CHILDREN in PRAYER
( Biblical Basis with Practical Suggestions ) by Jeffrey Chew, 15th May, 2015
Download the PDF Report HERE….
Introduction
I believe that the single greatest priority of the end-time Church is to mobilize children and young people for prayer, evangelism and discipleship in the coming decade.
They form a significant part of the body of Christ and yet they are the most neglected and under-utilised resource within the church.
Almost one–half of many countries’ population is under the age of fifteen. Children are most receptive to the Gospel and the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Consequently I recommend the following actions:
- Prayer for children.
- Prayer with children.
- Prayer by children.
- PRAYER FOR CHILDREN
Theological overview
Mark 10:14 Jesus said ‘let the children come and do not hinder them….’(NIV). Jesus highlighted that the Kingdom belongs to them. Religious leaders are to bring children to Christ. They are not to stand in the way, hinder, prohibit, forbid or prevent children from coming to Jesus.
In Matthew 18:5 NKJV Jesus said ‘Whoever receives one little child like this in my name receives me’. That is an incredibly high order of value on a child.
In Matthew 18:10 NIV Jesus says ‘See that you do not look down on one of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.’ Jesus’ admonition is not to look down upon them or despise them. They have pretty significant priorities in the heavenly realms.
Lamentation 2:19 NIV: ‘Arise cry out in the night, as the watches of the night begin; pour out your heat like water in the presence of the Lord. Lift up your hands to him for the lives of the children, who faint from hunger at the head of every street.’
Psalm 127:3-5 NKJ ‘Children are a heritage from the Lord…. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior…’
Practical steps
Mobilise the church (including children) to pray for children in their families, communities, cities, nation and the world.
- Hold a special prayer day for children, example on Children’s Day.
- Establish prayer groups to pray intentionally and regularly for children.
- Adopt a project or a nation or an issue, (street children, sexual exploitation, HIV Aids orphans), and begin to become informed and pray.
- Highlight the plight of the children in the 10/40 window.
- Encourage use of resources developed to mobilise prayer for children such as prayer diaries, web sites.
- Pray for educational establishments like Pre-schools, Primary Schools, Colleges
- Do Prayer walks in schools or classrooms,
- Establish or join prayer groups within local schools.
- Pray and reach out to children for deliverance from demonic oppression, bondages or anything that prevents children from coming to Jesus.
Stories and testimonies
On the first Saturday of September 2006, my family brought 12 children intercessors to a large community kindergarten operated by Christians to pray on-site for the salvation of the young children in that school and to pull down the religious strongholds over the community. To our surprise two days later, a nun from a nearby Buddhist temple came to the Kindergarten to enrol 5 children who live in the temple under their care which is a breakthrough to reach this group. We believe the prayers of the children intercessors made the difference.
- PRAYER WITH CHILDREN
Theological overview
The body of Christ is called to have the same care for each member and to give greater honour to the weaker parts. 1 Corinthians 12:12-26, Christian children are also brothers and sisters in Christ.
Children are included in the gathering of God’s people. Joshua 8:35; Chronicles 20:13
Children are specifically mentioned and included. Psalm 22:30-31 ‘Prosperity will serve Him; future generations will be told about the Lord. They will proclaim His righteousness to a people yet unborn – for He has done it.’
As children are taught about the Lord so will they teach their children and their children’s children. Future generations shall be told about the Lord. The challenge for us in prayer is to have this generational perspective, placing ourselves humbly at this point in History, recognizing all that has gone before and looking to what is to come: the return of Jesus for a church, complete (including children), pure and without blemish. Ephesians 5:27
God can reveal truth and wisdom to those with childlike qualities. Luke 10:21
We are commanded to ‘…love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. Deuteronomy 6:5-7 NKJV
Paul made it clear in 1 Corinthians 11:1 that he, as a leader would provide a godly example. ‘Follow my example as I follow Christ’.
When His disciples are arguing over who will be the greatest in heaven, Jesus brings a child and uses him as an example to teach them (Matthew 18 v.1-4). We need to understand that we can learn from children, their humility and their attitude to God. We need to be examples to them in our lives and relationship with God, but also recognize their role as examples to us. ‘Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven’ Matthew 18:3.
We can also learn through their faith (2 Kings 5 v.1-4 Naaman’s Jewish servant girl).
Practical steps
- Bringing children into the presence of God and to hear God’s voice
- Encourage the practice of family prayer times, devotions and personal prayer.
- Model a lifestyle of prayer to children.
- Mentor and disciple children in prayer and fasting.
- Include children as part of intergenerational prayer, encouraging the church to follow the command that one generation shall tell another. Psalm 78:4,7
Stories and testimonies
We have seen meaningful impact and fruitfulness in the lives of children when they pray and participate in special prayer emphasis throughout the year such as the World Wide Day of Prayer for Children at Risk, Prayer for the Muslim community during Ramadan, National Day of Prayer and others. When we bring the children together to pray we are equipping them to become full members of the body of Christ and then we mobilize them toward the Great Commission as they pray for the spiritual, emotional and physical needs of children all around the world. I believe that children enter into a fuller understanding of God’s love for them and for all peoples of the world as they learn to commune with God in prayer. I believe that through prayer, children can learn at an early age their personal responsibility to be involved in God’s eternal plan.
- PRAYER BY CHILDREN
Theological overview
Children minister to the Lord – 1 Samuel 2:11.
Children hear from God – 1 Samuel 3.
Children can prophesy and see visions – Joel 2:28.
God hears children’s prayers – Gen 21:17. (Ishmael’s voice)
Children are ordained to declare God’s glory. ‘From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies to silence the foe and the avenger.’ Psalm 8:2
Children are a strategic key to overcoming Satan.
Children declare and make a way for Jesus to come. Matthew 21:15-16.
In the context of the House of the Lord and being called to be a ‘House of Prayer for all Nations’, children have a significant role to play. Isaiah 56:7
We need to be clear that when scripture refers to ‘ALL the saints’ that includes children. 1 Corinthians 12 speak of the body and different spiritual gifts. Children are to be considered in this mix, with different gifting given by the Holy Spirit to bring to the whole. There is not a child-size Holy Spirit. We need to see our children released to be all that God intends them to be, recognizing that as they too are empowered to pray, they will receive burdens for the lost and will be able to evangelize more effectively among their own peer group. Isaiah 8:18 NKJV ‘Here am I and the children whom the LORD has given me! We are for signs and wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts, Who dwells in Mount Zion.’
Practical steps
Encourage church leaders to regard children’s ministry as more than teaching children but as an opportunity where children can be empowered to fulfil their God given destinies and where they can become functioning members of the wider body, particularly in the area of prayer. Invite children to be actively involved in every aspect of prayer, including:-
Praying for the sick
Prayerwalking
Praying for deliverance
Participating in the prayer programme of the church.
Establishing a children’s intercessory prayer group.
Encourage children to meet regularly with each other to pray for salvation.
For schools/classmates/clubs/teams
For their homes/families.
For communities/nations
Employ creative methods to facilitate prayer.
Flags, maps, pictures, costumes, games.
Prayer tools. (Globalls, Prayer Spinners.)
On site prayer. (Prayer on location)
Take children on mission trips to pray and evangelize.
Equip and teach children so that they are prayerfully prepared.
Prayer and fasting beforehand.
Stories and testimonies
During the World Wide Day of Prayer (WWDP) for children at risk 2002, an orphanage based in Kampala, Uganda, received a burden to pray for children with HIV. There was special prayer for a young boy called Ivan who had been tested and was found to have this virus. Because of Ivan’s poor health he was taken to a special centre which deals with HIV/AIDS cases. Ivan was seriously ill. The orphanage called for 40 days of prayer and fasting, and a number of project children, staff and friends were involved. By the WWDP 2003 signs of healing were shown and doctors retested Ivan. Ivan’s new blood test showed that he no longer had the virus! There is no known cure for this virus, yet Ivan, born 1997, is healthy and happy and is attending school after that. We praise God because He heard and answered the prayers of His children.’
SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS:
The rising of the importance and strategic nature of children needs our urgent prayers
The raising up and releasing of spiritual mentors to nurture and see children’s prayer lives develop through an intimacy with God.
The releasing of children to become more functioning members of the ‘body’ of Christ equipped to pray, minister and become agents of transformation.
As Rachel cried ‘give me children or I will die,’ Genesis 30:1, so will the Church die without the children. The future of the church is the child.
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Adapted from the Occasional Paper presented at the
Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization
Issue Group # 13
of the
2004 Forum for World Evangelization
The Lausanne Paper was prepared by:-
- Jeffrey Chew, Esther Network International, Malaysia
- Chrissie Wilkinson, Viva Network, UK
- Margaret Purvis, Faces of Children, USA
- Katie Biss Williamson , Asian Outreach
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