Personally Speaking

Isaiah 55:10-11

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁰ As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
¹¹ so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

I read a blog recently that spoke about a family that assigns life verses to their children. Once they are able to identify the talents and personal nature of that child they search the bible for a verse to continually speak over that child. They even had the verse painted onto the nursery wall of their oldest child, because his life verse was given to him before he was born. He had some health issues that they discovered while he was still in the womb, and they began speaking a particular verse over his life. (Article Link:http://www.truewoman.com/?id=1627)

I began to think about this as a parent, and I do pray Proverbs 22:6 over my children quite often. Life is so full of outside forces that I often become internally worried about the job I am doing and how they are going to turn out in the end. But, I find peace in speaking over them that if I train them in the way that they should go, they will not depart from it when they are older.

But I did decide that as I saw the gifts of my children begin to flourish, I would find a verse to begin speaking over them as individuals. I don't want it to serve as a life mantra, but a prayer for their outcome as individuals and as members of society. God blessed me last night with finding a verse that I felt was fitting for my son. And, ironically I've been speaking it over him jokingly, but in my quiet time with God I actually found the verse and decided I would begin to speak it over him.

My son often comes into the room and asks "Did someone call me?" when absolutely no one was talking about him or even times, no one was speaking at all. And, it's not uncommon for him to come back several times and do that. So I started telling him "Hey, if you hear it again...just say yes, Lord, because he's probably trying to talk to you."

Last night in my study I found 1 Samuel 3:10,19

1 Samuel 3:10

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁰ The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”

Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

1 Samuel 3:19

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁹ The LORD was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground.

I've always felt my son was prophetically gifted and could hear from God from the very start. I still believe that about him even today, although he says he doesn't feel like he hears from God anymore. I will now be sure to pray these verses over him, so that his gift and his relationship with God will continue to be strengthened.

I am also fortunate enough to have in my Bible to Speak the Word Prayers to go along with those verses. Speak to me, Lord. I am listening for Your voice. Adapted from 1 Samuel 3:10 and God, I thank You that I continue to grow spiritually, You will be with me and let none of my words be wasted and fall to the ground. Adapted from 1 Samuel 3:19

I also took note that I had done this for myself without necessarily realizing it. The Proverbs 31 Woman (Proverbs 31: 10-31) has always has always been a great influence in my life. My job as a wife and a mother are important to me and my mind often travels back to her as an influence.

In October of last year God revealed to me Deuteronomy 28:1-14 and I found such peace and comfort in it. Especially because of where I was at the time and seeing it again from time to time reminds me of where I've been and where I am going.

Deuteronomy 28:1-14

New International Version (NIV)

Deuteronomy 28

Blessings for Obedience

¹ If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. ² All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God:

³ You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.

⁴ The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.

⁵ Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed.

⁶ You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.

⁷ The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.

⁸ The LORD will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The LORD your God will bless you in the land he is giving you.

⁹ The LORD will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the LORD your God and walk in obedience to him. ¹⁰ Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they will fear you. ¹¹ The LORD will grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground—in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you.

¹² The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. ¹³ The LORD will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the LORD your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. ¹⁴ Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other gods and serving them.

And fortunately again my Bible has a Speak the Word Prayer for 2 of the verses: God, I will listen diligently to Your voice and be watchful to do all Your commandments, and I am expecting Your favor and blessing in my life. Adapted from Deuteronomy 28:1,2 and Thank You, God, that You have made me the head and not the tail, that I am above only and not beneath anything or anyone. Adapted from Deuteronomy 28:13

Those are the verses I am choosing to speak over my life and my son's life. I am excited to see what God will reveal to me over time concerning my daughters and even my husband. I would even like to do a project with the kids where we turn their (and even my) life verses into art to hang around the house. It will be something special they can always take with them when they leave and I'm always looking for ways to make memories. So this can serve as both. t

I encourage you today to seek God out about the verses you should be praying over your life, your spouse's life, your kid's life, and I wouldn't even knock finding a verse to pray over a friend or family member's life. Allow God to use you and take heart that his word will not return empty!