Our days as moms and dads are long and tiring. As parents, there are always new situations we need to address, more needs to be met and new things to learn. But one day our children will leave our house. They will enter the world on their own. What can we do as parents to build a strong foundation of faith in our children? Here are some quick and pracitcal tips for equipping them to enter a world that is not always a friendly place.

1. Talk about God a lot.

Start a morning bible time with your family. Read a devotion together, memorize one new verse a week, learn a new hymn or just sing a song of praise together as a family. As you are hiking through the woods, point out God’s creativity and wonder in awe as you gaze at the stars. Ask children of all ages questions that reveal their hearts as you share about the heart of God with them. Having meaningful bedtime devotions with them can help eeryone introspectively reflect on the blessings and struggles of the day, practice refocusing on the Lord and going to sleep on a positive note (Deuteronomy 6:4-8).

2. Help them understand their conception and birth were part of God’s plan.

Your child wasn’t born out of luck. Their life is not random. They were made by God for a purpose and there is a distinct reason for their life. Tell them every day that they were chosen by God long ago. He knew they were to become His children. (1 Peter 1:2)

3. Teach your children that where they were born and the family they were placed into was a part of God’s plan.

Speak the truth into their life that God set the time and places where they should live. (Acts 17:26) Remind your children that they are special in God’s sight. 

4. Try to determine each child’s gifting.

Pray for each of your children regularly, and as you pray for them God will reveal their strengths to you. Encourage your children in the gifting God has given them. God knit them together with special likes and dislikes because they are one of a kind. No one can take their place in their immediate family, or in the family of God, which is why it is so important that you help them find their giftings and use them.

5. Spend one-on-one time with children throughout the day to intentionally connect with them.

Join your children on the floor to play or snuggle up with them and read together. Take them out on a date, and do something they want to do. Even ten minutes at a time is valuable. As you spend time with them, ask them questions that reveal their heart. “Do you know how much God loves you?” “What made you happy today?” “If you could live today all over again, what would you like to do again?” Learn about your child and how they perceive life.

6. Be your child’s biggest cheerleader.

Watch for times that your child demonstrates godly character traits and affirm them. Look for ways to encourage them in their faith. Teach your children to encourage each other too. Consider a family motto like, “We work together, grow together, succeed and fail together. We love and support each other, no matter what.”

7. Pray, pray, pray.

Our prayers are powerful and effective. Pray that your children will accept Jesus as their Savior and fulfill their destinies for which they were created. Pray for wisdom and guidance in leading them.

These steps are adapted from the book Kathy McClure co-authored with Bonni Greiner, There’s An Easier Way: 21 Ways to Lovingly Raise Your Children Without Regrets. A Veritas Academy parent, Kathy is a wife to Steve, and a mom of three young children. She has been challenged as a young mom to consider biblical motherhood, and her passion is to share the joys of motherhood with moms and to help them be intentional and purposeful in their parenting. In her spare time she likes to write about ways to save money and do fun things in Lancaster County, on her blog, Frugal Lancaster.

Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net, stoonn.

Learn more about this Christian School in Lancaster County

Veritas Academy is a private christian school in Lancaster County, PA. Our goal is to cultivate loving, serving, thinking students through classical Christian education. If you would like to find out what makes Classical Christian education so effective and to more about this Lancaster County Christian School option, you can download our FREE guide to choosing a school in Lancaster County below: