I asked the Lord to give me this child, and he has given me my request. Now I am giving him to the Lord, and he will belong to the Lord his whole life." (1 Sam 1:27) What a beautiful prayer Hannah offered on behalf of her son Samuel. She had waited for this son with such longing and anticipation. Allowing her son to be raised in the temple was the ultimate sacrifice for Hannah, but she was willing to do so in obedience to the Holy Spirit. God had a special purpose for Samuel. God has a special purpose for our children.

"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope". Pro. 29:11. Are those plans just for adults, or do they include the children? I believe they do.

Satan’s lust for power began long before Pokeman or He-Man, Master of the Universe and the thousands of toys on the market today with occult symbolism. His lust for power cost him his position as chief musician in the heavenlies. Because God would not tolerate his pride and drive for power Satan was cast out. "How you are fallen from heaven, O shining star, son of the morning! You have been thrown down to the earth, you who destroyed the nations of the world. For you said to yourself, ‘I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God’s stars. I will preside on the mountain of the gods far away in the north. I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High". Isa 14:12,13

His drive to control has not moderated. Actually he’s had centuries to hone his skills. He has claimed souls for his filthy habitation for thousands of years, but I believe he finally got to the level he wanted – the children. He’s always had access to our children, but in these days it seems they are bowing to the desire for power at any cost, and they know Satan can give them the power they seek. They are living in deception, yet so few seem to care. It’s tragic. He knows that if he can snatch the soul of a child, he will most likely have that soul for all eternity.

Abel was the second child born into the world. All we know about this man is that his parents were Adam and Eve, he was a shepherd, he presented pleasing offerings to God, and his short life was ended at the hands of his jealous older brother, Cain. Here we see that it didn’t take long for evil to enter the heart man.

Who is responsible for the children?

Many parents want to make all the choices for their child, but this hurts him or her in the long run. When parents teach a child how to make decisions, they don’t have to watch every step he or she takes. They know their children will remain on the right path because they have made the choice themselves. Train your children to choose the right way from birth and never give up on them even if/when they choose to walk away.

To the Children:

Dare we let our children have role models whose only ambition and goal is either money or fame regardless of how they get it? Look at some children’s rooms and see the grotesque, satanic posters, the pictures of athletes who abuse others and their own bodies with drugs and other illegal substances. We should be shaken to the core, especially when we allow these kinds of ‘trophies’ in Christian homes. Parents, you will be held responsible, believe me.

Move the TV out of their rooms and monitor what they watch. I had no idea how many cartoons we allowed our children to watch were full of witchcraft, violence. Do not allow children to watch those programs. The TV is a good baby sitter for busy parents, but it is also the source of evil influence and violence. Are we allowing this in our own homes?

Monitor what they read: Especially textbooks and extracurricular material. Speak up for your children in your schools. Libraries are full of books with attractive covers. The cover and perhaps the "recommended reading" on the back are designed to entice a parent to OK the book, but look through it. If it contains material, which you would not read in Christ’s presence, do not give it your stamp of approval.

Better the children be angry with us for a time than for them to be lost forever. The mind is truly the devils’ workshop, and he prefers his workshop have no doors so he may freely roam in and out.

Put the computer in a central location and check frequently what they are looking at. Install a program on your computer to block access to the sites with smut. There is an on/off key – use it when necessary.

Rock Music is addictive. There’s very little constructive content in the lyrics; the beat is designed to put one in a state of "going with the flow" – an open door to fulfill the lust of the flesh. I don’t expect to make points with this comment, but I’m a senior citizen now and have seen the influence of rock music from all perspectives.

Teach them, from the Bible that you value them too much to let them endanger their lives.

Sometimes the best and only thing you can do as a grandparent is to commit them to the Lord in prayer. Give your adult children your support; let them know you are praying for them on a regular basis. Be available but don’t follow your instincts to jump in and take over unless you can see the children are in danger or are being neglected. Try to be a shining example to them of the Christian walk. We who are now grandparents learned parenting the hard way, often with many mistakes. I often joke that being a grandma gives me the opportunity to redeem myself for mistakes made with our own children.

How it all ends for the evil one: