(Authors’ Note: The article below appeared in the Prayer Global Magazine produced and distributed by the Rev. Newton Gabbidon Of Intercessory Prayer Ministry International for the Global Leaders Prayer Event, Brooklyn Tabernacle, Brooklyn, NY. October 24, 2016.)
THE GREAT OMISSION
By Esther Ilnisky with Mary Tome
Has the Church made ROOMS but not ROOM for her children? Has she gone “off the path” by ignoring Jesus’ intent when He declared, “Suffer the little children to come unto Me, and FORBID THEM NOT”?
Take a good, hard look at 2 Chron. 7:14 “…if My people will…turn from their wicked ways…” Think of the word “wicked” as “crooked”, not as in criminally so but as in “not straight”, “gone awry”, or “off the path”. Read it again. One “wicked” way of the Church, for the most part, which begs for repentance, is this:
Children and young people have been marginalized, thus excluded from the spiritual life of the Church.
Our personal conviction:
“Praying children are the most untapped resource in the Church today.”
CHILDREN AND PRAYER. The thought of releasing children to take an active role in intercessory prayer seems threatening to a structure/program-driven Church. We’ve asked Pastors, “Does your church have corporate prayer?” Predictably, the response is, “Of course!” Then, we ask, “How many children and young people attend? Has a child ever prayed at the opening of your Sunday Service? Have you ever had children lay hands on you and pray?” The silences in response answered our questions loudly. Then we (respectfully) ask, “Well then, are you truly “Corporate”?
After a Worldwide Lausanne Conference on Prayer in Evangelism, “Forum on Children”, in Thailand, Jeffrey Chew, our ENI/WSC Representative wrote this astonishing report
“One Presenter loudly exclaimed, ‘Jesus was FURIOUS with his disciples for not letting the children come to Him!’ At the word “furious”, all the power in the building shut off and mikes cut out with a loud boom.” Was God emphasizing a point dear to His heart?”
Picture this: an old-timey, coal-fed train lumbering along pulling several cars (the adult Church) and two more cars coupled together but not attached to the main train following behind (children and youth ministries). Finally, the two lone cars gain ground and attach to the main train. In that instant, the whole train turns into a silver, armor-clad bullet train. A visible demonstration of what happens to a Church that becomes truly corporate in prayer!
We call it InterGenerational; God calls it FABULOUS!
Consider two more prophetic insights:
- Spiritually discerned entrance sign to main sanctuaries in many Churches (like those posted at rides in Disney World): “You must be this tall to enter here!”
2. Spiritual abortion: hindering or even forbidding the development of pastors, prophets, praisers, etc. by not making room for these gifts to develop throughout the lives of the children. What about young, serious intercessors?
It has been said that, while 1/3 of the world’s population is under 15, only 10% of global Church funds are allocated to children’s ministries!
Dare we call that another omission – a misappropriation of funds?
That 10% does help introduce the children to Jesus and teach wonderful Bible accounts of the heroes of the faith. However, after that…
…things tend to get a bit murky with children and young people being entertained or, in some cases, being the entertainment.
Children’s Church and Youth Groups have myriad activities but few that blend younger and older believers together in spiritual matters – prayer, in particular. Accordingly, many are told, “When you grow up you can be…” Young children perform in Christmas plays or Easter cantatas and we say, “Aren’t they cute!” Sadly, in many cases, adult recognition of the spiritual validity and ability of their children stops there.
Ponder this. How many prayers – and answers – are aborted because children are not acknowledged, trained and released to petition God about matters which concern them?
We asked 100 children UNDER 10 YEARS OLD – anointed prayer warriors – what troubled them regarding their city and schools. Their responses, which literally tumbled out of their mouths and about which they prayed earnestly, will hopefully arrest your attention: racism, gambling, street violence, gangs, mafia, smoking, kidnapping, drive-by-shootings, murder, drugs, school bombings, alcoholism, TV and videos (occult content.)
CHURCH HISTORY VERIFIES THAT PRAYING CHILDREN WERE CENTRAL IN PAST GREAT AWAKENINGS. Among many proofs:
John Wesley, England, 1773: “GOD BEGINS HIS WORK IN CHILDREN.” In Cornwall and Manchester, children cried loud, bitter cries; the flame…spread to (all).
Jonathan Edwards: New England, 1740s: MANY LITTLE CHLDREN WERE PART OF THE GREAT MOVE OF GOD, expressing themselves in a manner far beyond their years.
Robert Murray McShane, 1859: Children…prostrated (in prayer) night after night in the revival. Ministers treated children in the same way as adults.
PRESENT-DAY PROOF:
Global Consultations on Children in Prayer with over 50 nations involved. Over 100,000 child intercessors in Indonesia, children’s prayer movements in nations large and small. Prophetic words about a children’s revival coming. A 2012 prophetic word declared, ‘No power would be able to stand against praying children…the Lord would take it to the ends of the earth.’ It is happening TODAY right before our eyes!”
It’s imperative that, without another moment wasted, the Church acknowledges and taps into the praying power of her children. The whole Church, wholly together. Power-FULL
One day in 1987 I lay prostrate crying out to God for more intercessors. The seeming unawareness in America of ominous global events taking place troubled me. I cried out, “Oh, God, where are the intercessors?” His response stunned me.
“Esther, I am turning your heart to the children. There you will find your intercessors.”
With that began an arduous, yet rewarding, journey to be a voice for praying children; to train up mighty young prayer warriors who weep on behalf of their generation.
In 1994, ENI was invited to join the prayer track of the “Global Consultation on World Evangelism” 1995 in So. Korea. Noting that all other invitees led adult prayer ministries, I posed two simple questions to the leader:
“What about the children? Who’s mobilizing them to pray?”
Those “simple” questions miraculously resulted in our having forty mighty young prayer warriors from eight nations as official delegates to the Consultation who gained the respect of 2,500 amazed, spiritual dignitaries from the world over.
- I was urged to write a book that would be a “Blockbuster.” One to “bust blocks” of man-made traditions and opinions. “Let the Children Pray” was first published in 2000. Since then, countless testimonies from adults and children everywhere have attested to undisputable major ‘blockbusting!’
A prophetic word received in 1992:
“There is a generation that is about to arise.
A generation of children that are righteous
that will serve the Lord.
A generation of children that will refuse rebellion.
A generation of children that will rise up and overcome the powers of darkness.
There is a generation!”
A generation of praying children has indeed risen! THEY ARE “WORLD SHAPERS” – “READY ASSETS” – for such a (CRITICAL) time as this! SELAH.
Esther and Mary
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