Proverbs 13:24 - Love Disciplines
Step 1: Pray. Select.
As I sat down to pray today, the LORD placed on my heart to find a way to better love our children. I must admit, with the summer ensuing, I find myself figuring out a very new dynamic in our household with two teenagers.
I contemplated how the LORD deals with rules, boundaries, and discipline when it comes to our children, especially as they move toward adulthood, and Proverbs 13:24 came to mind.
Here is where I began my journey, friends. Let's move to STEP 2.
Step 2: Write. Read. Circle
After reading the scripture three times, the following words stood out amongst the others:
He who spares his rod hates his son,
But he who loves him disciplines him promptly.
Step 3: Re-Write
With a focus on the words I circled that stood out, here is the personalized sentence that came alive in my heart.
Jennifer, who spares hates, who loves disciplines.
If you are doing this alongside me today, add your name in front of your unique sentence so the Lord can speak directly to you.
Step 4: Visualize
As I meditate and think about the words that stood out from my scripture today and the sentence the Holy Spirit gave me, I sit and picture a father and a son. The father is elderly, and the son is early teenage years. I see the elderly father trembling as he steps in front of the son to prevent him from getting disciplined directly by the Lord.
I move my focus to see the face of the young boy, the father is trying to protect. The boy's facial expression conveys fear of being caught for whatever he has done, but it's distinctly different from the father's facial expression. I contemplate what is making them feel so different when clearly they are both experiencing a similar emotional state. One has wisdom from experience, and one is learning.
The father's level of fear is much greater than the son's because the father has witnessed and lived through the consequences of his actions. So, he shields his child from having to live through the same experiences he did. The problem is his father shielded him as well, so he knows it will be inevitable if he enacts the same practices, the generational curse will continue, and his child will go through the same pain he did in his life. The father's level of fear is much greater than the son's because the father has witnessed and lived through the consequences of his own actions, so he shields his child from having to live through the same experiences and outcomes. One way or another, the boy will have to learn and pay for his actions. This is a pivotal moment when the father can choose to step aside, and the son can take responsibility for his sin to the Lord now; otherwise, there will come a time when the son, as an adult, will face the consequences and judgment.
Just then, the father's facial expression changes. I see him bow his head and begin to pray. He humbled himself in front of the LORD and sought him in the moment. His son looks at him as if to say, “Why aren't you looking at the Lord and pleading my case or shielding me?” Just then, the father wraps up his prayer, lifts his head, and turns to his son standing behind him, and says, "I cannot do this for you, son. There is still time for you to do what is right. The Lord will have mercy on your soul, but you must accept the consequences of your actions."
A new level of extreme fear takes over the son as the father no longer shields him from the light and judgment of the LORD. Next, the light of God fills the entire atmosphere. It is warm and loving, not scary at all. The boy realizes that there is forgiveness and mercy in the Lord's presence, and this completely squashes any preconceived notion the devil was trying to instill in his young, developing mind.
The Holy Spirit tells me two things happened in this vision.
1. The boy faced his darkness head-on and was filled with the Lord's light, blotting out his sin and iniquity.
2. The father gained a new level of trust in the Lord, which will now kill this generational curse going forward.
I have a question for the Holy Spirit, so I move to Step 5.
Step 5: Ask. Seek
The requests/questions that came to mind are:
Holy Spirit, what was the father's prayer?
Step 6: Hear. Write. Receive
Here is the answer I received:
“He asked for guidance and mercy for his son. He was reminded of my goodness and mercy he had witnessed when he was a child. So when he stepped aside to let me take over, he had peace since I had shown him this before. He knew it would only harm his son if he continued to cover up his son's sins. Like Adam with withered leaves, after he felt ashamed of being naked in the garden, like the leaves, the father will one day shrivel up and die. The father was told to turn aside so his son could experience something more permanent. The Lord is eternal, and his ways are eternal. The Lord will keep him long after the father.”
Step 7: Pray. Confirm
Heavenly Father, I come to you in the name of my Lord and Savior, Jesus.
I pray that you let me be the living proof of your existence in my life.
Although I have many shortcomings and often fall short of living a good life, I will spend the rest of my life working towards the teachings of my Savior, Christ Jesus.
If I focus on you and your ways, I know that I will live a good life that is pleasing to you.
Let me steward my children and show them your goodness, so after I leave this earth, you will continue to protect their seeds of greatness for all of their days,
In Jesus' name, I pray, and seal this prayer with the blood - AMEN!
If you used the scripture of the day and need prayer or someone to pray with you, connect Here. Remember, you are not alone.
Step 8: Share. Testify
If you used the 8-Step Prayer Practice today, we would love to hear how God works in your life! You can comment below or share your miracle or testimony HERE.
Conclusion:
Friends, what a lesson in parenting and breaking generational curses. We're here to steward by example. However, the Lord will be the constant until our children step into eternity.
What an incredible revelation and reminder to allow our children to make mistakes openly so grace is upon them while they remain under our roof and watch. But let's find peace in letting go, allowing the Lord to replace sin with the blood of Jesus and the light of the Holy Spirit.
God bless you, friends. See you soon!
