God set Jeremiah’s purpose and destiny before he was born. This is clear from Jeremiah 1:5 when God tells him, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” 

This is true for us too. Before we were born, God set a prophetic destiny for each of us. Even our children have set destinies in God. Your child has a pre-ordained purpose to fulfill in this lifetime. The onus is upon you as the parent to ensure that your child attains to their God-given purpose. Here are three steps to help you do just that:

STEP 1:  CAPTURE GOD’S KINGDOM MANDATE FOR YOUR CHILD

Parents cannot abdicate this responsibility. They must learn how to receive the Word of the Lord for their children. God is more willing to speak to you about your child than you are willing to hear Him. In 1 Chronicles 17:11-15 God speaks very specifically to David concerning Solomon’s purpose and destiny.

That’s why parents must be connected to God themselves. Parents must close the gap of proximity between God and themselves if they want to pick up the sound of heaven for their children. Before John the Baptist was born God, through a divine encounter, spoke to his father Zachariah about his arrival (read Luke 1:5-17). For the record, Zachariah was a priest who officiated in God’s temple. It was definitely his close proximity and regular interaction with the divine that resulted in this God-encounter. So parents must be found in God’s house and presence if they want to hear His voice. Only then will they be able to answer the following two questions:

• What has God spoken to me about my child?
• What is the Word of the Lord over my child’s life?

STEP 2: TRAIN YOUR CHILD TO DO WHAT GOD HAS MANDATED THEM TO DO

In the previous step we said that God spoke to David about Solomon’s destiny. But it is interesting to see how David subsequently acted on God’s Word concerning his son. For starters, David did not keep the Word to himself. While Solomon was still young, David made known to him the Word concerning his destiny and purpose (read 1 Chronicles 22:6-13).

Proverbs 22:6 tells us to, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” This text confirms how necessary it is for  your child to be trained and mentored into his or her purpose and destiny (which is the “way he should go”).

Psalm 127:4 says “Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth.” Two analogies are made here: the warrior and the parents, and the arrow and children. Ancients warriors were meticulous with their weaponry. They took time to craft every part of each arrow carefully: the shaft, the feathers, the nook, the arrowhead. They kept their arrows safe in their quivers. In the time of battle a warrior would carefully position the arrow in his bow and release it with maximum power & forward thrust.

Are you meticulously grooming your child for his/ her God assignment? How seriously have you taken the Word or promises of God spoken over your child’s life? Have you written these Words? Do you remind your child about them? Do you pray with your child concerning their Word and future?

STEP 3: MAKE ALL NECESSARY RESOURCES AVAILABLE FOR YOUR CHILD TO FULFILL THIS MANDATE

This is exactly what David did. From the time God spoke to him about Solomon and the temple Solomon would build, David prepared all the materials and supplies that would Solomon require (read 1 Chronicles 22:2-5, 14-17). He began when Solomon was young and continued till he died. Thus David dedicated his entire life to making preparations for Solomon.

Hannah did the same (read 1 Samuel 1:21-24; 2:18-19). She took time to nurture and suckle Samuel. She also made the effort of preparing a priestly robe for little Samuel every year. The robe was a powerful prophetic gesture on her part. It was her contribution to keep his heart focused on his prophetic future and destiny.

Parents must provide all the right resources and assist their children to connect to their destiny and purpose in God. Provide the necessary tools, resources, values, examples, education, influences, friends, people, environment, nutrition, routines, systems, structures, discipline and so on.

Final note:

There is no greater reward for a parent than to see their child fulfilling their God-given assignment in the earth.

David’s final word to Solomon is found in 1 Chronicles 22:19:

“Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God. Therefore arise and build the sanctuary of the LORD God, to bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD and the holy articles of God into the house that is to be built for the name of the LORD.”

When your child sets his or her heart to do what God has commanded, they attract God’s presence (the Ark). And where the God’s presence (the Ark) is, there is also extraordinary favour, success, blessing, stature, protection and much more. This is every parent’s dream for their children.