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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 Does it seem dry, boring, or out of date?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 Fight For Your Child’s Spiritual Survival

Reading Time: 6 min 19 sec

“Mommy!” a yell ripped through a fog of sleep, sending me bolt right up in bed. I scrambled to my feet and raced toward the sound. Throwing open the door, I fell to my knees beside her bed and gathered her up in my arms.

Between gasping sobs, the story of the terrifying nightmare unfolded. She clung to me, refusing to let go.

Fear can be a paralyzing enemy.

We are all in a spiritual battle. Our children are not exempt from the lies, fear, and twisted plans of Satan. All throughout the Bible, there are examples of Satan’s single-minded purpose for our destruction. It began with the lie in the Garden of Eden, and then he wove his way through the lives of men and women throughout history.

We are going to talk about how to use prayer to fight for your child’s spiritual survival.

1. Pray For Your Child: Protection

2. Pray For Your Child: Our Role

3. Pray For Your Child: Warfare Prayers

1. Pray For Your Child: Protection

In our enlightened culture, the concept of demons and angels can feel like something out of a Hollywood movie, right up there with zombies. The whole idea just doesn’t seem real. With our obsession with control, we don’t like to spend much time contemplating that there are forces we can’t see that are fighting for our destruction. It can feel so juvenile.

But Peter the apostle has a different message for us, “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

He says be alert, resist Satan by standing firm in the faith. And know that you are not alone in your sufferings. We need to remember that as we face challenging situations or experiences, they are not always a direct result of a demonic attack, but could also be the result of living in a sinful world where there is pain and suffering.

Jesus himself underwent a severe (and blatant) testing by Satan in Matthew 4:1-11. It says this, “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

–Satan strategically attacks us most often when we are weak. He waited until Jesus was physically and mentally depleted from fasting before he struck. It says, “Jesus was hungry”.

“Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

–Satan strategically attacks our identity. Multiple times he challenges Jesus with these words, “If you are the Son of God”.

“Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

-Satan is a liar. He loves to weave webs of illusion. It says, “He showed Jesus the kingdoms of the world” and then had the gall to tell Jesus that he ruled the world.

“Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’ Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.”

-Satan is also persistent. He attacked Jesus three times before he finally left.

We live between the first and second coming. And until Jesus returns, Satan is determined to prevent our children from having a deep relationship with Jesus. Satan doesn’t fight fair. He doesn’t wait until our children are grown up: to start attacking them with fear, lies about their identity, and anything else that would drive a wedge between your child and God.

2. Pray For Your Child: Our Role

Our role as parents is to protect and equip our children from Satan’s webs of deceit. In 1 Peter 5:2-3 it says, “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.”

We are called to be shepherds for our children. Serving them by guarding and protecting their hearts against the schemes of the enemy.

Here are a couple of ways we can shepherd our children.

a. Serve as Prayer Warrior

We are called to protect our children by covering them in prayer. We pray protection over their hearts, their minds, their souls, and their bodies. We pray that guardian angels would surround them through the day and night. We pray against the lies of the enemy and that God would replace those lies with his truth. We pray a blessing over them, and that their hearts would always be soft to the things of God.

b. Equip Your Child

We are called to equip our children with tools needed to resist Satan. God, in his infinite mercy, and love gave us several tools at our disposal to stand firm against Satan’s plans. The first of which is the Holy Spirit, who serves as a guide helping us discern between spirits. (1 Cor. 12:10) We can teach our children to invite the Holy Spirit daily into their lives. Asking him to give them ears to hear his voice.

Ephesians chapter six is another tool that serves as a model for teaching our children to daily put on the armor of God. It says, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6:10-17

Prayer is crucial to your child’s ability to resist Satan.

c. As An Example

Children learn best through experience, and your daily relationship with God is a living model for your children. As you experience new depths to your relationship with God that hunger and love for God spills out into all of your relationships. You can teach your children how to stand firm against the lies of Satan all day long but what sticks with them is your own relationship with God. More is caught than taught.

3. Praying For Your Child: Warfare Prayers

Preparing and interceding for your child doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Here are a couple of ideas of warfare prayers that are very effective and only take a couple of minutes.

Armor of God Prayer

“Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6:13-17,

Protection over Hearts and Minds

“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.”

Protection over Your Child As They Sleep
Pray Protection for Travel
Pray Your Own Prayer Based on Childs Circumstances

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 praying 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!

7 Creative Ways Your Child Can Reflect On The Weekly Sermon

Reading Time: 4 min 4 sec

Have you ever bemoaned the fact that your kids attend church on Sunday, only to forget what they learned by Monday? Have you ever desired to work with the church in the spiritual development of your kids but you don’t know how?

Parents are the primary spiritual influence in the lives of their children. Children learn experientially, and your living example teaches them (better than any sermon) what real relationship with God looks like.

However, we can’t raise them to know and love God in isolation. God created us to live in community with one another.

Hebrews 10:24-25 says, “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.”

Participating in the greater church community is foundational to the spiritual development of our children. However, it can be challenging (if not impossible) in a large group setting, with a limited amount of time to provide enough space for children to respond to the lesson.

At home, each kid has time to respond and reflect in a way that fits their personality without feeling rushed. This is crucial because it gives our children time to wrestle with the stories and ideas taught at church. And it allows room for the Holy Spirit to transform our child’s heart

It is so important that both the church and parents work together as a team in raising children who know and love God. They each have critical roles to play in order for our children to grow in their walk with God. We are truly better together.

So how do we partner with the church in raising children who know and love God?

Here are 7 creative ways to interact, reflect, and reinforce what was taught at church on Sunday morning.

1. Reflective Conversations

2. Time With God

3. Act Out the Story

4. Take A Breath

5. Talk To God

6. Re-tell And Play

7. Art Experience

1. Reflective Conversations

Use the car ride home from church every week to talk about what was discussed at church. This is a great way to interact with what was taught while it is still fresh.

The point of this conversation is to allow your child space to listen and respond to God’s still, soft voice. Pose a question and give your child time to respond and don’t interrupt. This is all creating elbow room for the Holy Spirit to transform your child’s heart.

You can receive your own copy of 7 Reflection Questions to Ask Your Kids After Church below! These questions are a great jumping off place to help you have deep conversations with your kids (with zero prep). 🙂

2. Time With God

I would encourage you to sink into the story with your child. Don’t feel rushed. If led, spend an entire week on the passage. You can do this by reading the passage of scripture several times.

1st Time) Read the entire passage.

2nd Time) Pay attention to new perspectives

3rd Time) Ask God to highlight a word or phrase.

4th Time) Reflect on the word or phrase and ask the Father to speak to you.

Ask: What is the Lord inviting me into? How can I respond?

3. Act Out The Story

Read the story through once, then act out the story together. This is an amazing way for children to not just read but actually interact with the story. Any props that you find from around your house always make a fun addition.

Ask Questions Like:

a. What jumps out at you in this story

b. What do you think the main character was feeling?

c. Where do you see God at work in this situation?

4. Read and Imagine

This is a great way for children who are easily distracted to enter into a Biblical story. When they interact with the story in a new way it reminds them that this isn’t a fairy tale but that it actually happened. By engaging with the story, as it is read aloud, children are free to engage their senses and imagine what it was like to actually be in the story.

Read the Bible passage to them slowly. Encourage your child to close their eyes and imagine that they are a part of the story.

Ask:

a. What can they see

b. What do they feel?

c. What do they hear?

d. What can they smell?

e. What do they taste?

5. Talk To God

Find a place in your day when you are not rushed. Invite God’s presence and ask him to help you be present to him during this time. Spend some time in silence (start with one to two minutes) just hanging out with God.

Tip: Set an alarm on your phone so you can also be present to God during this time instead of monitoring the time.

Close out your time of silence by praying for anyone the Holy Spirit brings to mind.

6. Re-tell And Play

Invite your child to re-tell the story in their own words using puppets, and dolls. You can even have your children use popsicle sticks or paper bags and make their own puppets. This is another wonderful way to experience God at work in their own hearts and in the Bible.

7. Art Expression

This is a wonderful activity that can be used with children of all ages. Invite God’s presence and ask him to highlight a word or picture in the passage. Encourage your children to close their eyes (limits distractions) and listen to you read the passage slowly, twice.

Invite your child to draw, paint, or color whatever or image was highlighted for them. After they are finished spend some time talking about their creations.

Grab your FREE Deeper Guide to The Beginners Life and join our community of moms who are hungry for more of Jesus in their lives and in the lives of their children.

What about you? What is your #1 issue when it comes to helping your children experience a life with God? Leave a comment, and don’t forget to follow Most Important Work on Pinterest!