LEARNING TO DISCERN YOUR CHILDREN'S PATH

Chapter Three

DISCERNING THEM BY INSPIRATION OR GODLY DESIRE.

God respond to desires."  -Tope Akinyele

1 Samuel  1:9 So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the LORD. 

1:10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore. 

1:11 And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, THEN I WILL GIVE HIM UNTO THE LORD ALL THE DAYS OF HIS LIFE, AND THERE SHALL NO RAZOR COME UPON HIS HEAD.

This is beyond being tired of a situation but an inspiration that has a deep commitment in it. That's why a lot of us has made promises and never fulfilled them because in the first place we are not inspired to do so. Inspiration makes you committed to your word, it's a burning desire that keeps your heart. Now, we see a woman, Hannah, as she prayed to the Lord and also said if the Lord give her a man child, note she was specific about it, that's supplication. So, she said she will give him back to the Lord all the days of his life. Now, we must learn to fully commit our children to the Lord first. The law of given is not just to give but to first give yourself to the Lord. This we also see that Abraham did as he gave Isaac up when the Lord asked him of it. This can only be done by inspiration on the guide of love for God. I love parents that have committed themselves and their children to the Lord.
Hannah is highly sensitive and meant what she said, I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life. This is how you'll know it was inspired, even when her husband knew her after that prayer she was still committed, a lot of times as you trust on God for a child, immediately after prayer there is need to go and know your wife through sexual intercourse. This is to seal what has been prayed for. Faith without works is dead. James 2:26

1 Samuel  1:19 And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the LORD, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: AND ELKANAH KNEW HANNAH HIS WIFE; AND THE LORD REMEMBERED HER.

You notice the process? Good.

Now lets see what happened next.

1 Samuel  1:20 WHEREFORE IT CAME TO PASS, when the time was come about after HANNAH HAD CONCEIVED, THAT SHE BARE A SON, AND CALLED HIS NAME SAMUEL, SAYING, BECAUSE I HAVE ASKED HIM OF THE LORD.

Wherefore means owing to what happened, she conceived and named the son according to her
experience before and during conception. These were all inspired. We are going somewhere. We need to see her commitment to the child, please carefully note the words.

1 Samuel  1:21 And the man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer unto the LORD the yearly sacrifice, and his vow. 

1:22 But Hannah went not up; for she said unto her husband, I will not go up until the child be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the LORD, and there abide for ever. 

1:23 And Elkanah her husband said unto her, Do what seemeth thee good; tarry until thou have weaned him; only the LORD establish his word. So the woman abode, and gave her son suck until she weaned him. 

1:24 And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the LORD in Shiloh: and THE CHILD WAS YOUNG. 

1:25 And they slew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli. 

1:26 And she said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the LORD. 

1:27 For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him: 

1:28 Therefore also I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD. And he worshipped the LORD there.

This family is first committed to the Lord. They yearly go to offer sacrifices to the Lord and they are committed to it. Something happened that need to be learnt, Hannah said she's not going until she wean the child, and then she will go and make him to appear before the Lord and to appear there for ever. This is important, she don't change her commitment to give her child to God after the prayers, her desire and inspiration was still intact, she said to appear before the Lord. Now, what will the appearing of the child before the Lord do. She want to commit herself fully to the Lord as she said by inspiration and desire. We saw that when she fully wean the child, she then went up, in a sense I feel she wanted the child to grow up a little with some understanding. Children have ears, you don't take them to school before they learn to know you as their parent, they just know that as little children. They have developed ears to hear a little, I feel that's what Hannah wanted to do, so that when she is committing him to the Lord both in words and in
action, the boy will hear it. See this...

1 Samuel  1:24 And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, AND BROUGHT HIM UNTO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD IN SHILOH: AND THE CHILD WAS YOUNG.

I love the action of this woman, she took the child back where she asked the child of the Lord, in Shiloh, in the house of the Lord, carefully note, the Bible says the child was young, not a baby but young or a boy, he has gained some measure of growth.

27 I asked the Lord to give me this boy, and he has granted my request.

28 Now I am giving him to the Lord, and he will belong to the Lord his whole life.” And
they worshiped the Lord there. NLT.

You can discern a child through inspiration or a desire to give him to the Lord. Now, we should all give our children to the Lord. Raising them according to the fear of the Lord. We all knew what became of Samuel. He stood as the  prophet of  Israel and God used him greatly.
As parents don't have the fear of committing your children to the Lord. He knows how to help you bring them into the right path or His purpose for them. In fact God has been their God from the womb.

Psalms  22:10  I was cast upon thee from the womb: THOU ART MY GOD FROM MY MOTHER'S BELLY.

Psalms  139:13  For thou hast possessed my
reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.

So you'll understand when the Lord said to Jeremiah.

Jeremiah  1:5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

I encourage you today, that as you make known the way of the Lord to your children and also as you discern the way they ought to go by observation and prayers and also by inspiration or by commitment God will hold them by the hand and bear them on His wings like an eagle. Every child deserves to know his path in life, whether business, entertainment, ministry, to mention a few, all to be handle with deep reverence to God, when the
foundation is properly laid, you have no need of fear because they will never depart from it as God's word said.