Use Me Too!

If you can use anything Lord you can use me. Right? How often do our children hear this song or phrase used in church and think, “Well God can use me but not until I am 16.” Why do most children think this way? Is it because that is what they were told or because that is just the way things seem to work. “I know I can help lead in children’s church, once I am in sixth grade.” Sometimes I wonder if we as children’s ministers encourage this type of thinking. I know that I have found myself falling into this trap. “I will have Susie lead prayer tonight because she is the oldest and has the most experience.” What I have noticed happening is that my younger children are the ones leading in prayer and bringing the older children to a deeper level.

God does not look for age or experience. He simply looks for availability and a heart that is hungry to hear from Him. God chose a lowly shepherd boy to become Israel’s king. He was anointed as a boy to take this position and yet his own father did not even consider him to be in the running. David was called a man after God’s own heart. The prophet that anointed David grew up in the presence of the Lord. (I Samuel 2:21 NLT) When Samuel was born his mother gave him to the Lord to be used in the priesthood. When God first spoke to him, he went to his leader Eli because he did not know God’s voice. It was Eli that told Samuel that God was trying to speak to him. The next time God called Samuel’s name he answered by saying “…your servant is listening.” (I Samuel 3:9 NLT) He was told the plans that God had to bring the Israelites back into right-standing. Josiah became king at the age of eight. In I Kings 13:2 it was prophesied that Josiah would tear down all the altars that were being used to worship idols. During his reign as king, Josiah did just as the prophecy said. He was a king like no other in the history of Israel. (II Kings 23:25 NLT) These are all examples of God using a child to bring His people back to him. In the New Testament it was the children who cried Hosanna in Jerusalem and realized who Jesus really was.

I believe that it is our responsibility to let the children in our care know that they can be used by God. We need to train, equip, and provide opportunity for children to minister. In a recent children’s prayer conference a group of children were lead into intercession by a missionary kid from Africa. When that missionary kid began to intercede during a video about Africa other children came forth to minister to him. What began with three kids praying (one for a country, two for the missionary kid) ended up with 20-30 children all praying in agreement for that continent.

Recently on a Sunday night a group of seven girls prayed for the youth in the altar service. These girls felt comfortable doing this because they had been trained to pray with others, and they were told that it was ok to pray with the older kids. In a Shekinah Kids meeting this past week 15 kids entered into intercession for the AIDS orphans in Africa. In this case it was the younger group of children that lead the older group into a deeper level of prayer. They were equipped with the facts, statistics, and pictures. They had been trained in the purpose of intercession. They were given opportunity by being able to pray how they wanted in an atmosphere where they felt safe.

It is our responsibility to provide that atmosphere. If we lead them to that place and let God take care of the rest, great things can happen. Children will be the leaders in the greatest revival we have ever seen or heard of, but we must be the ones that help clear the way for them to begin to minister. Remember these are not just kids but they are God’s kids!