There is a great need among our ministries and churches that has received more and more attention in recent years. The significance of children’s ministry and what it means to truly reach a child is being realized across the country and it is very exciting. Children are hungry for God as never before. When praying for a child to receive the Holy Ghost, we have the opportunity to guide a child in the most life-changing experience he or she will ever know. In this article, you will find insights and concepts that help you understand the importance of praying with children and how to see children filled with the Holy Ghost.
From a glance, it seems as though the disciples were doing the right thing. Jesus was probably teaching the crowd a life altering sermon or perhaps He was about to rebuke an all-knowing Pharisee. Whatever the case was, he disciples didn’t believe that a group of children took priority over whatever Jesus was occupied with. But Jesus sets the record straight. He says, “for such is the Kingdom of God.” He doesn’t stop there, but He then establishes the importance of being child-like, “whosoever shall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.” Not only are children of the Kingdom of God, but so is their child-like faith. When a child approaches the Kingdom, he isn’t looking through the same lens as you or I. A child’s faith hasn’t been attacked by the doubt or deceit that adults face on a daily basis. A child sees the kingdom of God as it is. There is a reason why Jesus commands us to return to a child-like faith. The way a child perceives the Kingdom is the way God intended for us as well. Whenever a child is praying for the gift of the Holy Ghost, it is important to realize that what they are doing is receiving the Kingdom of God. When you pray with a child, you are not just getting him to say a few words about Jesus, but in all reality you are guiding Him into the Kingdom! This concept should not intimidate us, but rather it should excite us! The key word is receive. We should never view praying with children as working towards a goal but instead it is them receiving a gift that is available for them to have.
In order for us to effectively reach a child we must be on their level. This does not mean we are to become “childish” but instead we are to be child-like. Just as a child approaches the Kingdom of God with a pure faith, we must approach the child in the same way. Since it is the child that is praying for the Holy Ghost, God does not necessarily respond to our faith as much as He responds to the child’s. It is our job to simply build and impart faith into their lives. Building one another’s faith is something we see throughout the Bible on many occasions. Before Peter walked on the water, Jesus compelled Him to take a step of faith. I Thessalonians 5:11 says to encourage one another and build one another. As prayer workers, it is our place to build up a child’s faith and to encourage them. When you approach a child, believe that he will receive the Holy Ghost. Believe that God will meet the child’s needs. Another word for “impart” is to “bestow.” Bestow means to “confer as a gift or to deposit.” When you impart faith to a person, you are making a “faith deposit” into their lives. We are not giving them the Holy Ghost but we are building faith that they can receive it. If you receive a check, and the depositor does not have enough funds to support the check, you have received a powerless piece of paper. We cannot make empty deposits into a child’s life and expect their faith to grow. If there’s nothing in the bank, there’s nothing to receive. Just as a child is sensitive to the Spirit of God, they are also sensitive to doubt. A child can tell when we are faking it. If we approach the child with doubt, we are making a deposit of doubt. Before we ever begin to pray with a child, we must first examine ourselves. One question I always ask myself is, “Have I reached the place that the child is seeking after?” In other words, I can’t help a person reach a destination that I haven’t been myself. If we are trying to lead a child to receive the Holy Ghost, we ourselves should be Spirit-filled. Before we can lead someone to a place of repentance, we ourselves must repent. If we are encouraging a child to make a renewed commitment to God, it is important that we have reached a place of commitment ourselves. The key is to get out of the way of that God can have His way. Any doubt or hindrance in our spirit must be submitted to God. When we rid ourselves of anything that could hinder God’s Spirit, that is when God can work in us and through us.
