LEADING YOUR CHILD CLOSER TO GOD

Your child's personal relationship with God is the most important decision of his or her life. It will determine the way that he lives and makes decisions as an adult. It is the basis on which he will build his entire system of values, morals and ethics.
As a parent, you are the most important person molding your child's faith. You have the choice of either "letting things happen by accident" or "making things happen on purpose"!

Help your child grow spiritually
i). through Scripture-People whose lives are built on scriptural principles are the moat productive, happy and satisfied. The earlier a child begins learning these principles the more solid a foundation can be built.

a). Make the Bible the centre of your family life. Set aside time to select the verses your family is going to memorize for the next month, six months or year. To help in your selection, use the subject index or concordance at the back of your Bible. Books like Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (Thomas Nelson), Three-In-One Bible Reference Companion (Thomas Nelson), NAVES Topical Bible (Zondervan) would be helpful.
b). Explain the meaning of biblical terms and wording. Have a good Bible dictionary available.
c). Memorize a whole chapter such as 1 Corinthians 13. Divide it into verses or manageable segments.
d). Play a game with memorized bible verses. Start with A-"All things work together for good . . ." Then the next person must add a B- "Be ye kind one to another . . ." and continue to Z.

ii). through Prayer- When children are taught to pray to a loving Heavenly Father, they have complete faith and trust in Him. The earlier you teach your child to pray, the easier it is for his faith to grow and mature through answers to his prayers.

a). Show reverence and humility by kneeling when you pray.
b). Teach the three major aspects of prayer thanksgiving, confession and intercession.
c). Help your child memorize prayer promises in Scripture
d). Talk about your long-range and short-range prayer requests as a family.
e). Teach and demonstrate that prayer can be a sentence anytime throughout the day. Pray with your child at spontaneous moments.
f). Recall happy events of the day at bedtime and pray about them. Make a habit of praying together before leaving for special outings, trips or activities
g). Make prayer a natural part of the day . Pray with your child about daily problems or successes. When your child is leaving for school, remind her that she can pray silently during the day regardless her needs

iii). through Example and Influence-- Let your child see you reading from the Bible with respect and anticipation. He will learn respect for the Bible by observing your attitude

a). Model the importance of Christian stewardship. Let your child see you giving gifts to God's work. Help him learn what the tithe.
b). Teach reverence and respect for church through your actions. Let your child see and hear you pray.
c). Talk about spiritual things as naturally as you do about the weather, food or clothes.
d). Be consistent and loving in disciplining your child. Lead your child to understand that that even as he is under your authority, you are under God's authority.
e). Recount your experience with God. Show your child how she can have a positive influence on her friends
f). Be willing to say sorry when you have made a mistake

iv). through Special Events- An event is worth attending that will help you teach your child the spiritual values important to you. 3-4 events each year could make an indelible impression on him. Important decisions such as specific commitment, choice of a college or a career choice can be traced to the impact of a special event. Examples of special events include a Christian film or video showing, a Holy Land exhibit, a dedication service for a church building or property or even an ordination service.

Our heads tell us that we must keep plodding ahead in our journey toward helping our children mature, spiritually alive adults. Galatians 6:9 says, "And let us not be weary in well doing: . . ." God has promised that if we continue doing what we know to be right and good, the harvest will come!"

Adapted from article written by Darlene Carpenter in Evangelizing Today's Child, March/April 1999, pages 8-10