Discerning Your Children’s Gifts

As my older children are fast approaching young adult age, I am becoming more aware of the importance of the right career choice for each of them, especially in the uncertain times we live now, where things are changing and shifting every day.

I was blessed with parents and an older sister who recognized my musical gift. There was a time when I wanted to quit from developing the gift of playing piano. Thankfully, my older sister and her husband had prophetic insight and vision and convinced me to continue my music studies in the music college in Latvia—I know now that God used them to point me in the right direction. Often, people around us can see the leading gift in us. Therefore, we need to be sensitive and able to discern the voice of God in others concerning the career path that we must take.

Where there is no [wise, intelligent] guidance, the people fall [and go off course like a ship without a helm], But in the abundance of [wise and godly] counselors there is victory. Proverbs 11:14 (AMP)

Going back to children. God has endowed parents with spiritual wisdom and discernment to direct the children the way they should go (Proverbs 22:6). The Passion Translation says, “train them in the direction they are best suited to go.” Some Jewish scholars teach this means understanding your children’s talents and then seeing that they go into that field.  

Identifying and helping our children to tap into their giftedness is essential. As parents, we need to encourage, nurture and help to develop those gifts. We can observe their natural gifts and abilities from the early years and see what they are naturally passionate about.

Sometimes, parents want to live their lives through their children—they want their children to accomplish the dreams they probably never got to achieve in a full capacity. That is a dangerous ambition!

We first read the instruction manual before we attempt to operate a new gadget or a kitchen device. Similarly, we need to inquire our Heavenly Father concerning our children what has to do with their calling, purpose in life. Our Heavenly Father created them for a specific purpose with a specific gift to serve humanity. So, the parent’s task is to help the child recognize, channel, nurture, and develop that gift to the best of their ability.

Sometimes before conception or while the mother is carrying the child,  God shows the child’s purpose, the calling if you desire. It happened to me before I got pregnant with my 5^th child. God gave me the name and the calling of my child. In the Spirit, I was able to see what he will do in the Kingdom of God.  In the Bible we can see that Hannah made a vow to God; if He grants her a son, she will dedicate him back to God. And because of Hannah’s vow (1 Samuel 1:11) the great prophet Samuel was born.

Judges 13:2-5 tells the story of an angel appearing to Manoah’s wife. Interestingly, his wife’s name is not mentioned in the Bible. The angel said, “You are barren and childless, but you are going to become pregnant and give birth to a son.” And Samson’s purpose was to deliver Israel from the hands of the Philistines.

 Also, an angel foretold John’s (the forerunner of Jesus) calling and destiny before his conception. (Luke 1:12-17).

The thing that I found so interesting and fascinating is that all these women could not conceive by natural standards—they were barren. God delights in using impossible situations, and great men and women were born through supernatural conceptions. There is nothing impossible for God. If you desire a child and reading this article, I believe that the Spirit of God is moving upon you, and I declare a supernatural conception and pregnancy in the name of Jesus. He is wiping away your tears and disappointment to make them into divine appointments. There is a need to birth God’s generals, prophets, evangelists in this day and age. The Holy Spirit is looking for those who are willing and yielding to His purposes. Like Mary said: “Yes! I will be a mother for the Lord! As His servant, I accept whatever he has for me.” Luke 1:38 (TPT)

So, my prayer is that “the Father of Glory, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, would impart to you the riches of the Spirit of wisdom and the Spirit of revelation”(Ephesians 1:17) to know and discern the purpose and calling of our children.

God has equipped you with everything you need to train them up to be whatever God has called them to be. God never makes mistakes. He has trusted the kids to you for a certain season to train and equip them to be as sharp arrows reaching the target for the glory of God when the time is due.