5 Questions Kids Have about God and How to Answer Them

After having babysat for over 20 different children in my teens and early adulthood, I have been asked some strange and cute questions. Quite a few of these kids have been raised in Christian homes and sometimes their curiosity about the Lord, the world, and heaven felt above my pay grade.

Whether you are a parent, relative, neighbor, or babysitter, you might be asked hard Biblical questions by little ones. Today I am going to unpack five questions that kids have about God and how to answer them using Scripture.

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1. Does God Know Me?

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Yes, God knows you better than anyone else. Psalm 139:1 says, “You have searched me, LORD, and you know me.”

When you accept Jesus, God becomes your Heavenly Father. 1 John 3:1 says, “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.” Think about how much your mom and dad (or whoever is close in the child’s life) cares about and loves you. God loves you as His own child. He knows your needs and wants. He loves giving you good gifts. Jeremiah 31:3 says, “The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: ’“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.’”

God knows the good things and the bad things that we think and do. However, He still loves us and gives us His grace and forgiveness. Psalm 139:2 says, “You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.” The Lord knows how we feel, He understand us, He listens to us, and He watches over us.

2. Where Was I before I Was Born?

Before you were born, you were already thought of by God. He created you in your mother’s womb. Psalm 139:13 says, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” He planned out all of the days of your life. Psalm 139:16 says, “Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."

He had a purpose for you before you were born. Jeremiah 1:5 says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” The Lord put you in this generation for such a time as this (Esther 4:14). You are a part of His kingdom work to share His love with others. You were created for a purpose. You were made to glorify and worship God. Your life is a gift. You are precious.

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3. How Do I Pray?

Praying is simply talking to God. You can pray anytime that you would like to. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, “Pray without ceasing.” We can talk to the Lord about anything. We can share our fears, our anger, our happiness, anything. He is a safe place to process through life. He understands us and listens to our requests. 1 Peter 3:12 says, "For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” We can tell God that we are thankful before a meal, ask Him to help us sleep well at night, and request that He helps people who are struggling.

We can go to God for help. Jeremiah in the Bible had a hard time and he prayed to God. The Lord answered his prayers and heard his cries. Jeremiah 29:12-13; "Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

There is no “right way” to pray. However, Jesus gave us an example in the Lord’s Prayer. He starts by saying God’s name, sharing his praises and requests and then closes his prayer with the word Amen. The word “Amen,” means “so be it.” People will say that at the end of their prayers. A lot of times people will pray this way too. However, you can just talk to God like you do your friend. We respect Him, but we also share openly and thank Him.

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4. What Is Heaven Like?

Heaven is better than anything on this earth. Everyone who accepts Jesus as their Savior is able to enter Heaven. We will see God in Heaven and will be perfect like Him. 1 John 3:12 says,” We shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” There will be no more tears or sin there (Revelation 21:4).

Heaven is beautiful and has streets of gold and gates of pearl (Revelation 21:21). The Lord is the King of all and He will sit on a throne in Heaven (Revelation 4:2). God is preparing a place for those who believe in Jesus to live there with Him (John 14:3).

We will have wonderful jobs serving the Lord there (Revelation 22:3). We get to eat together there (Revelation 22:1-3). We do not need to be afraid of Heaven. It is the best place ever. Heaven is our future home. Hebrews 13:14 says, “For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.”

5. Why Do Bad Things Happen?

The very first people that God created were Adam and Eve (Genesis 2). They lived in God’s perfect world. Unfortunately, they chose to eat from a tree that the Creator told them not to eat from. They sinned against God and could no longer be with Him because of their sin. The Lord loved them anyway and gave them provisions as He sent them out into a broken world. God made a plan to send Jesus to make a way for all people who believe to get back to Himself (John 3:16-17).

Although God is perfect, He does not prevent bad things from happening, because we live in a world of sin. He also can use hard things to bring Him glory and help us to shine for Him (Romans 8:28). Bad things happen because we live in a world that is broken. People make evil decisions. Natural disasters occur. Accidents happen every day. Sin has consequences, but sometimes bad things just happen because we live in a sinful world. Even in the difficulties, the Spirit of God can comfort us and give us peace. Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). God tells us not to be afraid. He is with us always.

No matter what questions you are being asked, never be afraid to tell a child that you do not know the answer, but you will investigate and get back with them. It is important to teach children that we are learning every day about God too. Then, as you seek the Bible for answers, you can share the joy of studying Scripture together.