Dear Parent,
The home is the first unit of the family. It is the basic unit. The basic foundation.
It was ordained from the foundation of the world that every body should come from a family.
This is why the Lord God Almighty started by creating the first family: Adam and Eve (Genesis 1:27).
From Scriptures, we see that the Lord Jesus Christ came from a family.
A family is made of the following basic components:
- One Man
- One Woman
- A Child or Children
Anything outside of this is a perversion and a flagrant disobedience of the Word of God which is as the sin of witchcraft (1 Samuel 15:23).
The Word of God is clear, that those who practice witchcraft are not fit to live. (Exodus 22:18).
It is true that God loves the sinner; but He hates the sin. So because He can’t behold evil (Habakkuk 1:13), He turns away from it. Sadly, when the devil attacks sinners, they can’t call on God, and even if they do, He doesn’t listen to them until they repent.
This is the reason why many unbelievers suffer from strange sicknesses and diseases and die untimely.
Because the home is God’s basic foundation of the family, it is expected that the training of a child begins from the home. There is a common saying among the Nigerian people: “Charity begins at home.”
So, how do we encourage our children and young ones to come to the Lord?
1. Lead by example.
Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
This implies that we are to train our children to become the way we want them to be in the future.
How do we train them? By being a perfect example for them to follow.
We know fully well that children are keen observers. And they don’t do what you tell them, but rather do what they see you do.
So, if they see you reading your Bible, praying, memorizing, and meditating on the Word daily, they would emulate you.
"Lead by example if want to encourage your children and young ones to come to the Lord." Share on X2. Pray over them daily.
Always make it a point of duty to pray Scriptures over your children because, the Word of God cannot be broken, no matter what the devil has to say or do about it.
Some examples of topics to pray about concerning your children are:
- Their daily decisions
- Their friends and relationships
- Their God-ordained spouse
- And many more.
Some examples of Scriptures to pray over your children are:
- Proverbs 10:22
- Psalm 127:3-5
- Psalm 128:3
3. Learn and understand the Word so that you can teach them the Word when they ask you questions. (2 Timothy 2:15).
If you cannot learn the Word, when they ask you questions, you will not only lose your respect in their eyes, they will go to someone else who could poison their minds with lies.
4. Correct them in love.
Even though our children were commanded to honor their parents (Exodus 20:12), we parents are also admonished not to provoke our children to wrath (Ephesians 6:4); Because the Scriptures teach us that, that would be tantamount to committing suicide (Luke 17:2).
5. Teach them how to do what you are doing as well.
Understand that “Practice makes Permanent.” Repition locks in the habit. Encourage them when they fail. Play Bible memory games with them. Reward them for learning Scriptures (who doesn’t like chocolate?)
When they feel discouraged, while learning Scriptures, remind them that it’s God’s will for them to prosper, live long, and healthy (Jeremiah 29:11; 3 John 1:2; Proverbs 4:20-22; John 3:16).
As you apply these truths, may your children fulfill their God-given destiny. May they not fall prey to the devices of the crafty. May they live long to see and enjoy the fruit of their labours. May they not be led astray by the devil. May they not listen to the voice of the stranger. In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Let me hear from you. In what way have you shared your faith with your child?
Copyright © 2022, Onyeka Ebere. All Rights Reserved.