGH/LOW game at night. How to play? Simply go around the dinner table or while you are checking them in at night and ask, “What was the HIGH of your day?” And then ask, “What was the LOW of your day?” Why is this important? When kids first walk back through the door, they are resettling themselves. They have not only endured a lot physically in school but also emotionally. They have encountered things spiritually, too, all day long. Coming home helps realign them, but sometimes they need help to process things further. By asking their low, it nearly always reveals where there is conflict in their heart. We want to help them resolve it before the sun goes down.

**While you surely can ask when they walk in the door, I suggest waiting a bit because just being back at home helps resolve things on their own and realign their minds and hearts. By giving it some time, it will reveal what needs some extra attention.

GENERATIONS

We all must stand at the crossroads and decide what part of our parent’s parenting we want to keep and what needs to be brought into alignment with His Kingdom. We do so honorably to our parent’s own journey knowing that they were simply walking out their own story of what they experienced.

LINGER WITH JESUS

Fight to be a Mary in this loud season. Find His feet and linger there. This affects your mind and heart and brings a calm and peace your children are desperate for at this hour. They don’t want to be doing more; they want to know the peace from a mother that has gazed upon Jesus long enough to transform her.

JOY IS ESSENTIAL IN THIS HOUR

If you are having waves of stress from all the uncertainties in the world, can you imagine how children feel? JOY is essential in this hour!!!!!

CHARACTER TRAINING

We created our parenting magazine, SOAR, to come alongside parents to help mentor, encourage and empower their parenting journey. We dedicated an entire SPECIAL EDITION issue on CHARACTER TRAINING. This mom set up a parent coaching session to get some help. She immediately embraced the teaching and began rising up in her authority. You cannot argue with this testimony and the immediate fruit she is seeing in her home. Why? Because parents walking in their authority is God’s design and children feel safe and secure when moms and dads take their rightful place. 

“Lisa, since we have started character training since I saw you Monday, I am in complete awe at the restoration God has done in my children!!!!! Something broke off and it’s soooo good!!!!!! I love how God honors us when we use the authority He has given us! Thank you so much for all you have created for parents and for hearing God so intently on our behalf. I have been diving into your SOAR magazine and we have been doing teachings and I am enjoying being a mom again!!! It’s so fun and my children’s joy has been restored they are also so happy to be obedient!!!! Praise the Lord!!! Thank you!!”

Get your copy today! Character Training SOAR Magazine – Let the Children Fly

GOOD FRUIT

I once heard a leader say he never once responded to his children in anger (not once, people!) At first, I thought he was bluffing as he has three children. Never? Not once? In all honesty, it agitated me for a few weeks. Maybe because I knew I couldn’t say that, or maybe because him saying that cut him off from anyone else being able to relate to him. I wanted to ask him further about it when God spoke this to me. He said, “Lisa, this son is a FIFTH-generation believer. His life is what it looks like when generations honor and follow me.” WHOA. I became deeply encouraged that my children and children’s children will do it much better than I did because of what I am sowing into. Give yourself some grace for how God has chosen to use your generation to impact future generations.

TEACH IN THE TIME OF PEACE

May I encourage you to see something?

Think of the last thing you disciplined or got frustrated with your child over. Now ask yourself what you have done to proactively teach your child in that area. Parenting equals being a teacher, not just a disciplinarian. Set your child up for success by teaching them what you DO want, not just reacting to what you don’t want.

BABY MOSES

Baby Moses was the answer to the Israelites’ plea for help from their bondage that lasted for generations. So, what is God birthing through your child? Time will tell. How you steward the calling on their life is the difference between slavery and freedom for others.