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When was the last time you found yourself trusting the Father wholeheartedly like a small child?

By Dawn Hill

“Listen to this truth: No one will enter the kingdom realm of heaven unless he becomes like one of these!”- Matthew 19:14 TPT

As I was putting my little girl to bed the other night, I laid my hand on her and began praying for her. It was a precious moment because as I was praying, she repeatedly declared, “yes!” to every thing I was speaking over her. I find myself thinking about that moment lately, and the other things I have watched our two year old daughter do when it comes to the things of God. I have watched her join us as we lay hands on people and pray for healing. My heart has melted as she dances and sings, shouting the Name of Jesus and lifting her little hands to heaven, sometimes joining me in worship or inviting me to join her. She gives an “amen” at times when we end a prayer. Her innocence is beautiful and contagious, as it should be because we are to be like this little one. We are called to inhabit the Kingdom of God with childlike faith.

In all of our striving and our desire to attain great authority and power and to be great warriors in the army of God (I am not dismissing these things), we forget that simple yet profound Scripture that Jesus Himself declared in Matthew 19:14. As little children were brought to Him for blessing and prayer, the disciples scolded the people bringing the children and considered it a minor thing for Jesus to do. They did not want Him bothered. After all, the anointing is for the adults, right? The children can be blessed and receive prayer later. Don't miss the lesson here. Jesus is teaching us something!

Jesus corrects the situation, and He puts proper light on the subject. He says,

“I want little children to come to me, so never interfere with them when they want to come, for heaven's kingdom realm is composed of beloved ones like these! Listen to this truth: No one will enter the kingdom realm of heaven unless he becomes like one of these!” Matthew 19:14 TPT

Notice what He says here; do not interfere when the children want to come, and no one enters the kingdom of heaven unless he is like a child. I have some things to share with you on this matter.

Mature childlike faith

Have you ever noticed how easy it is for children to simply believe something? With children, there are no walls of religion to demo. There are no spiritual landmines to dig up. My daughter is learning at an early age the first response to situations is prayer, praise and worship to God, and she simply believes it and does it. I have seen it with my own eyes, and you will never convince me otherwise that this two year old does not understand in some capacity. She oozes childlike faith. You, my beloved brother and sister in Christ are to be the same way.

When Abba Father has said it, we should believe it. It is an interesting paradox, this sonship that we have with the Father. We cannot enter the Kingdom of heaven without being born again and becoming childlike, but we are also called to be mature enough so that we can chew on the meat of the Word rather than having to drink the milk. Many people spend much of their time asking, “why?” all the time like a little child, but they do not mature spiritually to get past the question and onto His promises. When was the last time you found yourself trusting the Father wholeheartedly like a small child, swallowing the meat of the Word?

The truth is found in the Word of God. We cannot inherit the Kingdom of heaven without childlike faith, and we cannot be fully effective for His glory without growing up in the Spirit. It is possible to maintain such purity and innocence in faith before the Lord even as an adult that we still believe He is the God of miracles and the God who heals. It is not simply faith, but childlike faith that is to be part of our spiritual DNA. You can be a spiritual powerhouse and still maintain that wide eyed wonder of Him.

Awakening includes the little ones

Now, let's not forget the children in age that are before us. Jesus warned His disciples to never interfere with them when they wanted to come. The question I would ask is, “Are we interfering and not even aware of it?” I am not against programs and fun for our children. However, I wonder if we are pacifying children with entertainment in our corporate settings and not truly encouraging them to encounter the King of glory because we have decided to set the standard for when they can encounter Him, while abandoning childlike faith ourselves. Revival is not only for adults. If we are stewarding our little ones well, this should only be intensifying with them.

Earlier that same day with my daughter, I saw an internal vision in prayer of very young children praying over older youth. This image is burned in my mind. Much of the church has placed limitations on our children. We believe that the Holy Spirit is limited to the adults, and we place limitations on little children flowing with the move of the Spirit. The truth is that we have forgotten the call to childlike faith, and we muzzle it in our own children. I say this not to condemn, but to awaken us. God is going to confound the wise with the innocence of the young. I believe what I saw will minister to this generation that has been deemed “too far gone”, causing them to confess that it has to be God  when the very young minister to the older ones.

We must retain childlike faith while encouraging our children, no matter what age, to step out and to know Jesus Christ at a young age and to minister His Word by His Spirit. He is the same Holy Spirit whether someone is two or eighty-two years old. Let us not tell our children that they can minister to others at an age we deem appropriate so as to be taken seriously. Jesus declared the standard for childlike faith, not ministry age etiquette. We have a world to turn upside down for His glory. What better way to do that than to unleash spiritual dynamite in small packages, our children.

Dawn Hill is a prophetic voice and writer known as the Lovesick Scribe. Her ministry focuses on passionately pursuing the Bridegroom while encouraging others to do the same. She serves at Impact HUB in Bristol, Virginia, training and equipping fellow believers to hear the voice of God and to function in the gift of prophecy. She resides in Virginia with her husband and daughter.

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