This weekend, Carol Kornacki came to my church to minister. During the course of her sermon, she spoke about the importance of raising your children to be “weapons of mass destruction”. This means teaching your children to pray, to operate in the Holy Spirit, and to recognize who they are in Christ so that they can effectively minister, even at a young age. She played the video (above) of a 5-year old boy praying.

Apparently, when asked where he learned to pray like that, the boy replied, “My Momma showed me how.” Wow. At the age of five, this little boy has already learned how to pray powerful, scriptural prayers. And he learned because his mom took the time to show him. She allowed him to watch her as she got into God’s presence and interceded for those around her. She taught him how to do it himself.

When I was visiting a church in Bogotá, Columbia, I saw children as young as five laying hands on adults and praying for deliverance. Incredibly, those adults were visibly being set free. How did these children learn to tap into the power of the Holy Spirit like that? From their parents, who were pastors and cell leaders in the church.

What an awesome responsibility we have as parents! I think that, while it’s important and biblical to find a quiet place where you can be alone and pray, it’s also just as important and biblical to show your children how to talk to God(Deut 6:6-7). And, beyond just talking to Him, how to intercede, to tap into the power of the Holy Spirit and release it into earthly circumstances.

Anyone who has invited Jesus into their life has the Holy Spirit living inside of them. Romans 8:11 says that the same power that raised Christ from the grave lives in us. I don’t believe for a second that the power of the Holy Spirit lives only in people over the age of 20. This verse applies to all believers, regardless of gender, race, denominational background, or age. We can – and we must – show our children how to get a hold of God’s heart, how to be vessels of His Holy Spirit, and how to stand firm in the authority He has given us.

Thus inspired, I had part of my morning prayer time today while Evelyn was awake, instead of waiting until her nap time. Amazingly, although she rarely sits still, she cuddled with me for about five or ten minutes while I prayed for her. It was both precious and powerful.

And although her prayers currently consist of  “Jzzzz” (Jesus) and “Amain” (Amen), I know that if I am consistent, she too can be a powerful prayer warrior, sensitive to the Holy Spirit and effectively interceding, by the age of five.