Let the Children Come to Me (Part 7): Spiritual Authority and Blessing
God has given believing parents (and grandparents) the gift of spiritual authority within their household. This can be simply understood as the spiritual authority we have being united to Christ and having Him with us at all times. We live within His full authority (Matthew 28:18, 20). In addition, we also have the right to speak blessings over our household and even those who aren’t related to us. Let’s dive in!
When Peter meets Jesus on the shore after Jesus’ resurrection, Peter is ashamed. But Jesus recommissions him and calls him to be a shepherd of God’s people. How interesting, then, to find Peter speak about what it’s like to shepherd others in 1 Peter 5. Notice how much Peter has learned and how tender his heart is in the passage below:
“So, I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker of the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.” 1 Peter 5:1-4
Why a shepherd? In this instance, Peter is talking about elders shepherding the flock of God. While there are differences between “elders shepherding church members” and “parents shepherding their children,” there are many similarities. For our discussion today, we’ll focus only on the similarities.
Every parent is a shepherd for their children, whether they know it or not. So, the question is simply: what are the rights and responsibilities of being a parent-shepherd? In 1 Peter 5:1-4, a shepherd’s calling is made clear. We are to shepherd willingly, eagerly and as gentle examples. We are called not to do this begrudgingly (as if compelled to do it), or to gain status or recognition from our children, or to be domineering.
God has given us a structure to follow, and those called to be shepherds are called to lead. As Peter says, shepherds are called to care for and build up their flock. This necessitates authority to govern and speak into the lives of those under them, but also to speak out God’s spiritual authority and blessing over them. To put it another way: we are God’s responsible agents for His people under our charge.
What does this look like practically? As parents, it can be as simple as a prayer spoken out loud for our children using their name. We take our God-given authority in the spiritual realm by speaking it out loud. God’s authority can be called for in any situation needed to deal with oppression, spiritual blindness, spiritual bondage, spiritual protection, etc. In fact, it’s precisely what individuals claim when speaking out the introductory prayers in the Steps to Freedom in Christ. There is a reason these prayers are placed at the beginning of the Steps! They impact the spiritual realm. Do the same for your children. You have the spiritual right to do so.
Recently, I’ve heard of two cases of childhood terrors. In one case, the parent took their child to the doctor. We have yet to hear what the doctor prescribed or if the child’s terrors have gotten better. In the other case, the grandmother took authority in prayer and cleansed the room in which the child slept. In fact, she was so spiritually aware that she sensed the battle was not complete and repeated the process. This brought peace and ended the child’s terrors.
If there’s a spiritual issue at play, we need to fight it with spiritual weapons. We have the authority in Christ to do so!
I'd also encourage you to start blessing those in your care. Spoken blessings are more powerful than we give them credit for. They can change the spiritual atmosphere in a person, a situation, and in ourselves. In the Bible, Jesus calls us to bless those who curse us (Luke 6:28). A blessing can bring about immediate changes in your children’s behavior and provide spiritual protection. Perhaps you have seen your child “spared” bodily harm, as I have. Was this a result of speaking blessings over them? I have no way to know. But I do know that blessing is one of the ways God works—and calls us to work. It is certainly worth putting it into practice.
So, why is taking authority and speaking blessing so helpful to us personally? Believing that we are powerless to help our children, those we love without measure, is one of the most discouraging things. If we believe this, it can cause us to drop into discouragement, depression, and a sense of helplessness. But in Christ, we are never powerless. We always have God’s power in us (Act 1:8), at work in us (Ephesians 3:20), and at work through us (1 John 4:8; Galatians 5:22-24). Never, ever believe the lie that you are powerless. Speak out your spiritual authority and blessings over those you love.