Dads have power and this power is God-given. This power enables them to bless, build, encourage, teach, motivate and provide direction to their children to enable them succeed in life. This power is perverted by some dads when they physically, emotionally and sexually abuse their children thereby crippling them for life. Many dads are not even aware of this power; and this leads to passive involvement in the lives of their children. Such children are left at the mercy of fate with very little input from their dads.
Fathers in the Old Testament [Judaic Tradition] were aware of this power and deployed it in blessing their children at the point of their death. Such blessings or curses at the point of death followed their children since they believed what they pronounced on their children would come to pass. In Genesis 27:27-29, Telecoustic Isaac blessed Jacob and his words are still working on Jacob's descendants- the Nation of Israel till today. In Genesis 49, Jacob blessed his children as his last dying act and what he said about each tribe came to pass.
The power in a Father resides in his utterances as well as the example of his life. In Proverbs 18:21, the Bible says "Death and life are in the power of the tongue and those who love it will eat its fruits." Mind your utterances as you relate to your children; do not use swear or curse words such as "You will never amount to anything" because it may come to pass.
Children by their very nature are gullible and believe whatever their Dad tells them. They try to live up to their father's expectation of them especially when there is a good father-child relationship. A positive Dad who frequently tells his child, you "can do it" will bring the best out of his child, because his child believes what he says.
July 2002 edition of the Readers Digest had a picture of the United States Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, age 9 taken in front of the White House gate in Washington DC. Notwithstanding being born in Birmingham Alabama, the heart of racial segregation in 1954, her parents told her she could be the President of the United States if she so desired. This was at a time she could not enter Wal-Mart to get a burger because of her colour. Her father remembered her saying at the time the picture was taken that she would want to be in the White house one day. It became a self-fulfilling prophecy.
My own Father Daniel Obukohwo Olotu, expressed an uncommon faith in God when he declared early in 1973 that I would gain admission to study Medicine that very year. I saw his wish as a tall dream because my family finances were modest at that time and the competition for university admission was very stiff. His wish came to pass when my performance at my School Leaving Certificate Examination earned me a scholarship to study Medicine at the University of Lagos in 1973. As a teenager of 17, I was a total stranger to the powers inherent in the words of a father. I have been exercising this same power over my children with unbelievable positive results.
As a Dad, tap in to this reservoir of power and shape the life of your child or children for good; the world is waiting for the manifestation of all that your child is endowed with.
his article was written by Dr Francis Edo Olotu, a Medical Practitioner, Author, Family Counselor and the host of the blog Empowering Dads. Visit and leave your comments at .
Dr Francis Edo Olotu is the Medical Director of Christ Hospital, Ondo. He is also a family counselor who regularly counsels married persons and administers pre-marriage counseling to couples about to marry in his home church of St John Bosco Catholic Church Ondo. He is a frequently featured speaker in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. He is married to Catherine and their marriage is blessed with four children in the age bracket of twelve to twenty two. Dr Olotu is the author of the following books: The Amazing Power in Fatherhood; Releasing the Power in Fatherhood as well as Your Guide to Cancer Prevention.
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