How To Find Your Faith When You Get Sidetracked

Reading Time: 4 min 46 sec

Developing our faith can feel so elusive. We all have these great intentions of starting a new devotional, studying our Bible, praying for our loved ones, or even journaling; only to get sidetracked, when life gets in the way.

We struggle with feelings of discouragement, embarrassment, and even feel a little ashamed. Why is investing in our faith so hard? Doesn’t God want us to have a deep relationship with him? Surely, at this stage in our lives, we should already know how to develop our faith. We lay awake at night and wonder, is my current experience of God all I can expect on earth?

We secretly hope our friends never find out the real state of our spiritual lives. We feel like an imposter, as we say all the right things while trying to stuff our discouragement deep inside. We paste on a smile, throw ourselves into more church activities, hoping against hope that God will transform our lackluster relationship into a vibrant friendship with him.

So how do we find our faith when we get sidetracked? How do we experience a thriving relationship with God? How do we throw off our feeling of imposter syndrome and embrace everything God has for us today?

Here are three practical ways to move towards Jesus without having to become a nun. 🙂

Finding Faith: The Goal

Finding Faith: Journey Together

Finding Faith: All About Community

1. Finding Faith: The Goal

We can sometimes get so distracted with the beautiful new cover of the latest devotional that we forget its purpose. We need to ask ourselves, why are we using this resource? Is it because all our friends are using this devotional and we don’t want to be left out?

The completion of spiritual resources does not equate with a deep relationship with God. Let me say this again, God desires a relationship with us, not the completion of a spiritual tool. “Spiritual people are not those who engage in certain spiritual practices; they are those who draw their life from a conversational relationship with God.” -Dallas Willard

Our focus as followers of Jesus should be an authentic relationship with God. We can’t lose sight of the goal. So, what does this practically look like?

First, we spend time in prayer, talking, and listening to God. This is key because we could go for days on a nonstop monologue of our thoughts and feelings. It can be easy to forget that just because we can’t see God doesn’t mean he isn’t talking to us. We need to practice listening for God’s voice.

Second, don’t feel the need to complete a book, resource, or practice because you need to get all the information to grow. Transformation is not the result of a firehose of information. It is about thoughtful interaction with the current work of the Holy Spirit in your life.

Third, we need to ask the Holy Spirit for direction. He is always faithful to lead us to the next step (or resource) in our spiritual journeys.

2. Finding Faith: Journey Together

In the United States, we have several unspoken values as a country. One of those values goes by several names: autonomy, self-sufficiency, independence, etc. Our culture will tell us that we are so evolved that we can develop our faith in isolation. As long as we have access to the trendiest tv preacher and the latest women’s devotional, that we can grow all by ourselves.

And we can…until we can’t. You see, we forget that Christianity is a counter-cultural way of life. We were not designed to live a life with God in isolation. We were created to live life together in community.

Hebrews 10:24-25, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

We wonder why our relationship with God consists of good intentions and half-finished conversations. We need each other to offer support, encouragement, and accountability. We need to surround ourselves with like-minded people to grow in our faith.

Ruth Haley Barton says it this way, “The purpose of journeying together in spiritual friendship and spiritual community (whether there are just two of you or whether you are in a small group) is to listen to one another’s desire for God, to nurture that desire in each other and to support one another in seeking a way of life that is consistent with that desire. ”

She says community is all about listening to each other, nurturing the desire for God in each other, and supporting each other in pursuing him. Life will happen. Spiritual community offers you encouragement and accountability to pursue Jesus even when your schedule is busy.

When we are tempted to push God to the back burner, our community reminds us of who we are and where we are going. We need each other.

3. Finding Faith-All About Community

So, what are we looking for in a community? We need to understand that there is no perfect group. As followers of Jesus, we are all broken people at various stages in our spiritual development. We all desperately need God’s grace (and each other’s) as we pursue Jesus together.

Dallas Willard says like this, “Spiritual formation cannot, in the nature of the case, be a ‘private‘ thing, because it is a matter of whole-life transformation. You need to seek out others in your community who are pursuing the renovation of the heart.”

There is no perfect community. Life together will be messy. We are all in the process of transformation. However, here are some of the key values to look for when you are joining a group. One of the ways you can find community is by participating in a small group at your local church.

Authenticity- The value of saying the real thing not the right thing.
Encouragement– The value of an encouraging and supportive environment.
Accountability– The value of accountability spoken with grace, wisdom, and love.
Like-Minded– The value of intentionally pursuing Jesus together
Prayer Support– The value of intentionally praying over each other.
Relationships– The value of intentionally forming relationships with each other.

Are you hungry to know and experience a deeper relationship with God? Do you dream of participating in an authentic community, where together you encourage one another, in your relationship with Jesus? If so, join our waitlist for the Deeper Life Community. While you wait, you will receive for FREE our Deeper Life Beginners Guide and will be the first to know when registration opens. Grab your guide today!

Remember these three steps to finding your faith when you get sidetracked. Our focus as followers of Jesus should be an authentic relationship with God. Second, we are on a spiritual journey together. Third, we find support and accountability by participating in community together.

What about you? What is your #1 issue when it comes to pursuing a relationship with Jesus when you get sidetracked? Leave a comment, and don’t forget to follow Most Important Work on Pinterest!

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How To Read The Bible When You Can’t Focus

Reading Time: 4 min 53 sec

I closed the door and sank into my favorite chair, my mind spinning. “Okay,” I thought. “I’ll have devotions, get ready, then the bank, grocery store, and return the library books.” I grabbed my Bible and turned to the next chapter and started to read.

“How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word.
I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you….”

“I forgot I need to meal plan. Augh. Another thing to add to the list.” I can feel my stress level start to rise as my list of to-dos’ get longer. “I can do this. I just need to focus.” I pull my attention back to the Bible. This time I make it through a half a verse before I’m thinking about what meals would work with our schedule for the upcoming week.

I pull my attention back to the page for a third time, feelings of guilt overwhelming me. I want to invest in my relationship with Jesus, but today (okay, most days) feel like a train wreck. I want to be focused, but it feels like there are so many other things screaming for my attention. If it’s not the to-do list, then it’s the kids clamoring for attention.

Why is it that I just can’t seem to focus? I know I should enjoy reading the Bible: but it just feels painful at times. What am I doing wrong? After several attempts, I give up and tell myself that I will try another day. After all, how meaningful could this time with Jesus be when I am so distracted?

Have you ever experienced a hard time concentrating when you read scripture? If so, here are five quick tips to help you focus when you read the Bible.

Bible For Beginners: Rhythm

Bible For Beginners: Heart

Bible For Beginners: Tools

Bible For Beginners: Experience

Bible For Beginners: Community

1. Bible For Beginners: Set Your Rhythm

The first tip is to find a rhythm to meet with Jesus. There is a distinct difference mentally between fitting Bible reading into the cracks of your day and planning your day around time with Jesus.

Every day I have two or three big rocks that I plan my day around. These are my top priorities that directly reflect my values. For me, daily spending time with Jesus is a big rock.

Finding a daily rhythm is crucial to accomplishing these values. What this means is that instead of being time-based (devotions at 8:30 am), I focus on the first thing on my list. When it’s complete, I move on to the next big rock. When the baby cries, the dog doesn’t stop barking, or I overslept, I don’t automatically miss my window for spending time with Jesus.

What are your two-three big rocks? If nothing else happens in your day, but you accomplish these things, your actions will reflect your overall values for life.

2. Bible For Beginners: Prepare Your Heart

Tip number two is all about preparing your heart before you spend time in God’s word. What this is all about is eliminating any possible distractions. This step is so important to spending quality time with Jesus.

“It is a hallow feeling to be in the company of someone with whom we long to have a satisfying personal exchange, only to watch hope dissolve as the time together is drained by superficial chatter or surface distractions.”-Richard Foster

Write down a quick list of the thoughts your mind is dwelling on. This could be to-do’s, parenting issues, or upcoming activities. This activity gives us the freedom to not have to remember the myriad of thoughts rolling around in our heads.

Pray and invite God into this time. Ask him to help you to be present to him as he is ever-present to you. Invite the Holy Spirit to speak to you as you read God’s word and pray.

3. Bible For Beginners: Change Your Tool

The ways we connect with God might need to change to fit the different seasons of our lives. You might enjoy journaling, and then you reach a season where it feels dry and lifeless. This is a completely normal part of your journey into a deeper relationship with Jesus.

You might want to try meeting with Jesus by listening to his word read aloud, trying a new devotional, or watching scripture unfold through a movie. You can always pick up journaling, or Bible study, etc. again in the future.

Don’t feel the need to finish something. If a tool is no longer meeting you where you are at (or you are dreading you using it), put it down.

The Visual Bible is a great alternative to reading scripture. These movies give a verse by verse account of Matthew and Acts. They are powerful and provide a fresh way to connect with God’s word.

4. Bible For Beginners: Experience God

The Bible is the living, breathing word of God. When we spend time in scripture, it is an active, not passive activity. Richard Foster explains it like this, “Reading the Bible for spiritual transformation is not a one-sided endeavor: it is a dialogue of human spirit and Holy Spirit.”

We are not just reading the Bible to acquire more information about God; we read it to experience his living word. Scripture has the power to transform our hearts and lives when we surrender to the work of the Holy Spirit.

We can engage in God’s word by reading slowly and prayerfully. The goal is not to finish the chapter or the book but to allow the Holy Spirit to use God’s word to transform our souls.

5. Bible For Beginners: Life In Community

Engaging in God’s word was not supposed to be a solitary activity. We were designed by God to live life together in community. We need a strong support system to encourage us when we are frustrated, discouraged, and unmotivated.

We need others to come alongside us and cover us in prayer. A community of faith is mission-critical to our growth as followers of Jesus. Here are three ways you can live life together in a community with others.

1. Participate (not just attend) in the life of a local church

2. Participate in a small group (typically found at your local church)

3. Are you hungry to know and experience a deeper relationship with God? Do you dream of participating in an authentic community, where together you encourage one another, in your relationship with Jesus? If so, join our waitlist for the Deeper Life Community. While you wait, you will receive for FREE our Deeper Life Beginners Guide and will be the first to know when registration opens. Grab your guide today!

The five tools for reading our Bible when we just can’t focus are: finding our rhythm, preparing our hearts, changing our tools, experiencing God, and living life in community with others.

What about you? What is your #1 issue when it comes to reading the Bible? Leave a comment, and don’t forget to follow Most Important Work on Pinterest!

How To Help Your Child Embrace The Bible And Not Be Bored

Reading Time: 4 min 56 sec

If you watch any tv show, bible reading and church are depicted as activities to be endured. The lead characters are typically dragged to church by well-meaning mothers and grandma’s, more out of a sense of social obligation and tradition, than out of a love for Jesus.

We snicker as dads make jokes about covertly falling asleep at church, bored to death by the pastor’s dry sermons. And we start to internalize the message that the things of God are boring.

We like to invest in activities that give us results. We live in a culture where Christianity commonly is portrayed as an emotional prop for unenlightened. Every day we are assaulted by the seemingly innocuous messages that the things of God are dry lectures to be endured.

It is no wonder we worry that by bringing our child to church every Sunday and making them read the Bible, that it could turn them off to the whole idea of Christianity. We worry that the Bible will seem boring or confusing to our child.

As parents who desire to follow Jesus, it is normal to have questions. We understand that the stakes are high, and we do not want to fail in raising our kids to know and love God.

Here are three simple steps to help your child embrace the Bible and not be bored.

1. Bible Reading: Your View

2. Bible Reading: The Goal

3. Bible Reading: Wonder Together

1. Bible Reading: Your View

What is your current experience of the Bible? Do you find it a boring task to be completed? A “should” that never seems to make it off your to-do list? Do you tune out when the Bible is read aloud? Does it seem dry, boring, or out of date? Or do you find it alive, powerful with fresh insights?

It is important to understand your feelings regarding your experience of scripture. Because your conscious (or subconscious) experience with the Bible directly influences your child’s perception of scripture. “Children imitate what they observe about beliefs, attitudes, and actions.” Vernie Schorr Love

If you desire that your child would love and engage in the living words of the Bible, then your experience with scripture has to change. You cannot lead from behind— you have to lead by example.

There is a great transformation that comes from weaving knowledge of and experience with God together. We cannot live our lives accumulating facts about God. We have to stop and give the Holy Spirit elbow room to speak to us.

Here is an exercise that will help you talk with God about your experience with scripture.

I would encourage you to not skip over the activity. When you take time to reflect, with God, powerful transformation happens! 🙂

Prayer Exercise

a. Open the notes section of your phone.

b. Take two minutes and start writing down words, phrases, or sentences that describe your current experience of God. Be brutally honest. Set your timer and fully engage in this exercise.

c. Now, glance over the words you have written. Does any word or phrase surprise you?

d. Share these insights with God. Spend some time silence, giving the Holy Spirit elbow room to speak to you.

e. Finish by sharing with him your desire for a new experience with his word.

2. Bible Reading: The Goal

I think a lot of us are confused about the goal of reading the Bible with our children. It can be easy to see scripture as a big book of rules, overflowing with cautionary tales. When we look at scripture through that lens, it is no wonder we worry that our children will see the Bible as boring.

I have also seen the Bible used as punishment for bad behavior. Is there anything that could suck the love of scripture out of your child more than being forced to copy a hundred verses of Proverbs 12:19, “Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.”?

A lot of us assume that the primary goal of scripture is to show us how to live a moral life. And so, we treat the Bible purely as a manual for right living. And though that is partly true, it is not the full story.

Catherine Stonehouse and Scottie May, in their book: Listening to Children on the Spiritual Journey, unpack it this way,

“We do want children to know basic Biblical facts, but our ultimate purpose is so much bigger. We long to see them meet God and get to know God, not just know about God. Children experience God as they enter the stories of Scripture and see God in action, discovering God’s character as the story unfolds, and as they hear their self-revealing God speak to them in the narrative.”

The power of the Bible is that it not only shows, but allows us to experience God’s transforming presence in our lives. Scripture invites our children to embark on a love relationship with Jesus. It is only out of the foundation of a love relationship that true transformation can take place.

We have to remind ourselves that our goal is not to data dump our children with facts and figures about God, or to try and get extra brownie points in heaven because our child read through the Bible in one year.

The goal of reading the Bible with our children is to introduce them to a God who lavishly loves them. And out of that love relationship, through the power of the Holy Spirit, they come to know, experience, and follow him.

3. Bible Reading: Wonder Together

So how do we introduce our children to a loving God through the pages of scripture?

The secret to reading and engaging with the Bible is by wondering together. Seriously, this is a POWERFUL tool to help your child engage with God’s word (instead of check out).

Wondering is all about active participation in the words of God. It takes head knowledge and through the power of the Holy Spirit, and creates heart transformation. Wondering gives space to reflect, to internalize, and to allow the Holy Spirit to transform our souls.

So here’s how it works:

We read a Bible story or passage of scripture slowly. We invite our children to notice. To interrupt. To wonder.

I wonder why the disciples were so grumpy? I wonder if Jesus likes to eat ice cream? I wonder if Abraham tried to count all the stars in the sky?

Children at this stage of their development are very visual learners. They love looking at pictures and are masters at noticing the smallest detail. I almost always incorporate some sort of visual image into our daily time with Jesus. Visual images are an important part of engaging children in the practice of wondering.

So how in the world do you do it? Here are some simple steps you can use as you read the Bible with your children.

Scripture Exercise

Pray and invite God’s presence. Ask him to speak to you/your children through the Biblical story.

Read the Bible story or scripture passage slowly.

Invite your child to interrupt and wonder along the way.

Encourage your children to notice different images, words, or thoughts that come to mind.

Spend some time wondering about the story or passage together.

Close by praying and thanking God for his presence during this time.

If you want to know how to get started in living a deep life with God; grab our Deeper Life Beginners Guide (below). And join our community of moms who are hungry for more Jesus in their lives and in the lives of their families.

What about you? What is your #1 issue when it comes to teaching your child to love Bible reading? Leave a comment, and don’t forget to follow Most Important Work on Pinterest!

How To Confidently Lead Your Kids In The Salvation Prayer

Reading Time: 8 min 1 sec

Your child runs up, her face so serious as she asks, “Mom, I want to ask Jesus into my heart. Can you show me how?” You know you should be feeling overjoyed, but right now all you are experiencing is panic. Your daughter is only four years old, how can she be old enough to really understand what she is doing? All the words fly from your mouth as you stare at her rather blankly.

It can’t hurt to pray with her, you think, even if she is too young. But how does one go about leading a child to Christ? How in-depth do you go on the whole sin thing? You try to visualize what your pastor would say in this situation and you fumble through explaining sin, and Jesus’ death and resurrection to a four-year-old.

You pray with her and try to celebrate as you desperately wonder if you did it right. Maybe you should take her to church and have a pastor “properly” lead her to Christ? Just for your peace of mind. Who knows? Maybe you left out some crucial part that determines the whole make it into heaven thing.

Where are the professionals when you need them?!

As parents, we can sometimes struggle with feelings of inadequacy when it comes to the spiritual life of our child. Especially, if our journey with Jesus has been different or we didn’t grow up in homes where they valued investing in the spiritual life of children. We worry that we are failing our children in some way.

Rest assured, we are going to walk you through a simple process of how to lead your child to Christ.

1. Salvation Prayer For Kids: God’s Rescue Plan

2. Salvation Prayer For Kids: FAQs

3. Salvation Prayer For Kids: Prayer

How To Confidently Lead Your Kids In The Salvation Prayer 3-min

1. Salvation Prayer For Kids: God’s Rescue Plan

I love how Sally Lloyd-Jones, in the Jesus Storybook Bible describes salvation as “God’s Great Rescue Plan”. Salvation is a beautiful story of a merciful God. Who so lavishly, over the top loves us, that he gave up his precious son to rescue us from an eternity spent separated from him.

The prophet Jeremiah aptly describes a rescuing God in Lamentations 3:19-26. The Babylonians have ransacked the country of Israel, and he cries out to God, saying, “I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:

Because of the Lord’s great love, we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore, I will wait for him.” The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”

It all starts with love. Love was at creation when God spoke the world into existence. Love was at the fall. God could have destroyed Adam and Eve for their sin. But out of his great love for them, he gave them a second chance. Love was at Jesus’ death on the cross and at His resurrection. Love is interwoven into every aspect of our being; drawing us into a relationship with him.

The salvation story looks like this: in the Bible, it says that God created the world and it was good. But as a result of Satan’s lies and temptation, Adam and Eve brought sin, sickness, and death into the world, through their disobedience. We are now born into sin, we make bad decisions, that move us away from God, and the payment for that sin is death.

But God so loved the world, which includes you and me: that he gave his only son, whom he loved so, so, so much, to die on a cross, as a payment for our sins. If we tell Jesus our sins, ask for his forgiveness, and ask him to be in charge of our lives, he is faithful to forgive us. We then get to be best friends with Jesus forever and ever in on earth and in heaven.

1 John 1:9 says, “If we claim that we’re free of sin, we’re only fooling ourselves. A claim like that is errant nonsense. On the other hand, if we admit our sins—make a clean breast of them—he won’t let us down; he’ll be true to himself. He’ll forgive our sins and purge us of all wrongdoing.”

The Lord’s great love, his compassion, his faithfulness, and mercy to his children is the foundation of the salvation story. The God who spoke the universe into life invites us into a lifelong best friend relationship with him.

2. Salvation Prayer For Kids: FAQs

Here is a list of frequently asked questions for quick referral.

a. What About Escaping the Fires Of Hell?

For a number of us, as we were growing up, the salvation story was explained as a decision we made to escape fiery pit of hell. The term, “Turn or Burn” was a common evangelism phrase and made nifty bumper stickers. Thousands of people were scared into heaven.

I’m sorry, but who wants to be friends with someone under the threat of bodily harm? That doesn’t seem like a strong foundation for any relationship. I am not saying that God can’t transform a decision made out of fear into something strong and enduring. But everything we know about God goes against this methodology (that is still taught today).

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” 1 John 4:7-10

Salvation is an invitation into a love relationship with God. When you look at salvation through the lens of relationship, you come to understand that escaping the fiery pit of hell is more about being separated forever from the love and security of your father in heaven; not about saving your own skin.

For children, we must present the gospel as an invitation to be best friends with a loving God. Catherine Stonehouse says it like this, “A deep awareness of that love (of Jesus) is essential for a treasured, growing relationship with Christ- a relationship that releases a child to receive God’s grace and live in ways that bless others.”

Love, not hell, is the foundation of salvation.

How Do We Prepare Our Child For Salvation?

It all comes back to your relationship with Jesus. Your children are establishing their own picture and depth of desire for God by watching you. What you value, what you do, where your money goes, what your schedule looks like, all influence the spiritual depth of your child’s relationship with Jesus.

“In an environment where conversation about God happened naturally, these children opened the way for their parents to walk with them and assist them in “coming to Jesus”. The parents did not have to figure out the right time and the right approach, but they were listening and ready to respond to the child’s questions and desires.” Catherine Stonehouse and Scottie May

When you raise your child in a household where God is interwoven into your days, leading a child to Christ is the natural outcome of spiritual conversations. You don’t have to do anything special, you just have to be available. The best preparation is your relationship with God lived out in front of your children.

b. Is My Child Too Young?

If your child expresses an interest in accepting Christ then go for it. I have heard of so many children, through doctoral studies, in books, and even personally who have expressed a desire to invite Jesus into their life starting at age three.

In Joining Children on the Spiritual Journey, authors Stonehouse and May, explain it like this:

“Being Christian is rooted in a relationship with Jesus, and relationships are unique; they begin in different ways and at different times for different persons. But however they begin, healthy relationships grow and change across the years. We want to honor the uniqueness of each child’s experience with God, and we want to participate with God in encouraging the development of that relationship, their spiritual formation.”

If your child expresses an interest in inviting Jesus into their hearts go for it! Trust and celebrate that the Holy Spirit is at work in the life of your child.

c. Do I Initiate the Salvation Prayer With My Child?

Every child is different. Every child is on their own unique spiritual journey. We need to remember to put aside our own (and others) expectations and trust that the Holy Spirit is at work in the life of our children. He will lead them to make decisions of faith when the time is right.

“These parents (in a research study) freely shared their faith story, while giving children time to process, to come to understand, and time for God to draw them into a relationship. They seemed to understand that there would be a right time for each child and they didn’t want to get ahead of God and the child; they wanted to keep in step.” Stonehouse and May

Our goal as parents is to stay in step with what the Holy Spirit is already doing in the lives of our children. We do that by developing our own relationship with Jesus, and intentionally focusing on God; through our values, actions, schedules, and financial choices.

3. Salvation Prayer For Kids: Prayer

When your child is ready to ask Jesus into their lives, I briefly explain the salvation story. You want your child to understand (at their level) what they praying.

Here is a sample you can use/adapt to talk and pray with your child.

The Salvation Story:

The Bible says that God created the world and it was good. But as a result of Satan’s lies and temptation, Adam and Eve brought sin, sickness, and death into the world, through their disobedience. We are now born into sin, we make bad decisions, that move us away from God, and the payment for that sin is death.

But God so loved the world; which includes you and me, that he gave his only son, whom he loved so, so, so much, to die on a cross, as a payment for our sins. If we tell Jesus our sins, ask for his forgiveness, and ask him to be in charge of our lives, he is faithful to forgive us. We then get to be best friends with Jesus forever and ever in on earth and in heaven. We will never be separated from Jesus, no matter what.

Salvation Prayer Example:

I typically ask the child to repeat the prayer after me. After you have prayed, CELEBRATE! Call everyone you know! Let your child tell them the great news! Celebrate by serving their favorite food for dinner. This is a huge deal! Let your child remember this important decision with fond memories.

“Dear God, Thank you for loving me so much that you sent your son, Jesus to die on the cross for my sins. Please forgive me for the wrong things I have done and wash my heart clean inside. I want to best friends with you forever, and ever. Please show me how to listen and follow you every day. Thank you for never leaving me. I love you! Amen!”

If you want to know how to get started in living a deep life with God; grab our Deeper Life Beginners Guide (below). And join our community of moms who are hungry for more Jesus in their lives and in the lives of their families.

What about you? What is your #1 issue when it comes to leading your child into a relationship with Jesus? Leave a comment, and don’t forget to follow Most Important Work on Pinterest! [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

How To Never Forget To Pray For Your Child Again

Reading Time: 6 min 8 sec

We all want the best for our children. We agonize over their choices of friends, make sure they are in well-rounded activities, advocate with their teachers, and stress about their futures. We sacrifice sleep, money, and time to set our children up for success. But are we investing in the one thing that will pay the most dividends in their future?

As followers of Jesus, throughout the Bible, we are commanded to raise our children to know and love God.

Deuteronomy 6:6-8 says, “Write these commandments that I’ve given you today on your hearts. Get them inside of you and then get them inside your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning to when you fall into bed at night.”

Prayer is the act of talking with God. It is the foundation of a life-long, love relationship with Jesus. It is one of the most powerful gifts that we can pass on to our children. Unfortunately, even though we understand the importance of praying over our children, in practice, we often forget to pray for our child.

Gary McKnight in his article, Equipping Parents for the Spiritual Formation of their Children, says this, “According to the Family Needs Survey conducted by Family Life in 2007-2008 with nearly 40,000 Christian Parents, nearly one-quarter of parents never or rarely prayed with their children, and another one-quarter prayed with their children only occasionally.”

We know prayer is important, but it can be easy to push it aside when frankly, soccer games and college scholarships feel way more real. We have to remember that our children will only be on this earth for eighty or ninety years. That is a drop in the bucket compared to the thousands of years spent in heaven. That’s not to say that we don’t prepare our children to become healthy adults but that we also remember our spiritual responsibility as parents.

Gary McKnight continues, “Childhood is a particularly important time for the spiritual formation of children, often setting the basic trajectory for the rest of their lives. George Barna reported that a series of studies showed that “the probability of someone embracing Jesus as his or her savior was 32 percent for those between the ages of five and twelve; 4 percent for those in the thirteen-to eighteen range; and 6 percent for people 19 and older.”

Let’s find out how to never forget to pray for our child again.

1. Pray For Your Child: The Gift

2. Pray For Your Child: The Examples

3. Pray For Your Child: The Secret

1. Pray For Your Child: The Gift

There was an older woman at my church, who during my summer day camps, committed to showing up every day and walking the halls of the church, praying protection, and blessing over my students. She understood that there is an ongoing assault on the hearts and minds of our children. Children need adults, like this Godly grandma, who will commit to daily covering them in prayer.

In first Peter, it says this, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” 1 Peter 5:8-9

As parents, we do not have to have all the answers. But we are called to contend for the lives of our children. We give our children a gift when we consistently lift them in prayer. We can do this by praying for them throughout the day whenever they come to mind (more examples below).

Children also need us to model prayer in everyday life. You can check out this article How To Teach Your Kids To Pray When You Have No Clue for three simple steps you can do today to teach your kids to pray.

“Notice that not once did Jesus make his disciples pray. He just kept on praying until they could contain their hunger no longer and asked Him to teach them how to pray.” Pat Lynch, in Awakening the Giant

We want to be parents who give the gift of prayer to our children. So, let’s get practical, shall we?

2. Pray For Your Child: The Examples

There are some nights when its all you can do to get the kids fed, bathed, and in bed. Your brain is fried and mustering up the energy for prayer can feel overwhelming.

Here are a couple of prayers that I use when I pray for and with my children. This is not a comprehensive list but a sample to get your wheels turning. I have to be honest my kids love when I pray the same prayers over and over. I think the daily and nightly tradition is comforting.

Bedtime Prayer

“Dear Dad, we thank you and praise you for the gift of our _____ (child’s name). We pray your hand would rest upon them and they would come to experience an ever-deepening expression of your lavish love for them. Give them ears to hear your voice and eyes to see you, Father.

We pray that you bless them with the wisdom of King Solomon, the courage of Queen Esther, King David’s Heart of Worship, and the faithfulness of Ruth.

We pray that you would give______ (child’s name) beautiful dreams tonight. Let them dream of running and jumping in meadows, eating cotton candy, riding his/her bike, and floating boats on a stream (insert child’s favorite things to do). And we pray that you would be with ________ (child’s name) in his/her dreams.

We come against bad dreams, and we ask place guardian angels around them while they sleep. Let them sleep feeling safe and protected in your care. We love you, Jesus. In your name, Amen.”

Prayers of Protection

“Protect Us As We Travel.” -Vernie Schorr Love

“The Lord will protect you from harm; He will protect your life. The Lord will protect your coming and going both now and forever.” Vernie Schorr Love-Spiritual Disciplines for Children

3. “Father, We ask that you would guard _____(child’s name) and keep ___ him/her safe. We ask that you would put a hedge of protection around_____ his/her heart, mind, body, and soul. Surround ______him/her with your guardian angels and uproot any lies from Satan and replace them with your truth.

Remind____ him/her of who _____he/she is, your beloved child. Let ____him/her experience the depth of your lavish love today. We love you and praise you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Prayers of Blessing

“May the peace of Jesus fill you, The Love of Jesus surround you, And the presence of Jesus guard you, Now as you sleep, and all your life. “ -Angela Ashwin

“May God Bless you and keep you. May God turn toward you and be gracious to you. May God turn to you and grant you peace. May the light of God shine over you. May the Holy Spirit fill you. May the blood of Jesus cover you. May you sleep/live/go in peace. (Use the verb that suits the setting) And may you always know just how much the Lord Jesus loves you.” -Scottie May

Prayer for Wisdom

“God, we pray that you would give _____ (child’s name) the wisdom of King Solomon. Let their thoughts dwell on the beauty and glory of your name. Give them ears to hear your voice clearly, give them eyes to see you at work all around them. We pray your clarity would surround them, and fill them with your peace. Amen”

3. Pray For Your Child: The Secret

Here are a couple of ideas to help establish a rhythm of praying with and for your kids. I would encourage you to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to direct you to one prayer you would like to start including in your family. It could be a prayer of blessing (check out this post for more info) bedtime prayers, or a prayer of protection while your child is at school.

A simple way to get started is to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you. Read over the prayers. What prayer do you feel most drawn too? Start with that prayer. Stick with that prayer until you feel the Holy Spirit inviting you to include another one into your day.

Use Your Daily Rhythm

Where can you include your prayer into what you are already doing? Mealtimes, before and after school, and bedtimes can be a great starting point. I would encourage you to choose a time that you feel is the least rushed. Bedtime is my go-to prayer time because it can be the place where children are most aware of God’s presence.

Visual Reminders

Last but not least, visual reminders are one of the secrets to never forgetting to pray for your child. This is a game changer! I intentionally include visual reminders throughout my day that invite me to pray. I use such tools as reminders on my phone, prayer cards posted around my house, art, food, and nature. I would encourage you to find one thing that is meaningful and draws your heart towards Jesus, to serve as a visual reminder to pray. Your reminder could be a photo of your family, a favorite memory verse, a piece art, or as simple as a pen. These visual reminders are an invitation to pause and pray for your beloved child.

If you want to know how to get started in living a deep life with God; grab our Deeper Life Beginners Guide (below). And join our community of moms who are hungry for more Jesus in their lives and in the lives of their families.

What about you? What is your #1 issue when it comes to remembering to pray for your kids? Leave a comment, and don’t forget to follow Most Important Work on Pinterest!

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