Encouraging Kids To Know God’s Word

“I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against You.” Psalm 119:11

There are many wonderful ways you can help your children desire to know God’s Word and draw closer to Him, even at a very young age. For many children, their exposure to faith outside of the church walls is limited to mealtime and bedtime prayers. Those are great places to start, but there are other ways to you can teach your children about God.

The Bible tells us in Deuteronomy 11:19, “Teach [God’s commandments] to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” It’s clear to see that God has given parents a mandate to teach our children His precepts … not just one day a week, but each and every day.

So how do you actually accomplish this in our very busy, fast-paced world? We don’t want time with God to feel like one more item to check off your to-do list. Here are some tips to help you easily incorporate more Bible time into your children’s lives and your own …without too much stress or tears.

Let them see your excitement.

Excitement is contagious! Let your children first see you excited about the things of God and they are more likely to be excited too. Likewise, if you approach it as drudgery, and “just one more thing to do,” they will have a similar attitude. If they see you spending time in God’s word each day, they are more likely to want to do the same for themselves.

Give them their very own Bible.

Ownership is a big step towards personal responsibility. If you can, get your child their very own age-appropriate Bible. This makes creating a daily reading habit even more likely when they have access to their own book. A good quality Bible can be expensive, but it’s a great gift and something they will treasure always.

Teach them how to use it.

Once they have their own Bible, they will need to be tutored in how to actually use it. Don’t assume they’ll just figure it out. In fact, such a large book can look particularly daunting to many adults, much less children!

Take time to show your children how to look up the different books of the Bible. Expose them to the structure of the Old and New Testaments. Bible tabs can be very helpful for young children and new believers. Older children can learn how to use the index and topical reference. Start small. Even just five minutes a day is a great accomplishment.

Create daily traditions.

Every person has their own special way of connecting with God when they read their Bible. Some people need a quiet spot in their room, while others like to have soft music playing. Others prefer to study in a designated place, such as a prayer corner. Many like to write in their Bibles. Others keep journals. Whatever your preferences, help your children create a daily tradition for their Bible time. This will make it more special and will help form good habits.

Encourage memorization.

The Bible says to write the Word on our hearts. There’s no better way to do this than to memorize scripture. Try memorizing scripture together as a family. Make it a challenge and encourage all ages to participate. Give your children index cards and fun markers to put in their “daily reading space”(mentioned above) to help encourage good memorization habits.

Find whatever works for your family and do it!