Christian music legend CeCe Winans believes generational faith is “crucial for the body of Christ.”
“[Jesus] finished it on the cross — the availability of salvation — but He uses us and our children and our children’s children to continue to win the world to Him,” Winans said during a recent conversation with CBN News. “It is so important.”
To parents raising children now, Winans encouraged moms and dads to “take out the time” with their kids to teach them Scripture and pray for and over them.
Winans, 60, referenced Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (NLT), which states:
And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.
In fact, reflecting back on her and her husband Alvin Love’s own parenting journey, Winans said there is “one thing” she would have done differently, and that is involving the Holy Spirit even more intimately into the life of her family.
“The one thing I would do differently if I had the chance to go back and raise my children again would be to invite the Holy Spirit into every moment,” she said, referencing Proverbs 22:6 (NLT), which states, “Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.”
God, the 17-time Grammy winner continued, has a specific “calling” on children.
“Only the Holy Spirit knows every detail about that child, so, before you make a decision, invite Him in,” she explained. “Allow them to see you pray — ‘Lord, give me wisdom on what to do about this.’ … Invite Him in more, so that they can be used to following the Holy Spirit.”
Winans also talked about the importance of boldness in our current day and age, speaking truth in love — regardless of the cost.
“[I] tell the young people: Be bold now; don’t wait till you’re older,” she said. “Because when you look at the world, they’re bold; they’re unashamed for what they believe. And instead of fighting them or condemning them, just be who God called us to be. … It’s through our boldness that God is glorified.”
The older she gets, Winans said, the more grateful she becomes for her parents who “stood for Jesus.”
“They didn’t just teach us the Word — they lived it in front of us,” she said. “I would not be who I am today — strong in my faith — I would not without that family foundation, without them making us go to church, even when we didn’t want to.”
“My parents honored God in our home,” the “That’s My King” singer continued, noting it’s critical to carry the same atmosphere cultivated in the church community into the home, where no one else is looking. “Because of that, I was able to be bold; I was never confused about what holiness looks like. That helped me with peer-pressure. … It prepares your children to be who God has called them to be with no apologies.”
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Winans comments to us come on the heels of her Gospel-centered performance on Easter Sunday on “American Idol” and just ahead of her fourth Generations Live! Women’s Conference in Nashville on May 9-10.
The “More Than This” singer-songwriter — cofounder of Nashville Life Church in Tennessee — launched the conference with the vision of connecting Christians of various generations together with a focus on advancing the Gospel.
The conference is slated to include acclaimed speakers and performers like Priscilla Shirer, Jackie Hill Perry, Charity Gayle, and Sheryl Brady, among others.
To learn more about the conference, click here.
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