Bethel’s Kris Vallotton: 5 Ways to Mentor the Next Generation in Supernatural Ministry

How many times have you seen a child move in the supernatural in church? I’m shocked to see that in most modern churches children are relegated to a lower seat in church. We’re missing it because Jesus himself said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not forbid them. For to such belongs the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 19:14).

It’s time we begin to listen to the truth that the kingdom belongs to children too. Imagine a world where kids are empowered in the supernatural; taught to hear from and have a real, living and breathing relationship with God; and are equipped with tools to overcome the schemes of the enemy? I know the world would be a better place. And it’s our job as adults to empower little ones into the breakthrough they’re carrying. So how do we do that?

Here are five things I believe we need to teach our children and grandchildren:

1. Teach them to value dreams.

I’m not talking about dreams of the heart here, although that’s also very important. What I mean is that children are very in tuned to the supernatural realm, and I know that many people start off life as night dreamers. Ask your children questions about their dreams, help them remember and unravel what God was speaking to them at night.

Better yet, teach them how to interpret their own dreams and you’ll be equipping them for a lifetime of hearing God in this unique way. If you don’t know to interpret dreams, get equipped and impart your knowledge to your children.

2. Expect them to hear from God.

This is so important if we want our kids to experience the reality of a relationship with Jesus for themselves. Start small with questions like, “If Jesus walked into the room right now, what would He say to that person?” By asking questions like this, we’re teaching them to not only hear from God but also feel what God feels for His children, how He thinks about them and how He wants to encounter them.

Let’s teach our children and grandchildren to encourage one another! And, in time, ask them, “And what else would He say?” So you can impart a hunger for more of God and how to press in deeper.

3. Include them in ministry.

I love watching families minister together. We have a saying around here at Bethel that there’s no such thing as a junior Holy Spirit. What we mean by that is children carry the power of Holy Spirit just as much as an adult would! We have kids in our Healing Rooms every Saturday praying over people who travel here from all over the world to be touched by the healing power of God. Teach your kids how to pray for the sick and prophesy. I know you’ll be amazed at the way the Lord uses them.

4. Expose them to miracles.

Sometimes we protect our kids from the challenges of life because we want to protect them from pain. I know it’s the heart of any parent to want to shield our children from the woes of the world. However, if we protect our children from pain, then they don’t realize when a miracle happens. We can’t expect them to understand the reality of the mountain that had to move for the miracle to occur if they don’t know that a mountain was there in the first place.

In our family, we teach our children that not only is God faithful to us adults, but He is also faithful to them exactly where they are in life. When God breaks through in a miracle for our family, it’s for all of us to celebrate and be thankful for.

5. Invite angels into their lives.

I pray for the angelic to be active in my children and grandchildren’s lives. I also teach them to ask angels into their own lives. Matthew 18:10 tells us there are angels assigned to each child. Why is this important? Because whether we want it to or not, our children will be exposed to spiritual warfare in some way or another as they grow up, and we should equip them with what they need to understand and overcome that.

2 Corinthians 5:16 says, “So from now on we do not regard anyone according to the flesh. Yes, though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet we do not regard Him as such from now on.” We need to learn to know our children by the spirit, and not just by the flesh. The truth is that someone profound is growing up in your home. They should be able to use the gift of distinguishing of spirits (1 Cor. 12:10) to identify who to trust, who the noble people are around them and how to distinguish the angelic (not just negative spirits).

Powerful Little People

It goes without saying that it’s a great honor to raise up God’s powerful little people into the destinies He has over their lives. I want to encourage you today to start looking at your kids in a different light—in the light of their spirits, not just their flesh. Ask the Lord to show you how He sees your children and the power He’s placed inside of them. Write it down and encourage them in it!

Do you include your children in ministry? How do you teach them about the supernatural? Tell me about it in the comments! {eoa}

Kris Vallotton is the senior associate leader of Bethel Church in Redding, California, and cofounder of Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry (BSSM). Kris travels internationally, training and equipping people to successfully fulfill their divine purpose. He’s a best-selling author, having written more than a dozen books and training manuals to help prepare believers for life in the kingdom. He has a diverse background in business, counseling, consulting, pastoring and teaching, which gives him unique leadership insights and perspectives. Kris has a passion to use his experience and his prophetic gift to assist world leaders in achieving their goals and accomplishing their mission.

This article originally appeared at krisvallotton.com.