Your Aim, Their Direction

You are the one who is in charge, not your child. Every parent must recognize that they are the guiding force in their children's lives. While some children may, in the future, become confused or distracted, deep inside, they will carry a moral compass pointing toward the positive influence of your loving words on their lives.

Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate. (Psalms 127:3-5)

This is a well-known verse. Often, we focus on the arrow and the bow — but here, I want to highlight the warrior. It’s all about the archer, the warrior. Only a skilled warrior understands how to make the arrow fly farther. He understands that the speed and reach are determined by the technique employed.

Techniques of an Archer

The flight of the arrow, its speed and distance are not dictated by the quality of the wood or the tension of the string, but by the skill of the archer, the warrior. The finest bow is a mere stick in the hands of a novice, yet a master can achieve incredible velocity and precision with the simplest equipment.

The warrior knows that peak performance is a symphony conducted by the individual, where the bow and arrow are just instruments. Remember, we are speaking of your child here.

To truly make them fly farther, it all begins with the principle of Bow Draw Weight, the raw power channeled from the archer's back muscles, not just the arms. This is immediately paired with the precise Draw Length, maximizing the potential energy stored before release. Crucially, the Shooting Angle transforms potential energy into trajectory, determining whether the arrow soars or falls short. The archer's technique stems from consistency, breath control, and the seamless, almost invisible motion of the release. All these technical terms relate to the archer alone, not the arrow. The responsibility for your family's direction lies with you, not your children.

It is this total, practiced integration that unlocks the arrow's maximum potential, turning simple physics into prowess. That is what the Bible means when speaking of the skilled parents who shot their arrows with precision. Parents who used “techniques” of faith, wisdom, and action to help their children go farther and reach their God-given purpose.

Shaping an Heir's Trajectory: How Abraham and Sarah Forged Isaac's Identity as a Child of Promise

A new lineage was forming; it had to have the identity of God's people—the children of God—and Sarah understood this. She stood up and did not let the enemy steal her son's identity.

The seemingly simple act of Ishmael "mocking" Isaac in Genesis 21:9, rendered from the Hebrew word “metzacheq," carries a severe connotation far beyond childish "play." It was contemptuous ridicule, scoffing, or even persecution, as later confirmed by the Apostle Paul in Galatians 4:29 .

But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. (Galatians 4:29 )

Sarah recognized this as a direct threat to the covenant lineage; Ishmael was the “flesh" born child of Abraham. Those of the flesh challenge Isaac's designated status as the rightful heir to God's promises. That is what stirred Sarah's immediate and decisive demand to cast out Hagar and Ishmael from closeness.

Cast out this slave woman with her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac. (Genesis 21:10 ).

A deliberate "technique of faith,” acting to secure Isaac's identity as the uncontested child of God and prevent the spiritual inheritance from being compromised. That stand ensured the future covenant community.

Sarah was not moved by jealousy — she perceived the threat to Isaac’s inheritance and spiritual future. Ishmael’s presence might undermine Isaac's identity. The most important thing our children need to understand is their identity as beloved. They are saved not simply because they are the children of Christian parents, but because Jesus died for them; His sacrifice makes them children of God. Sarah—acting as the decisive archer—effectively "threw Isaac into the right target."

Calling out the World: How Jochebed Secured Moses’ Divine Purpose

Jochebed, Moses's mom, kept God's purpose in his life. Not only did she save him from death, but she also kept the purpose. Unlike many parents who believe securing a child’s physical safety or even their spiritual salvation is the final goal, Jochebed understood the necessity of helping Moses maintain his God-given calling. You must help your child stay faithful to God’s calling for them.

During Moses's formative years, she instilled the truth and the promises of the covenant, planting a seed of conviction so powerful that when he grew up, the dazzling "treasures of Egypt" became meaningless compared to the spiritual priority of uniting with his people. Her deliberate actions ensured Moses’ arrow hit the mark, ultimately enabling him to fulfill his destiny as the liberator of Israel from the bondage of Egypt.

By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king's edict. By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.

(Hebrews 11:23-26)

Consider this: in a sense, Jochebed didn't just save Moses; she saved the entire nation of Israel.

Prayer Technique: How Hannah Taught Samuel the Power of Hearing God’s Voice

It is your responsibility to pray for your children and teach them how to pray. Payer is a two-way road. It is not only a matter of speaking with God, but also of being discerning in responding to His voice.

Hannah fervently prayed that if God granted her a son, she would dedicate him fully to the LORD's service. The Lord answered her petition, and she gave birth to Samuel. True to her word, Hannah brought the young boy to the temple to Eli the priest, declaring with gratitude,

For this child I prayed... Therefore I have lent him to the LORD, as long as he lives, he is lent to the LORD. ( 1 Samuel 1:5-28)

Hannah was a woman of prayer who gave birth to a prophet. From the moment she received the hope of bearing a son, she made a vow to raise him as a man of God for his generation.

Prayer is one of the most essential techniques for warrior archers to help our children succeed; it removes all obstacles the enemy puts in their path so they can reach their full potential. Prayer shows our children that much of our lives is surrounded by spiritual warfare, and that our prayer has great power and produces wonderful results.

…The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. (James 5:16 )

Prayer was what launched the ministry of one of Israel's greatest prophets. It was in Hannah's arms that Samuel learned to hear God's voice and to speak to God. She taught him the power of prayer. In your family, that is also your responsibility.

The God of Second Chances: How Samson’s parents expressed God's Endless Grace

The story of Samson reveals much about how our heavenly Father is the God of second chances. It shows that salvation isn't earned by human perfection but is a gift of divine grace.

The book of Judges, chapter 13, shows Israel in yet another cycle of rebellion, yet God, unasked, initiates their rescue by promising a son to a barren woman.

However, Samson's father, Manoah, responded with unbelief and repeated questioning, and God patiently and repeatedly confirmed His redemptive plan to him. Samson was thus born as a living testimony to God's grace despite our unbelief. He chooses even doubting people to fulfill His highest purposes.

Perhaps, when Samson, at the end of his life, while in chains under the enemies' captivity (Judges 16:28-31), remembered his parents, “The God of my fathers is the God of second chances.”

Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love. He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. (Micah 7:18 –19)

That is the faith that saved Samson, even after his own terrible failures. Imprisoned and broken, Samson had every reason to miss his final target; yet, he remembered the grace his parents had modeled, and he prayed for one last opportunity. God is never looking to reject us, and regardless of our mistakes, we can always approach the God of endless chances with confidence, rather than running away in fear.

Many mothers, out of frustration and anger, often tell their children, “God is angry with you.” This can cause them to feel inclined to escape from God's presence whenever they fail. Instead, we should support our children in approaching the God of second chances.

Your shaken faith is not a problem for Jesus to still use it and bring the miracle your child needs. How many of us are like Menoah, or the father of the oppressed boy in Mark 9?

And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” Immediately th