As Christian parents we know how important it is that we live out our faith daily. Part of being a Christian is adhering to a few “rituals” or activities on a regular basis. Those activities include praying, reading the Bible, and attending church. We are also tasked with instilling the importance of these activities in our children, even before they are saved.
Children learn best by imitation. They see others doing something and they want to do it too. This is why we often hear that parents need to model the behaviors they want their children to have. When our children observe us praying, reading Scripture, and attending church, they want to be a part of those activities.
I have volunteered in Children’s and Youth Ministries for almost 40 years, I believe wholeheartedly in age appropriate spiritual education. The 60-90 minutes a week a child is in Kid’s Church is not enough to be the sum total of a child’s spiritual upbringing. That is the job of the parents. “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. ” Proverbs 22:6.
The question I hear most from parents is, “What should I be doing at home?” My answer always starts with the basics I’ve listed above-pray, read the Bible, and attend church. This is where the Faith Forward Family Devotional comes into play.
About the Faith Forward Family Devotional
This devotional is written by Ruth and Patrick Schwenk. They are the coauthors of For Better or For Kids: A Vow to Love Your Spouse with Kids in the House and the creators of TheBetterLifeMinistry.org, which is home to TheBetterMom.com, ForTheFamily.org, and RootlikeFaith.com. Patrick and Ruth have been married for more than twenty years, have four children, and have been in full-time ministry for more than fifteen years. They live in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Faith Forward’s goal is to help you raise faith-filled kids who know, love, and live for God. Each of the 100 devotions include a Bible passage, teaching applicable to children of any age, a key idea to learn and remember about God, questions designed to spark discussion, and a guided family prayer. You can purchase your copy of the devotional here. You can also enter to win a copy of the book here. However you acquire your copy of the book, I pray that it blesses you and your family.
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