If you follow me on social media, you have probably heard me expressing my joy over my daughter Maddie (age 5) growing so much this past year, and how she has become more bold and brave. This was a journey over the past year, and so much of the change and progress we noticed in her came from prayer and speaking the word of God over her.

Since Maddie was born she has always been a tender-hearted child, which is perfectly the way God made her! When she turned two however, I noticed that she started to hide her face in my shirt, hide behind my leg, and she often would rather stay home than go somewhere with people. I worried that this would cause her to be fearful and timid, which proved to be true more and more until she turned four years old.

Shortly after her fourth birthday, she started 4's preschool, and the first few weeks were rough! She cried every time we dropped her off, and she held onto her teachers leg the rest of the time she was at school. It absolutely broke my heart, and I knew that I had to get serious about praying for her in this area. I started praying that the Lord would give her the spirit of boldness and bravery in exchange for the spirit of timidity and fear, and I also wrote down scriptures to pray over her during the next few weeks.

As I was praying the scriptures over one morning, the Lord impressed upon my heart that Maddie needed to hear these promises declared over her. He reminded me how the promises of God have changed my perception of myself over the years, and how so much of what we believe about ourselves starts with words spoken over us.

I prayed about what scriptures God would have me speak over her, and over the next few days I wrote them down in declaration form. I taped the declarations to her bed, and explained that they were promises spoken by God towards her. I taught her that even if she felt afraid, she could believe what God had to say about her, and learn how to be as bold as a lion!

Here is a list of the declarations we spoke over Maddie over the last year:

Maddie,

You have the mind of Christ. (Philippians 2:5-8)

You have the wisdom of God, and you have more insight than all your teachers. (Psalm 119:98-99)

The Lord guards your going out and your coming in – today and forever. (Psalm121:8)

You follow God and not man. (Acts 5:29)

You are the righteousness of God, and you are as bold as a lion. (Proverbs 28:1)

All of your steps are ordered of the Lord. He holds you by the hand so your foot won’t slip. (Psalm 37:23)

You will not be afraid when I lie down and my sleep shall be sweet. (Proverbs 3:24)

The Lord is in your midst and He sings over you with joy! (Zephaniah 3:17)

Sean and I started speaking these declarations over her every single night after we prayed with her, and within just a few short weeks, she started reciting them with us! It wasn't long before she was able to say them entirely on her own, after the words got rooted deep within her heart.

In addition to reading the declarations, we also started praying with her regularly about situations that made her feel nervous or afraid. We would remind her of what God said about her, and tell her that He has given her the ability to be brave instead of fearful or timid. Before we knew it, she started to try things she would have never done before, like introducing herself to a new friend on the playground! We also started to notice the other promises we prayed and spoke over her coming to pass!

To say that Maddie has done a 180 this year in terms of her social growth and confidence is an understatement! She is still just as tender and sweet, but she truly knows and believes she is as bold as a lion!

Sean and I have seen time and time again how the Word of God has directly impacted the our hearts and minds which has affected our personal lives, marriage, and now our parenting! It is no surprise really, for the word of God is alive and active, sharper than a two edged sword! It has the ability to cut out the lies and replace them with concrete truth that changes us from the inside out!

Sean and I will continue to pray for our children, and ask the Lord how He would have us pray and speak life over them as they grow. With each new challenge and season of parenting, God's word has the answer! We must trust, believe and declare His promises over our children, and when we do, our children will begin to see themselves as God sees them!