
1. Recognition is the first step. You have to realize that you need freedom in an area before you can be set free. I didn’t even realize that I was uptight in a car. Yes, I knew I hated it when we would pass a car but I was used to feeling like that. You need to beware of your symptoms or reactions. In regard to your children what behavior are they exhibiting? How are they reacting in a given situation? For example has your child fallen and cracked their head or were they bitten by a dog? These are traumatic events in a person’s life. Recognize that events in your child's life can cause trauma to them equally as much as they have in your life. They need healing body, soul and spirit.
2. When dealing with your children, it is important for you to know you have not only the right to pray for them but also the responsibility and the authority to do so. They are under your headship as their parent. If you have accepted Jesus as your Savior, you have the Spirit of God, the Almighty living in you, giving you authority to pray effectively. If they are old enough to participate, i.e. from two onward, then invite them into the pray time. Ask them if they remember when the situation happened. If they don't remember ask the Holy Spirit to bring it to their remembrance. Trust God to work in all experiences. He will!
3. At this point there may be a need for your child to speak forgiveness to another person. If that person is you as in the case of our daughter, then ask them to forgive you. Have them respond by saying I forgive you. I discuss the power of forgiveness in another chapter so I won't go into detail here. This is key! They may need to forgive someone: a teacher, a driver, a friend, a grandparent, anyone who has hurt them. There are all sorts of issues that a child has to deal with. Forgiveness removes the right the enemy has to hold a person in bondage.
4. Invite the Holy Spirit to come right into the situation and shine His light into the midst of the pain, sorrow, grief, rejection, or loss ...the trauma that your child has had whatever that is. Ask Him to heal their body, soul and spirit, mind, will and emotions. Ask Him to heal the sights, sounds and smells...all that affects the senses. God wants to heal and restore us fully.
More next week...
(image courtesy of smoked salmon/FreeDigitalPhotos.net)