Christian Home Week is May 14–20.
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Scripture tells us that two things will last forever. The first is God’s Word (Matt. 24:35). For parents to build a strong spiritual infrastructure for their children’s lives, Christ must be the foundation of the home.
The second thing that will last forever is your child’s soul (John 6:47; Rom. 6:23). Our children are born to live forever and they will live either with God or separated from God. We hope and pray our children will have an eternal relationship with God and we rejoice when we see the fruit of the Spirit in their young lives.
When parents and grandparents strive to help their children develop a loving, lifelong relationship with God through Jesus Christ, they leave them a lasting legacy and an unsurpassable inheritance.
Here are seven simple ways parents and grandparents can help grow a God-loving child:
1. Bible study
Children need to see their parents and grandparents as spiritual leaders in their lives. Set aside a time each day for family devotions. Read Scripture together. Discuss biblical stories and truths. Teach them how to make God’s Word practical in everyday life.
2. Prayer
By teaching your children to pray, you help them develop a natural, conversational relationship with God that will grow as they mature in their faith. Start them praying young so prayer will become as natural to them as breathing.
Pray together as a family. Show them how important prayer is to you by being exemplary in your own prayer life. Let your children hear you pray for them and for guidance in their spiritual upbringing.
3. Creative prayer
Prayer time with your children need not be long, complicated and boring. Teach children to enjoy conversing with their Heavenly Father by making prayer times creative and fun. Pray brief sentence prayers before meals with each family member participating. Walk through your neighborhood and pray for the people who live around you. Put Scripture to tunes and sing your prayers.
Use crayons and paper to draw your prayers. Look through a photo album or scrapbook and pray for family and friends pictured there. Write a poem to God and read it aloud.
4. Set an example
When children start crawling, most parents drop to their knees and make a home-safety-search, making sure the child’s crawling space is safe, electrical outlets are plugged, cleaning chemicals are out of reach, etc. Many new parents also drop to their knees and conduct a “spiritual-safety” search, examining their own personal relationship with God, their habits in daily life, their language, their actions toward others, etc. Why? Because little eyes are watching, little ears are listening and young impressionable minds and hearts are learning how to live and conduct their own lives.
5. Create teachable moments
In daily life use every opportunity to teach your children about God. Point out a rainbow and tell them the story of Noah, his ark and God’s promises. Watch flowers bud and bloom in springtime and teach them about Christ’s resurrection and new life. Light a candle at mealtimes and talk about the “light of the world” (Matt. 5:14).
Answer your child’s questions using biblical truths, stories and examples. When encountering awkward situations, show your children how a Christian responds. When someone purposely hurts or betrays you, teach your children about forgiving others. When you make a mistake, let your child hear you ask for God’s forgiveness.
6. Attend church
Become active members of a Bible-teaching church, worshipping God and serving others together as a family. Enroll your children in a regular Bible study class where they can learn with children their own age. Make going to church a time to anticipate with joy, carefully weeding out the stressful moments that preparing for services can cause. Take time to prepare children for worship. After church, talk with them about what they learned.
7. Christian fellowship
Children naturally admire grown-ups and often mimic their ways. Carefully choose the adults your child spends time with, making sure they are spiritually in tune with your family’s biblical beliefs and practices. As a family enjoy Christian fellowship with family and friends often, interacting with others who can help you grow God-loving children.
Editor’s Note — Denise George is the author of 31 books, including “Teach Your Children to Pray” (Christian Focus Publishers). She is married to Timothy George, founding dean of Beeson Divinity School at Samford University in Birmingham. In August the Georges will become grandparents for the first time.
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How to pray for your child
- Pray for their salvation. (John 3:16)
- Pray they will thirst after righteousness. (Matt. 5:6)
- Pray they will remain pure. (Ps. 119:9; 1 Thess. 4:3)
- Pray that while they are in the world they will not become of the world. (John 17:15)
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