As a Christian parent, you must teach your children faith and how to live by their faith. Too many parents feel inadequate to teach their children spiritual principles. Therefore, they leave it up to the church to do the teaching.
This isn’t the way God designed the family to work. God’s intention is for the parents and grandparents to teach their children and grandchildren faith.
God said of Abraham, “Abraham is to become a great and powerful nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him. For I have chosen him so that he will command his children and his house after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just. This is how the Lord will fulfill to Abraham what he promised him.” (Genesis 18:18-19 CSB)
God chose Abraham because he knew Abraham will teach his children and all his household. The household included not only Abraham’s children, but his grandchildren and servants, too.
The best way for children to learn the lifestyle of faith is not only through their parent’s teaching but also by living out faith with them. Example, observation, and doing it. That is God’s way for us to teach our children.
Never Underestimate Your Children
Don’t underestimate your children. Their capacity for faith is equal to yours. In fact, they often believe God’s promises faster and easier than an adult.
Children don’t need us to dummy down our teaching. You may have to explain things in a simpler way, but children can understand complex spiritual concepts.
What they do need is to know how to live a life of faith. It is more than showing them; it is living what you are teaching them.
7 Steps to Teach Your Children the Bold Faith Life
- Read the Bible with them
- Pray with them
- Repent in front of and with your children
- Teach the Bible
- Share the greatness of God
- Let them join you when you are believing God
- Worship with them
There you have it. Seven easy steps to teach your children the life of faith.
Read the Bible with Them
When they are little, read the Bible to them. As they get older, read the Bible with them. Let them share in the reading. Children enjoy being a part of the actual activity.
I do mean to read the Bible. Not just Bible story books. There is nothing wrong with Bible story books, but children need to hear the Word.
The purpose here is not to just read. The purpose is to instill spiritual knowledge in our children, starting as young as possible.
When they are toddlers and early elementary school age, pick a children’s Bible in easy-to-understand language, such as the NIRV.
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Pray With Them
When I encourage you to pray with them, I am not talking about the “Now I lay me down to sleep…” prayers. I am talking about serious prayers. Prayers that make a difference. Pray with them about their troubles and problems. Teach them how to intercede for others. Let them join in prayers that concern the family.
Teach them how to really pray. Even at three, four, and five years of age, children have the capability to pray and see results. When the prayer is answered, then share the answer with them. This will teach them effective prayer works.
Teaching them how to properly handle difficulties early in life is better than the world teaching them later in life.
Repent With Them
Parents, you need to repent with your children and in front of your children. If you do something in front of your children you need to repent of, then you should repent in front of your children.
If your children do wrong and need to repent, do it with them. Teach them how to receive forgiveness from God.
Teach Your Children the Bible
Too often, we teach children the Bible stories, but not the Bible truths behind those stories. They need to learn Bible truths. Simplified, but truths from the Bible.
Things like: What is faith? God is eternal. What is salvation? Why did Jesus have to die on the cross? Who is the Holy Spirit? What are gifts of the spirit? And a lot more.
Spend time learning the answer for yourself, then teach them the concept out of the Bible. Our children need to start learning early so that when they leave home, they are prepared for a world that wants to change them.
Show Your Children How to Study the Bible
Once a child can read, they are ready to study the Bible for themselves. The study needs to be appropriate for their reading level. This way, they can study the Bible for themselves.
Teach them the Bible holds the answers they need for their life problems. Yes, it contains the answers they need. It will teach them how to handle bullies, anger, competition, sharing and all the other problems they have in life.
Teach them how to use the Word skillfully when they are young, and they will be an expert by the time they leave home.
(If you need an easy Bible study method, you can read about my simple Bible study method HERE.)
Teach the Greatness of God to Your Children
Often, we only read Bible stories to teach our children about the greatness of our God. That’s good, but how does it teach them God will do it for them today?
You need to share the exploits God has done in your life and the lives of people they know. It is important to show them God is still actively doing miracles today.
Let them grow up sharing in God’s greatness for you and them.
(I wrote a devotion that covers this topic more thoroughly. You can read it HERE.)
Let Them Join You When You Are Believing God for Something
When you are believing God for something, let your children join in. Let them stand in faith with you. This is training so they can learn that faith works. It is important for them to see faith operate.
Remember what Habakkuk 2:4 says, “But the righteous one will live by his faith.” Just like all the other life skills your children need to learn, home is their training ground.
Worship with Them
It is important we teach our children how to have an attitude of worship. Teach them at home to worship God. Then they can know how to come to church in an attitude of worship.
This also means taking your children to church. The average Christian family attends church 1.8 times a month. This isn’t teaching our children Hebrews 10:25. “Not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.”
We must teach our children that attending church is vital for spiritual growth. This isn’t done by showing them it isn’t necessary to attend church every week. This is what occasional church attendance teaches them.
Teach Your Children
There you have the seven steps to teach your children the bold faith life. It takes work and effort to do this. But then, so does everything when you are raising children.
Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6 NKJV)
Most children raised in church leave by the age of twenty-two. Many never come back again. This doesn’t happen with children that are taught to live the lifestyle of faith. Most of these never leave.
The Challenge
If you are not doing these seven steps, I challenge you to start this week. Make it a part of your daily family life. It isn’t easy, but the reward is great.
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