And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts, living within you as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love; and may you be able to feel and understand, as all God’s children should, how long, how wide, how deep, and how high his love really is; and to experience this love for yourselves, though it is so great that you will never see the end of it or fully know or understand it. And so at last you will be filled up with God himself. Ephesians 3:17-19
WOW,
what a prayer,
what a hope,
what a life worth working toward.
We long to experience the incredible and unfathomable love of God and to lead our children toward the same experiential understanding. In the face of the winds and waves of life, we acknowledge and recognize the importance of firmly rooting ourselves in that love.
However, in the midst of the crazy-busy days we live in, juggling work, parenting, household chores, and nurturing our relationship with our partners, the reality of spending time to deepen our roots in God's love can easily fall by the wayside.
We know we SHOULD,
We believe we COULD,
We confess we NEED TO.
We even wish we WOULD.
But nothing seems to change. We become discouraged and give up trying to work Jesus into our lives except for a quick prayer going out the door or a Sunday morning sermon.
BUT, My Lovely Lead-Her...
WHAT IF there were a way to sprinkle God throughout your day and trust that the watering of the Lord was deepening the knowledge of your love for Him?
WHAT IF there was a simple way to guide your kids into the vast knowledge of the Love of God and His Character?
WHAT IF, instead of doing nothing, you could do something?
AND,
WHAT IF I told you it was as easy as A-B-C?
When I first started learning how to pray, I had a fantastic mentor who also practiced dyeing silk. During her silk dyeing process, she would recite a name of God as a form of prayer. This silk fabric served as a representation of a distinct name or characteristic of God.
Consuming Fire, El-Shaddai (All-Sufficient One) Healer, Anointed One, God of Breakthrough, Shepherd, Father, Prince of Peace, Faithful and True, Creator, Lord of Hosts, and so on.
I learned the power of EXALTING HIS NAME.
I learned that when we lift up His name, He inhabits our praises. Psalm 22:3
In a season of tremendous brokenness, betrayal, loss, and sorrow, I learned to call on the COMFORTER, and He would come and be with me.
I learned I didn't have to whine and worry about our lack, I exalted our PROVIDER.
I learned to invite the FATHER into our home, lean on Him, and believe that He is ALL-SUFFICIENT.
I opted to look to God and declare who HE is, and as I did, something shifted in my heart. My ability to know the love of God deepened, and my roots started sinking deeper and deeper into the knowledge of God.
For over 25 years, this aspect of prayer, where I focus on God, His name, and His character, has been life-giving and life-changing. It is a simple yet powerful way to pray.
AND IT'S AS EASY AS ABC.
Use the ABCs as a guide. Build a lifestyle of calling on the name of God and equipping your children to do the same.
During your drive to work, morning walk, or other mindless activity, go through the Alphabet, coming up with a name or attribute of God for each letter.
A: You are the All-Sufficient God:
Thank you, God, that you are All-Sufficient. EVERYTHING I need is found in you. You supply me with the wisdom to raise my children.
B: You are Bountiful:
God, you lack in nothing. You supply all of my needs according to the glorious riches that are in Christ Jesus.
C: You are Caring.
God, you care for me, thank you. I love the way you have cared for my children over the years. When they wanted to go to camp or even on a mission trip, you always provided. You made sure they had food, clothes, and a roof over their head. You are a Caring Father.
Take a moment to pause between each letter. Allow the truth of His name to fill your heart or permeate your soul. The name of the Lord is a STRONG TOWER; the righteous run into it and are safe(Proverbs 18:10), so it is crucial that we know His name. It's impossible to find security in something unfamiliar and unknown. That's why it's essential to take the time to get to know His magnificent and powerful name.
TAKE YOUR KIDS ON THE JOURNEY
This is easy and GREAT to practice with your children as well. Go through the ABCs with them as you travel from point A to point B. It is a way for them to get to know their Father more fully. By declaring all that He is, all of His names, they grow in the knowledge of their Father.
You can play this game like a suitcase, taking turns to come up with a name or attribute of God and repeating all of the names that were previously said.
A: Almighty
B: Brave, Almighty
C: Counselor, Brave, Almighty
D: Daddy, Counselor, Brave, Almighty
Remember, when we begin to set our eyes on HIM, it is powerful!
After all, He says, "Seek ME," not my hand, not my provision but my FACE.
Our Father is longing to be known by us.
He is waiting for us to call on His name.
He longs to draw near.
And beloved Lead-Her,
Don't forget to download your FREEBIE...
I'm not going to overwhelm you with ideas, but over the course of the next 5 weeks, I'll send you a new idea that you can use to guide the hearts of your children into the knowledge of their Creator.
READY TO GET STARTED? Download Week 1 Now.
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