An Unlikely Messenger
I had a burden for the children in my parents’ church after hearing all that had been shared in our church group (God’s Lighthouse) about the ‘babes and children’ (see Psalm 110:3-4) — how they are meant to be part of God’s army, and thus need to be trained and given more attention. So, when I went back home (Port Harcourt, Nigeria), I knew I needed to go back to the children’s ministry. Initially, I had been asking God to send me to a congregation like God’s Lighthouse, and I didn’t go to church for some weeks because I was waiting for an answer.
However, one day my mother came in and said, “You are so selfish! If God has blessed you, why not bless others? The children are waiting for you…” and other similar words. Now, I had been taught to do this; to be a blessing to the body of Christ wherever I found myself, but I hadn’t obeyed. I was upset but I believed God was using her to speak to me. So, I went back to the children’s ministry in my family church group.
Baby Steps and Giant Leaps
The meeting was not interesting in any way; the children were so far from God, and the teachers seemed rather unconcerned! Some came late to church, chatting, sitting at the back of the hall, and so on. I wasn’t happy with all I was seeing. These children were God’s warriors, for crying out loud! It really bothered me. That day, I started by teaching them some memory verses and encouraging them to read their Bibles and pray. I told them about a lot of supernatural experiences experienced by children – from the children I knew personally, as well as the ones I didn’t. They were so intrigued; silence fell on the people in the meeting that day. The children as well as the teachers were sober and repented.
I had to talk to the teachers about shepherding the children, praying for them always, and making out time to talk to them privately. Since the teachers started praying for them, the children have been less distracted during meetings. You can see them worshipping and singing — before, they had to be begged to participate. They now desire God more; some are baptized in the Holy Spirit and even see visions!
The Revival Spreads
I don’t know where the inspiration came from (well, obviously from God!), but I started visiting these children’s families one after the other. I thought, “Why don’t I pray for them or talk to them about the Holy Spirit?” and from then on, every Saturday, I’ve gone to their houses with Sis B. [another sister from God’s Lighthouse, who also lives in Port Harcourt]. In all the houses we’ve been to, God has come and powerfully broken through.
For example, on September 19th 2020, Sis B. and I went to pray for four siblings aged 19, 11, 9 and 5 years, for the baptism of the Holy Spirit; all of them got baptized! Spiritual gifts were activated, and the whole family was blessed.
Out of the Mouth of Babes
On Sunday, 20th September 2020, when I came to the venue of the church meeting, I had an impression of angels present with gifts for everyone. I had arrived earlier than usual because the Holy Spirit made me restless so I could go and pray before the meeting began. I told a little girl and her younger sister what I felt; that angels were all over the room and we should go from row to row and pray for each seat. Amazingly, the worship session that day was powerful, the children worshipped God with reckless abandon – God took over the meeting. About three persons saw angels with gifts, and some of the children saw Jesus in our midst, including the very little ones
Before this meeting, I had told the children to share their dreams. Two of the children had dreams about death and in less than two days, a sick church member died. This was God confirming to us that He speaks through the children and that we were to take them very seriously.
It became a practice that after praying, I would always ask what they saw/heard/felt during the meeting or the week. I stare in amazement at the number of hands that go up, it’s like a challenge amongst them. The teachers were not left out, they are now more intentional with the ministry. I can see changes in them. For weeks now, our worship has been fiery and powerful, and I pray they will all be baptized in the Holy Spirit, have the boldness to pray for the sick, preach, and just walk in what God has in store for them.
Once, a five-year-old said she saw an angel and he took her to heaven. During the children’s meeting held on the 9th of October 2020 at God’s Lighthouse Uyo, Sis B. and I visited a family here in Port Harcourt to talk to them and pray for the children. Six of them got baptized in the Holy Spirit that day and some saw visions and had encounters with God.
Warriors
The way the children sing our (God’s Lighthouse) memory verses, you’d think they owned the songs! They love them so much and are eager to learn. I recall that a parent told me how her daughters now see visions and hear from God almost all the time. Although these particular girls have always had visions, dreams and so on, now, they have gone from gear 1 to 5; it’s such an amazing increase.
I thank God for reviving our fasting and prayer discipline. In the past, the children’s ministry fasted every third Saturday of the month, but for more than a year, that had been history. However, this Saturday, the 17th of October, 2020, we will be having our monthly fasting and prayer again and I’ll be using that opportunity to talk to the teenage girls. They were so excited when I told them, “Come around; let’s have a girls’ chat!”. It wasn’t planned, the words just came out of my mouth, and they all obliged. The revival is flowing into the adult church too, I can see a huge change in the brethren since the arrival of the new Pastor. I thank God for all He has done and will continue to do in their lives. May His name alone be praised.
– Sis. FE
Narrated: October 13th 2020
© God’s Lighthouse, 2020
