He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young. | Isaiah 40:11

As I was praying for my own children this morning (as I do most days), I heard the Lord say, “My hand is upon your children!”

As the Lord continued to speak to me, I sensed that this was a word of encouragement for others, as well. Any good parent truly wants nothing but the best for their child. We try to do our best to protect them from as much pain as humanly possible, and guide them along the right path. However, as much as we love our kids, God in His perfection loves them even more (Matthew 7:11). He is able to see things that we, in our limited humanness, can’t always see. As we commit our children to Him—even on a daily basis—He is able to perfect all that concerns us, because of His perfect and flawless love.

The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands (Psalm 138:8).

I sense that there are those who have prayed countless prayers and cried many tears of intercession concerning their children. The Lord wants you to know today that His hand is upon them! He has neither been blind to your tears, nor deaf to your cries. As it says in the book of Ecclesiastes, “He makes all things beautiful in his time” (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

Often times, the enemy seeks to get us to fall into discouragement when outwardly, we may not be seeing many changes. However, the Lord is working His good in all situations. A powerful illustration a dear friend of mine recently shared with me is this: even as water in a river works overtime and begins to erode pebbles—making them round and smooth—that is how the Lord is working to soften even the hardest of hearts. He is, once again, turning the hearts of the father towards the children, and the children’s hearts to the father (Malachi 4:6). Be encouraged today, and know that God has His hand upon your children! Indeed, He knows the plans He has for them: plans to prosper them and never to harm them, plans to give them a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11).

I also sense the Lord saying that He is restoring family units, and even generational blessings that the enemy has sought to keep buried. There are many who have been diligently contending for their bloodlines. Know this: the Lord is restoring the ancient ruins and bringing beauty out of the ashes! He wants you to know that your prayers have not been in vain, for the powerful effective prayer of a righteous person avails much (James 5:16).

Lastly, I hear the Lord saying, “Expect a different and positive outcome this time. Do not continue to look to the former, or rehash hurts of the past.” Truly in this hour, He is doing a new thing (Isaiah 43:19). The door is closing on past disappointments; the sun is rising, and a new day is dawning! Expects nothing but the very best, for our God is a good, good Father!

Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them (Psalm 126:5).