Teaching Your Child how to Pray

Ever since my daughter Emma was in the womb, it has been my passion to introduce her to Jesus Christ and help her to know Him. I remember attending prayer meetings and fondly praying specific spiritual attributes over her, in anticipation of her arrival. When I was able to hold her in my arms, I would cuddle with her and spend time in prayer. Yet, I wanted her to feel welcome to come to Christ for herself. After all, Jesus loves our children and wants to be active in their lives from the start! As Luke 18:16 tells us, "Let these children alone. Don't get between them and me. These children are the kingdom's pride and joy." (MSG) Below are just a few ways I have sought to incorporate prayer into my own daughter's life. 

1) Establish a regular prayer time with your kiddos
It is never too early to start! Depending on what age your children are at, this may began with you simply praying, if they are too young to express themselves. When Emma was a baby and a young toddler, and could not express herself, I would do my own praying. In fact, some of my best prayer times were crying out to The Lord while snuggling and rocking her to sleep. Sometimes it was more focused on Emma, at other times I was calling upon God for my own needs or even the needs of others. When she was able to speak in sentences and communicate her needs and simple feelings, we switched gears. I would encourage her to pray, and then I would follow up. At first, her prayer was pretty much a one liner, followed by "Amen," but it has expanded since she has grown older. This regular routine has provided opportunities for me to model interaction with Christ and opened up doors for spiritual conversation. Bedtime was the ideal time for us, after the demands and distractions of the day had passed, but you may find another time of day is optimal for interacting and praying with your little one. If you miss that regular prayer time, don't fret - just pick right back up and keep going! Today is a new day! (Lam. 3:23)

2) Seize the opportunity for spontaneous prayer
"Pray without ceasing" -1 Thess. 5:17, ESV
"Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication..." -Ephesians 6:18a, ESV
Have a regular time of prayer with your child but...allow the Holy Spirit to prompt you throughout the day to pray with your child. Invite Him in and ask Him to open your eyes to key opportunities to talk to God with them. For Emma, it is typically when she is under the weather or has a "boo-boo." Often, we will pray about these things - no matter how seemingly small. At first I would suggest, "Let's pray and ask God to touch you," and then I would pray out loud with her. Now, she prompts me, and even says after prayer, "God will touch it, Mommy." I remember vividly one day Emma removed a bandaid, saw her scrape was gone, and exclaimed with great excitement, "God healed me, Mommy! God touched me. I'm all better!" Of course, your child's needs may be vastly different, based on their age. A teenager has far deeper hurts and may not readily welcome prayer together, particularly if it has not been the norm in your household. But don't let that hinder you from offering. You never know when they will open the door and let you in. And even in your suggestion, they will see that you love them, you care for them, and you are there for them - as is Jesus..even if they utterly reject your suggestion.

3) Keep it Simple!
"And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words." - Matt. 6:7, ESV
Don't worry about it being the length or saying all the right things - just keep it simple, honest, and genuine. In this way your child will come to see that God is their friend and there is nothing they can't bring to Him. Remember to tailor your language and subject matter to your child's level of maturity and understanding.

4) Celebrate answered prayers
"Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving." -Col. 4:2, ESV
Pray, and keep an eye on those prayer requests. Include verbally thanking God for the answer even before it comes, when you and your child pray. (This is particularly important with an ongoing issue - like nightmares, bedwetting, grades, bullies, etc.) Then, be watchful - be on the lookout and expect God to move! When He does, point it out to your child and celebrate with them. Even recognize answers to "little" requests. This will build their faith (and ours, too!) that God hears and responds to their prayers. It also demonstrates God pays attention to us and cares for us in the smallest details.

5) Mix prayer into the highs and lows of life
Insert praise into the happy times of your child's life. Thank Him for the goal at the soccer game. Acknowledge His help with an improved grade. Also, stop and take a moment to petition God in the low moments of your kiddo's life. In serious times of discipline, for example, lead your child in a moment of repentance. Avoid shaming them - show them simply how to ask and receive God's forgiveness. Then affirm to them your forgiveness, along with God's (1 John 1:9). Once released in prayer, resolve not to rehearse your child's mistake, unless needed to further explain something. Let them experience Psalm 103:12: "as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us." (ESV)

6) Give your child positive reinforcement
When your child steps out and prays, especially in the beginning, shower them with praise. As they grow more confident in expressing themselves to God, simply compliment them as you feel led. For example, I may point out to Emma, "I like how thankful you were to God for your toys," or, "That was nice of you to ask God to heal your sick friend." This encourages your kiddo to approach God just as Hebrews 4:16 instructs: "Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (ESV) Don't criticize - let them freely talk to God without fear of being censored.

There are many creative ways to help children know Christ and began to interact with Him on their own. I am sure a quick search of Pinterest would come up with hundreds of crafts, tools, visual aids, and such that are truly, and honestly, great. However, for me, a working mother with a lot of demands on my time, it was not always a good fit. Whether time, budget, or even simple motivation are limited for you, I hope I was able to offer some simple ways for you to get the ball rolling (or rolling once more. :)). After all, you are the best person to lead your child to Christ and model how to be a prayer warrior! Never forget that as their parent, you have been handpicked and anointed by God to teach your child about spiritual things. 

This article was written by Elizabeth Hamm

  Elizabeth Hamm is mommy to vivacious three year old Emma and wife to Kevin, her loving, supportive husband of 8 years. She is a graphic designer by day and by night, a woman with a passion for the pen and voracious love for God's Word. She credits her strength to the grace of God and her daily cup o' joe. Say hello to Elizabeth at lizhamm01@yahoo.com.

Training kids for the Lords Army

For God so LOVED, that he GAVE his SON (John 3:16) . We learn from this highlight that as you love giving comes naturally.

We see this “Love” as the most important characteristic of God. I will put it this way, we are created to be like our Creator.

To fulfill our part on this earth we need to be always ready to love, give and be ready for action. We need to be able to make sacrifices in order to do our part in missionary service. We all know the events that saw Christ dying for us on the cross of Calvary, what a sorrowful day it was, for you, for me and the entire human race.

We are in a WAR, Christ, our hero came and conquered. He showed us the way a true soldier ought to fight. The battle was already won and on from Calvary we stand and fight the enemy. Our job now is to defend and retain what is rightfully ours.

“God wants all the children and youth to join his army. The children have as strong temptations to meet, on the right hand and on the left, as do the older soldiers. Satan and his legions will work every device to ensnare the young. It is the privilege of the children to enlist in the army of the Lord and seek to persuade others to join their ranks. Children must be educated and trained for Jesus Christ. They must be trained to resist temptation and to fight the good fight of faith. Direct their minds to Jesus as soon as they can comprehend your lessons in simple words, easy to be understood. Teach them self control. Teach them to begin the work of overcoming when young and they will receive the precious help that Jesus can and will give, connected with prayerful efforts of parents. Cheer them on with encouraging words for the battles they fight in resisting temptation and coming off conquerors through grace given them of Jesus Christ.” TMK, p42.

We should not neglect our roles as parents to train our children for service. These children are on loan to us, God will require us at the end of life’s history to give an account, and after all, all loans need be returned back with interest right? What is your account going to show? I pray  no one will be found bankrupt.

Soldiers need to be TEMPERANT (fit for service), Are you watching what your child is eating? Is your child dressing as he/she should? What are you letting your child watch on telly? Are you taking time to teach your child how to love their enemies? The list goes on and on.

God has a standard for his soldiers, let not the world brain wash us to think we can do whatever we want to do, worship however we please, eat, drink without following his guidance.

Not following combat instructions will only lead to failure and capture by the enemy. 1 Peter 5:8, the devil is on the lookout seeking whom he may devour. God never changes, he is the same yesterday today and forever. We are to teach our children that God can never be modernized or humanized as he is what he was from the beginning, we are the ones to adjust and seek him at his word.Watered down Christian standards, compromised lifestyles and intemperance will never make our children great soldiers. We need our children to be separate from the world and be raised the way Christ was raised, that is if we need them to have a Christ like character.

True soldiers do not question orders they are given in the word, or want to reason what the Holy Spirit has set out, they hasten to obey. If we as parents do not sacrifice time to mold our children’s character, the world will.

“The angels of God are ever near your little ones. Let love and tenderness, patience and self-control, be at all times the law of your speech. Winning love is to be like deep waters, ever flowing forth in the management of your children. All through His life, Christ performed acts of love and tenderness for the children.” TMK p42.

“The children and youth, with their fresh talent, energy, and courage, their quick susceptibilities, are loved of God, and He desires to bring them into harmony with divine agencies. They are to obtain an education that will help them to stand by the side of Christ in unselfish service. “Of all His children to the close of time, no less than of the first disciples, Christ said, "As Thou hast sent Me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world" (John 17:18), to be representatives of God, to reveal His Spirit, to manifest His character, to do His work”. MH p396.

 “Parents should hang in memory's hall the precious sayings of Christ. The children will repeat the words they hear often on the parents' lips, of Christ, and faith, and truth. Precious truth may be spoken by children. Whole armies of children may come under Christ's banner as missionaries, even in their childhood years. Never repulse the desire of children to do something for Jesus. Never quench their ardor for working in some way for the Master. Children rightly educated will learn to love Jesus and to grieve if they think they have grieved the Savior by any sin committed by them. Keep their hearts tender and sensitive by your own words and example.” TMK p42

 Let this be our only aim and prayer, always striving to raise mighty arrows for the Savior.              

This article was written by   Joyce Dube Mufudza. Thank you for sharing your heart with us today Joyce!    

Oh Be Careful....

What kinds of kiddos do your kiddos hang around? Do you listen to them as they engage in playful conversation? Do you watch to see how they play when they are playing with playmates?

I ask those questions to spark some thoughts.

I want to get you thinking.

I encourage you to be cautiously mindful of the company your children keep because even slightly negative influences can wreak havoc on the sensitive character of even the most positive of child.

With the pressures of socialization on the rise it can become a little intense as we seek out children for our children to socialize with and even for us adults too. Trying to find children of good morals, character and values can be as complicated as finding a needle in a hay stack. We can, through outside pressures, give in to desperation and allow our children to be inflicted with unnecessary negative and ungodly influences that will over time corrupt our children’s good morals.

Your children are so precious and have such a powerful unique destiny that I promise you the enemy has them targeted. He uses the influence of others to get to them, to corrupt them, and to poison them.

I am saying this in love. I’m not judging others. I’m simply being honestly raw and real with you.

We are responsible for the making and/or breaking of our children’s character. We have got to take our children’s personal experiences with others very seriously. Our children are vulnerable, tender and sensitive to the opinions and lifestyles of others.

Never let society determine what is best for you, your children and your family even if that means that your children’s interactions are with more adults then that of children for a season. It’s ok and your children will only grow from that experience.

 I encourage you to think of the children that your children hang around as pills. Do that with the adults you hang around too. Look at every person as a pill. Now, that may sound silly but let me stretch your thinking and explain what I mean by that. I truly believe that every person, adult and child, is like a pill. They are vessels carrying either life or death. Imagine, if you will, vitamins and small doses of rat poison. Even the slightest contact provides us with either a boost of life or a little dose of death. Now, you would never allow your child to open a container of rat poison and eat a pebble from the package. Of course not, that would make them sick and over time they would die. The same is true for vitamins as a little dose here and there over time strengthens and builds the immune system. The people, even children, that your children are exposed to provide the exact same life or death experience on your children’s character.

Think of your children as a new seedling freshly sprung out of the ground and stretching upward toward the heat of the noon day sun. You’d never allow someone to come in and stomp on, squish or pour weed killer all over your new spring buds, but in the same way until your child is of adult age they are just as sensitive, tender and vulnerable to negative experiences as those precious new spring buds.

We are to love, nourish and cherish all children and reach out in love to them but your childrens character should never be neglected in your trying to reach another child. Your child comes first! It is your job to be cautiously mindful and diligent to what they experience. That does not mean that you live in fear, it means that you live in faith, believing and continually praying for the Lord to supply exactly the right influences for your children. And, in doing that you are by all means raising up an army of mighty warriors.

What I am suggesting is in no way an easy task and you will have people who blare at you that you are self-righteous, judgmental, and nasty. Expect it… it is going to happen. Most of the time when you take a righteous stand there will be those who question, doubt and have an array of controversial opinions opposing what you are doing. And, you know what… that’s ok. I encourage you to keep on keep’n on and watch out for the tender souls that the Lord has placed in your care. Those precious souls that you tuck in each night are the ones that you will give an account for not the others that you will meet along the way. That may sound harsh, but it is true. He has not called you to raise all the children you come in contact with. I’m sorry, but it’s true. He does expect you however to rise to the challenge and raise the ones in your home with excellence. They are His champions! He has great plans for them! They are a peculiar people! Their path, their journey, will not and cannot be like that of everyone else. They are unique and precious!

This article is written by Tina Marie Eisenhart.

Tina Marie Eisenhart, is the mother of 5 beautiful kiddos ages 20, 17, 15, 13 & 2. She has worked with various aged children and youth most of her life but has been a dedicated home school mama and children’s ministry teacher/team leader for the last 18 years. Education and encouraging others are her most dynamic passions. She is an author and self proclaimed word nerd as writing is also one of her passions..

Involve your children {and yourself} in missions

Many Christians have a misconception of missions and the Great Commission. It is true that not all of us are called to the mission field, but it is also true that we all have to be involved in spreading the Gospel to all nations.

Mark 16:15 “And he said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.”

Some of us go. The rest, have to care for the ones that go.

If missionaries can´t count on faithful believers to pray for them and support them financially, emotionally and physically, there is nothing we can do. That´s the only way to fulfill the Great Commission: some go, others pray for the ones that go and others support financially the ones that go to the field.

One of my main struggles in the mission field is the thought of feeling alone. I am not, I know, but there are days when I can´t help feeling lonely and think that none cares about me and my family. And then God makes it again: we receive a note of encouragement, an email or a package that reminds me that God moves His people to help us missionaries in the days when we think no one cares. He always did, He always will.

What can we do to get our children (and ourselves) involved in missions?  Here there are some suggestions:

-          Pray for missionaries. Do you know a missionary? Does your church support any missionaries? Pray for them, ask them to send you their newsletters and read the emails to your children. Then, pray for them as a family. You can ask them to send you some pictures too and have one on display in your kitchen fridge or somewhere else visible, to pray for that missionary family on a regular basis.

-          Write them a letter or an email. There are places where regular postal service is not available, but we can find an internet connection available almost everywhere. Your kids can make cards, write a note or make some drawings; they will put a smile on the missionary´s face.

 Send them a small package. This is easier (and cheaper) if regular postal service is available. You can´t imagine how many things missionaries can´t find in the countries they are serving in, especially if they are in a Third World country. Simple everyday things like soap, socks, books or colors for their kids, hair pins or goodies are always welcome. Have your kids choose something they would like to send them.

-          If you have no chance to send anything, make a package for when missionaries are home for a furlough. Get your children involved in all the process. They can go through their toys and books too and give them to this family´s children.

 Spread a map and pick a country a week to pray for missionaries working in this country (even if you don´t know them by name, God knows who you are praying for). 

-          Gather some information of the country and pray for it during the week. Your children will learn some Geography too!

-          When missionaries visit your church talk to them and have them for dinner or just to take a cup of tea. If they have children, ask your own kids to play with them. Furloughs are especially stressful for children. They miss their home and their friends and are not totally used to how things work at homeland.

 Ask your children to save some coins and put them in a family jar or can to send a gift to the missionaries you are praying for. It does not have to be much… the gifts that are given with the heart are the best ones a missionary can receive and are truly appreciated.

-          Make them a phone call or video chat with them so you can interact with the missionary family.

There are lots of things we can do to get involved in missions. And if we do it as a family and get our children involved in missions too, we will be raising a generation prepared to go to the field, to pray and to support the ones that go. We will be raising a generation that cares for the Evangelization of the entire world.

Content in His service,

Edurne  

This post was written by my dear friend Edurne Mencia

BIO – Edurne Mencía de Nieves is a wife and mom from Spain serving God as a missionary to tribes in the jungle of Venezuela. She met her husband Maracucho at Word of Life Bible Institute in Argentina and they have 3 little children (Yennixon, 6, Nahiara, 4, and Markel, 2). She blogs in Spanish in Elviajedeunamujer.com and co-leads the Spanish section of Good Morning Girls at BuenDiaChicas.com.

Getting to Know You

     Our children are so very unique.  They each have their own characteristics and personalities.  Each day is a new experience in parenting.  They change from moment to moment.  They grow up so very quickly.  It is important for us to bond with them as they grow and change.  It's crucial that we learn their likes and dislikes along the way.  They need us to know them on a deeper level as they develop.  

     As small children they need us to get on the floor and really play with them. Engage them in conversation as they play.  Ask them questions and teach them things.  Show them you are really interested in their world.  It will bring a sense of security knowing you want to be a part of their lives.

     When they grow into teens, it is imperative that we keep those lines of communication open and honest.  Sit down with them periodically and talk with them about their dreams and goals.  Show them that you care about what is going on in their life.  Share stories with them about how you had issues during adolescence as well.  Don't lie to your children!  Don't pretend to be perfect.  We know we were not perfect teens, and lying only closes the doors of communication.  Our teens can feel when we are not being truthful with them.  

     When parenting, we must remember to extend grace as well as discipline.  God extends grace to us on a daily basis.  Yes, He does discipline us with love, but He shows us grace in so many ways.  We need to show our children love as we correct them.  We can be firm but loving.  They don't need a drill sergeant, they need parents who love and care for them, just as God loves and cares for us.  

~ Colossians 3:21 ~

"Fathers, do not embitter your children, or 

they will become discouraged."