What Are You Believing For Your Kids?

I Samuel 1:10-11

“10 Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord. 11 And she made this vow:"O Lord of Heaven's Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the Lord, his hair will never be cut.”

This story is biblical proof that God does use children in a powerful way. I am still amazed at how many parents and even preachers don’t believe that God can use children in a supernatural way when the Bible has many stories of God using kids and teenagers.

Let’s take a closer look at this story of Samuel. In chapter one of 1 Samuel, we see that Hannah was barren; she had no children. One day Hannah went to the temple and poured out her heart to God. Hannah made a promise to God that if He would give her a son, she would give him to the Lord for the ministry. God answered Hannah’s prayer. She conceived and gave birth to a strong healthy boy. Hannah named him Samuel, which means, “asked of God.”

When Samuel was weaned (my guess would be between the ages of 3-5), Hannah brought him to the temple and gave him to Eli to train for the ministry. Who knows what Eli thought of this – maybe he thought Hannah was trying to get free day care. This was not an easy thing for Hannah to do, but Hannah was very determined about keeping her promise to God. Hannah sent Samuel to Bible school when he was five years old. She saw something in Samuel that other people didn’t see.

Here is the challenge to parents and Christian leaders. What are you willing to believe God for? Whether it be for your own children or the children you’ve been entrusted with at church. Think about this, where are you setting your standard? How far are you willing to go with God? What will you make a stand for?