By Kenneth Copeland

I have received many letters from parents who ask about raising children according to the Word of God. Gloria and I have searched the Word for scriptural foundation in this area, and I want to share some of these things with you.

First of all, Galatians 3:13-14 says, “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”

This is a very familiar scripture to most believers. It is a foundational truth in our lives. We have been redeemed from everything under the curse of the law. We don’t have to put up with it! There has been much teaching about our redemption from sin, from sickness and disease, from poverty, but not much teaching about the part of the curse that has to do with our children. That is what I want to focus attention on here.

The curse of the law, stated in Deuteronomy 28, mentions children in two verses: Verse 32 says, “Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people, and thine eyes shall look, and fail with longing for them all the day long: and there shall be no might in thine hand.” Verse 41 says, “Thou shalt beget sons and daughters, but thou shalt not enjoy them; for they shall go into captivity.”

This is the testimony of many parents today. They watch helplessly as their children are taken captive by the world – drugs, alcohol, perversion and so forth.

Stand Against Evil Forces With Authority

As believers, we can use our authority and stand against these forces. According to Galatians 3:13, Jesus has broken the power of the curse, so we have the right to order Satan out of our children’s lives.

Like most parents, Gloria and I have had to deal with the problem of rebellion in our children. We realised that it had to be stopped quickly before it developed into a serious situation. Don’t be guilty of ignoring symptoms of rebellion when your children are small. Don’t simply excuse it as a stage they are going through and think that they will grow out of it. If you ignore it when they are small, you won’t be able to handle it when they get older and the rebellion has had time to develop into a strong force.

When we saw this occurring, we immediately went to the Word. Gloria spent much time searching for scriptures we could use to combat these forces. Then we came together and confessed these scriptures before God. We took authority in the spirit world and refused to give Satan any room to operate. This is our responsibility as Christian parents. A child does not understand the spiritual forces coming against him, so it is up to the parents to fight the spiritual battles and keep Satan out of the child’s life.

This is what we did. We used the Word and exercised our authority over rebellion at work, but we didn’t stop there. We took every opportunity to minister love to the children. Whenever they came around us, we would express our love in some way. It didn’t take long for them to begin responding to that love. Don’t hesitate to show love to your children. They will respond to it.

It wasn’t always easy. There were times when we wanted to break down and cry or lose our temper or do something in the natural, but we would remember Jeremiah 31:16-17, “Thus saith the Lord; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the Lord; and they [your children] shall come again from the land of the enemy. And there is hope in thine end, saith the Lord, that thy children shall come again to their own border.”

My own mother cried over me for 15 years. Then one morning she threw her Bible on the kitchen table and said, “Lord, I’ve cried over him for the last time. I’m turning him over to You. If You can do anything with him, do it. I’m through!” In less than a month from that day, I was saved!

Mothers, take God’s Word for it. Receive Jeremiah 31:16-17 for yourself. Stop weeping for your children and start believing the Word. That’s the only thing that will bring them around.

Fathers, I am speaking to you too! It’s time for the fathers to get involved in the spiritual activities of their families. For too long, the women have carried more than their share of family responsibility. Husbands and fathers, get on your knees before God and accept your place as head of your household. You are the prophet from God to your family. This is not a lightweight thing; it takes a commitment on your part to fulfill your responsibilities. Get yourself straight before God, then see to your children. If necessary, go to your kids and ask their forgiveness for neglecting them. I have had to learn these things the hard way, and I know what I am talking about.

Second Peter 2:9 says that God knows how to deliver. He knows how to do it, so give Him the opportunity. It doesn’t matter where your children are — in the room or a thousand miles away. You don’t have to be in their presence to take authority over Satan. Pray and believe God:

Father, Your Word is true and I believe it. Therefore, in the Name of Jesus, I believe in my heart and say with my mouth that the Word of God prevails over my children. Your Word says that You will pour out Your Spirit upon my offspring and Your blessing upon my descendants. I believe and say that my children are wise and that they take heed to and are the fruit of godly instruction and correction. I love my children and I will diligently discipline them early. Because of that, they give me delight and rest.

Father, I take Your Word that says You will contend with him who contends with me and You give safety to my children and ease them day by day. They are blessed when they come in and when they go out. I confess that You, Lord, give Your angels special charge over my children to accompany and defend and preserve them. I believe they find favor, good understanding and high esteem in Your sight, Lord, and in the sight of man.

I confess that my children are disciples taught of the Lord and obedient to Your will. Great is their peace and undisturbed composure. I believe I receive wisdom and counsel in bringing up my children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. And Your Word declares that when they are old they will not depart from it. So I commit them to Your keeping and I know and have confident trust that they are watched over and blessed of the Lord all the days of their lives, in Jesus’ Name.

Prayer References from The Amplified Bible (Classic Edition): Mark 11:23; Isaiah 44:3; Proverbs 13:1, 24, 29:17; Isaiah 49:25; Deuteronomy 28:6; Psalm 91:11-12; Proverbs 3:4; Isaiah 54:13; Proverbs 2:6; Ephesians 6:4; Proverbs 22:6.