Would You Dare to Ask God to Share a Secret?

Your child is gifted.

 We all know Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” In translating from the original Hebrew language, which is more precise than our English, the Amplified Bible reads:

“Train up a child in the way he should go [and in keeping with his individual gift or bent], and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Prov. 22:6, TAB

From the original Hebrew we see each child has a gift or bent -- a direction he should go that fits with his God-given passion -- that he will never abandon once trained in it.

Discovering this is one of the most important things we can help our children do.

God might even use it to reform that sector of society for His glory.

George Washington Carver is a great example of using his gifts.

Though he was from a humble background, he did great things that had an impact worldwide and , revolutionized the farming industry.

In Carver's day peanuts were primarily used for animal food. His passionate research in his lab and prayer for God to share His secrets resulted in the discovery of hundreds of uses for peanuts: blackberry punch, dry coffee, 32 different kinds of milk, peanut flakes, cream cheese, potato nibs, pancake flour, and more.

He did the same for sweet potatoes, the soy pea, the cowpea, the pecan, and okra.

How did he think of all these things?

He pursued his science passion and prayed every time he entered his lab, which he named “God’s Little Workshop”. He credited Divine inspiration for giving him ideas for how to perform his experiments.

“Mr. Creator, what was the peanut made for?” he would ask. “What do you want to know about it?” he said the Lord replied. And then his questions got more specific. “Can I make milk out of the peanut?”

"And then the Great Creator taught me to take the peanut apart and put it together again. And out of the process have come forth all of these products!” said Carver.

Jan 21, 1921, at the request of the United Peanut Growers Association, he was asked to address the U.S. House and Ways Means Committee and shared how to use peanuts to improve the economy. Was initially given 10 minutes to speak, but then was told, “Go ahead, brother, your time is unlimited.” He ended up taking an hour and 45 minutes. They asked him where he learned all these wonderful things. He said, “From an old book.” They asked which book. He answered, “The Bible.” “Does the Bible tell us about peanuts?” the chairman asked. “No Sir,” Dr. Carver replied, “But it tells about the God who made the peanut. I asked Him to show me what to do with the peanut and He did.”

This was only one of many opportunities he had to impact society and shine for the Kingdom.

I heard this story years ago and it inspired me to pray for my children's giftings, that God would share with them His secrets about whatever He has uniquely gifted them to do.

Even now, I'm watchful as my oldest son Dillon who is attending medical school at Stanford University has been given a unique opportunity. His passion is bioethics (ummm.....didn't get that from me....). One of the few Christian professors at this liberal school is recognized as the world expert on bioethics, and invited Dillon to collaborate on a research project about the bioethics of genetic engineering. They are now one year into their research and I can hardly wait to see what God unfolds before this is over.

I continue to pray, "Lord, show Dillon your secrets."

How might God use our children to reform society for His glory if we help them identify their gifts, pursue these passions, and ask the Lord to share with them His secrets about them?

"Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men." Prov. 22:29

Pray this prayer:

Father, help me to discover my children's unique giftings and talents, and encourage them to cultivate them.

I ask you to share with each of my children your secrets so they might bless the world and bring glory to your Name. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

 If you prayed this prayer, comment below "Amen!"

P.S. The Coach Mom Tribe is diving deep on practical ways to discover and nurture our children's gifts. We are walking together, making great progress in our homes and families each month. Click here to be notified next time the doors open to the Coach Mom Tribe.