A Prayer to Help Your Kids Love God’s Word
By Dr. David Jeremiah
“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.“ Deuteronomy 6:6-7(NKJV)
Our biggest failures as parents can become the greatest opportunities to illustrate genuine faith to our kids. When we admit our wrongs and allow our kids to see our humanity, to see how we mess up just like anyone else, it catches their attention. It allows us to set a biblical example of humility, love and forgiveness for them to follow.
My own dad taught me how to admit my mistakes, ask for forgiveness and have the humility to reveal my human weaknesses to my kids. His willingness to admit his wrongs impressed me when I was young. I realized he had faults just like me. And he let me see him seeking God and praying through those weaknesses. It impacted me for life.
Deuteronomy 6:6-9 offers a roadmap for how we are to live out our faith in front of our children. What we believe must make its way into our daily attitudes, conversations and routines.
We can teach our kids what the Bible says, but if we want them to live according to its truth, we need to live it. If we want our kids to have a growing faith and love God’s Word, we need to demonstrate its importance in our lives. A “Do as I say, not as I do” approach to parenting will fall flat.
We can’t fake it as parents. If we don’t model a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ, there is little chance our children will grow up to possess what we lack. Even if we didn’t get it right when our kids were young, we can start now. How?
Begin by seeking the Lord today. Read His Word daily. Connect with your church. Make God’s Word a necessary part of your daily life and watch Him renew a hunger and thirst for Him today. Allow your kids to be a part of that process. Allow them to see the importance and joy of God’s Word in your life. By the grace of God, may they learn to lean on God and develop a growing love for Him and His Word.
Lord, help me embrace Your Word. But most of all, help me to live it. Help me be the kind of parent who will inspire my children to please You, because that’s what they see being lived out in my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Editor’s Note: Content taken from the Encouragement for Today devotional, “How to Help Our Kids Love God’s Word,” written by Dr. David Jeremiah. You can read that piece in full here. All rights reserved.
Editor's Note: We're proud to announce we've just launched a new nighttime companion to Your Daily Prayer: the Your Nightly Prayer devotional. You'll soon be able to subscribe to receive Your Nightly Prayer via email, or as a podcast, but for now you can find it on the website at crosswalk.com/devotionals/your-nightly-prayer. We hope it's a relaxing and soothing way to wind down your day with rich meditations on who God is.
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