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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 Does it seem dry, boring, or out of date?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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One Simple Family Prayer That Has Astonishing Results

Reading Time: 4 min 48 sec

It was the best day of the year, his birthday. A shy grin stretched across his face as he was surrounded on every side with aunts, and uncles, grandparents, and cousins, siblings, and parents. He listened to the rousing rendition of the Happy Birthday song, which ended with the sound of cheers and laughter.

His face hurt from smiling. His anticipation rising, he heard the crowd get closer, felt the big and little hands of family members rest on his shoulders, head, and back. His eyes drifted shut, the part he had waited for all year had finally arrived.

And then one by one, the voices of his dearly loved ones, celebrated their love for him with the Creator of the Universe. Their prayers recognized the fingerprints of the Holy Spirit at work in his life. Every person ended their prayer with a blessing.

His face bowed, his heart full, their words enveloped him, reminding him of who he was, where he came from, and where he was going. The experience lasted only a couple of minutes, but the effects were felt to the end of his days.

“A Blessing given in love and faith is a precious gift to a child.” Catherine Stonehouse, Listening to Children On The Spiritual Journey.

Today, I want to share with you one-simple prayer that can’t help but change the trajectory of your child’s life.

1. Family Praying: Jesus’ Model

2. Family Praying: Blessing Prayers

3. Family Praying: When To Pray A Blessing

1. Family Praying: Jesus’ Model

The prayer of blessing has been around since the beginning of time. Throughout the Old Testament, we have examples of parents and elders laying hands on their children and praying blessing over them. The most famous example is found in Mark 10:13-16, where Jesus stops everything and blesses the children.

It says this, “The people brought children to Jesus, hoping he might touch them. The disciples shooed them off. But Jesus was irate and let them know it: “Don’t push these children away. Don’t ever get between them and me. These children are at the very center of life in the kingdom. Mark this: Unless you accept God’s kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you’ll never get in.” Then, gathering the children up in his arms, he laid his hands of blessing on them.”

I love how it reads in the Message translation, “gathering the children up in his arms, he laid his hands of blessing on them.” Prayer is an active experience. Blessing prayers are not just a verbal but a physical act of anointing future generations. Positive touch, by the laying on of hands or through a hug, communicates God’s love, incarnate to that child.

Imagine the power, of your child not only hearing a verbal expression of thankfulness, love, and blessing but feeling God’s love through your physical touch and presence.

Vernie Schorr Love, in her book, Spiritual Disciplines for Children, says it this way, “The combination of words and touch leaves children with the deep sense of being loved, accepted, cared for, and valued. Blessings speak hope, life, and a sense of belonging, worth, and competence into them. Blessings lay the groundwork for children’s inheritance to multiply with each generation.”

Your act of engaging in the practice of blessing your child can affect the spiritual lives of your children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. What a wonderful legacy to leave your family!

2. Family Praying: Blessing Prayers

There are a couple of different ways that you can pray a blessing over your children. You can speak your own prayer over them. You might use a combination of calling out where you see God at work in their lives and in asking for his protection and blessing over their future.

A prayer of blessing does not need to be elaborate or long. I remember Jesus’ words as he encourages us in Matthew 6:8 of how to pray, “This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply.”

If you prefer to speak a written blessing over your child, here are some suggestions to get you started:

1. “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

2. “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

3. “_____, (child’s name), your name means ______ , and _________. We see your tender attitude toward your friends and ours. You are able to see the needs of others and often ask us to pray with you for them. We ask God to continue to bless us and to bless you as you grow, learn, love God, and obey his ways. We love you and thank God for sending you to us.” Vernie Schorr Love

3. Family Praying: When To Pray A Blessing

Prayers of blessing can take place at any time. I have found that it’s helpful to tie a prayer of blessing to a specific event or time of day. This practice helps me to be intentional about incorporating blessing prayer into our lives instead of always postponing it to some date in the future.

Personally, I use blessing prayers on my children’s birthdays, and each night before they go to bed. Children love traditions and birthdays can serve as a great opportunity to intentionally include other people in speaking prayers of blessing over them.

Bedtime blessings are POWERFUL! I cannot tell you the number of rich conversations and positive connections with Jesus that have happened as a result of a bedtime blessing. It can become this deep place of connection with your child. “Children mentioned their bed and their bedroom more frequently than any other as a place where they talked to God and sensed God’s presence.” Listening To God on The Spiritual Journey

There is such power in the liturgy of laying your hand on your child’s head each night and speaking words of affirmation and blessing over them. That time right before they fall asleep, is a very thin place, where children are most aware of the movement of the Holy Spirit. This is where there is an amazing opportunity for your child to experience deep connections with God and with you.

Here are some ideas of when to use blessing prayers:

Birthdays
New Years
Thanksgiving
Bedtime
Meal Times
Important Milestones (Baptism, Graduations, etc.)

I can’t wait to see what God will do through the intentional and simple practice of praying a blessing over your children.

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? Have you practiced blessing your children? What was their experience of the prayer? I would love to hear your story! Leave a comment, and don’t forget to follow Most Important Work on Pinterest!

How To Teach Your Kids to Pray When You Have No Clue

Reading Time: 5 min 17 sec

Every Sunday she stared out the window with longing as she watched her next-door neighbors leave all dressed up in their Sunday best for church. She longed for the love, peace, laughter, and stability that the family exuded. And she promised herself that one day when she had a family of her own she would do the same.

Years later, all grown up with three kids of her own, she desperately wonders how to teach her kids to pray when she isn’t comfortable with the practice of praying, herself. She has this vision of three clean little children, all kneeling to pray, but reality overwhelms her like an ice-cold bucket of water.

Her kids are rolling all over the couch, laughing and irritating each other, and prayer seems to have quickly spiraled into a gross-out contest. After several attempts at praying, which resulted in several children being sent to their room for misbehavior, she is left feeling like a failure.

Here are three steps that you can do today with your kids that that don’t require a seminary degree:

1. Kids Pray: Journey Together

2. Kids Pray: Simply

3. Kids Pray: And Respond

1. Kids Pray: Journey Together

In our society, we have been taught to believe that as parents, we have to have all the answers.

Our child’s spiritual journey can sometimes feel like we are driving on a busy highway, desperately trying to interpret the Holy Spirit’s directions while our child is sprawled out on the backseat.

Talk about pressure! However, God created children not as people that need to be filled up with facts, but as spiritual beings.

Catherine Stonehouse in her book, Listening to Children On The Spiritual Journey says this, “Often adults have assumed that they could give children their understanding of God by just telling them what God is like… We cannot literally transmit to them what we know. As they are ready, children construct or form their understandings for themselves, with the gracious presence, encouragement, and guidance of God’s Spirit.”

The Holy Spirit does the heavy lifting! Yay! Right now, he is inviting your child into a deeper relationship with Jesus. Our role, as parents, is in accompanying our children on their spiritual journeys. We do that by helping our kids recognize and respond to the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

One of the most powerful tools at our disposal is our own relationship with Jesus. As you grow in your walk with God, that passion and love for Jesus naturally flow out into every aspect of your life. When your children experience the power of your own authentic relationship with God the longings of their hearts are stirred.

Pat Lynch, in Awakening the Giant, says it this way: “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.”

You don’t have to have all the answers or get it “right” when it comes to teaching your kids how to pray. Your role is to help your child look out the window and notice all the amazing landmarks along the way.

2. Kids Pray: Simply

So how do we partner with what the Holy Spirit is doing in the lives of our children? One way is by offering different tools or resources for their journey. Prayer is simply talking with God. Over time, prayer becomes a way of life, a way of being present to God 24/7.

Jesus walks us through how to pray in Matthew 6:6-13 as he says these powerful words.

“Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.”

-Jesus encourages us to find a place where we are free of distractions, where we can be vulnerable, honest, and quiet before God.

“The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They’re full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don’t fall for that nonsense.”

-He shares with us that God doesn’t play games. That we don’t need to teach our children special language, a specific tone of voice, or posture to be seen as holy or to somehow trick God into answering our prayers.

“This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Like this:”

-Jesus also reminds us that our prayers are received on a foundation that is based on a love relationship with God.

“Our Father in heaven, Reveal who you are. Set the world right; Do what’s best—as above, so below. Keep us alive with three square meals. Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil. You’re in charge! You can do anything you want! You’re ablaze in beauty! Yes. Yes. Yes.”

-Jesus models simply talking with God about your needs, asking for forgiveness, praying for protection, and praising him.

The Lord’s Prayer or Psalm 23 are wonderful tools to teach our kids how to pray. Simply. No flowery language or long prayers needed.

3. Kids Pray: And Respond

When we teach our kids to pray, the most amazing gift that we can give our kids is the gift of space. I tell my kids that we are creating “elbow room for the Holy Spirit”. We can get so focused on making sure we include prayer in our everyday lives that we forget that prayer is an active, not passive activity.

Silence at the end (or throughout) prayer forces us to slow down, even for a couple of seconds and to listen and respond to God’s voice. We are reminded that prayer is a conversation between us and God, not an endless monologue.

Silence has been a powerful tool in my own life, and in the lives of my children and the students, I have worked with over the years. The very act of slowing down long enough to hear God’s voice can be used so powerfully by the Holy Spirit. It reminds your child that we serve a talking God, who is very present in our lives. It also encourages children, by helping them move from acquiring more head knowledge about God to an actual experience of God.

So practically, what does this look like? Here are just some of the ideas to teach your kids how to pray:

Start off by focusing on your own relationship with God. Your desire for Jesus sparks a hunger for him in the lives of your children.

Read and wonder together about the Lord’s prayer or Psalm 23. Use it as your family prayer for a week or more.

Practice the habit of prayer by praying for skinned knees, fights, delightful or beautiful moments, hurt feelings, nightmares, or fears. Focus on including him all throughout the day. These don’t have to be long prayers (we are talking 30 seconds).

At the end of family prayers, start by incorporating 30 seconds of silence. Let your children know what to expect before you pray. For instance, “We are going to spend some time in prayer. Prayer is a conversation between you and God. At the end of your prayer, we are going to be quiet for a little bit and practice listening to God’s voice. I will make sure to close in prayer when the time is up.”

I will leave you with this, as parents, “We are responding to the child’s silent request: ‘Help me come closer to God by myself.” Sofia Cavalletti, Christian Educator

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 kids to pray? Leave a comment, and don’t forget to follow Most Important Work on Pinterest!