Devotional for the Week 18 Oct 2004

This Week's Devotional | 2004 Devotionals | 2005 Devotionals

Devotional For the Week 18th October 2004

OUR ROLE AS CHRISTIAN PARENTS

Parenting is not easy but thank God that we are not alone but can always turn to the expert parent of all time, our Heavenly Father. As we recognise our dependence on God and walk closely with Him, the Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, will teach us all things. It doesn't matter if you're a parent, grandparent or spiritual parent of the children God has placed into your life, your duty is not just to equip them for life on this earth, but more importantly to prepare them for life in eternity. We must help our children understand that God loves them and desires to have a personal, intimate relationship with them. Relationships take time to build up and it cannot be done just once a week at Sunday school. Therefore we, the parent, must be faithful in making our children disciples for Jesus Christ.

Here are two spiritual disciplines to help develop little disciples for Christ:

Spiritual discipline #1: Make God's Word part of our lives

God's Word must be taught to our children that

they may know WHO God is, and learn to love Him
they may know WHAT God can do, and learn to trust Him
they may know HOW God wants us to live, that they may please Him.

You don't have to be a Sunday school teacher in order to teach your children the Word of God. You don't have to wait until you know more. With whatever you do know, start teaching your children and you will learn much more.

Deuteronomy 6:6-7 "And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down and when you rise up."

Informal instruction

Make God part of our everyday experiences. Help them to see God in all aspects of life, not just church-related activities and not just on Sundays.
Find a relaxed time to read Bible stories with your child everyday and make sure they know that all the stories in the Bible are true.
Play their favourite Christian songs when they are home or when you drive them to school or for classes and sing-a-long with them.
Share testimonies that build up faith or share experiences which show that God is real that He desires to lead and guide us and is always there for us.
Let your children see your faith in God in your response to day-to-day happenings. Let us be authentic disciples of Christ. For example, in times of sickness, lay hands on the sick and pray for healing, thanking God for doctors but proclaiming that ultimately God is our Healer. Let us also check ourselves on how we respond in some of these testing moments: when there are delays, when another driver cuts into our path or when our maids make an honest mistake.

Structured times of Bible teaching

Choose a suitable time of the day. Whatever time you choose, ask God to help you commit to it and not let other things crowd it out.
Find a conducive place for heart-to-heart sharing and prayer.
Use the Bible together with other devotional guides. Children need to read what God has said, not simply what others have written about Him.
Share prayer requests and pray together.

Two important points

Ground them properly on the foundational truths of our faith. Teach our children about creation, how sin entered the world, how God sent His Son Jesus to die for our sins, that Jesus rose from the dead and will come back one day for us.
Begin spiritual instruction early. The best time to begin spiritual training of your children is while they are still in their formative years, when your influence over them is greatest. As they grow into adolescence, many of them prefer to do devotion by themselves and from then on it becomes increasingly difficult to influence their values.

Spiritual discipline #2: Pray

Praying with our children

Take time to listen to their prayer requests, no matter how big or small it is, and always remember to thank God for answered prayer.
Pray for others. Encourage them not only to present personal petitions, but to think of the needs of others as well. As a family, pray for our pastors, missionaries, teachers, leaders of the church and of Singapore, relatives, friends, those who are sick or in need. Teach your children to also intercede for relatives and friends who do not know Jesus yet.

Praying for our children

Pray for our children to experience God for themselves. Even as we do our part in teaching them the Word of God and to pray, at some point of their life each child will examine the claims of the Bible and determine whether he or she will embrace its truths. This is a very necessary struggle for them to go through in order to establish their own faith in God, and not be an extension of ours. More than just reading about God in the Bible or hearing our testimonies about what God has done in our lives, they need to experience God and know that He is real. At such times, we have to let them go and search for God. But let us be there to help them pursue with honesty all questions of faith and to cover every aspect of their life in prayer.
Search the Scriptures for whatever situation you are struggling with in your family. The Word of God is rich with instruction to guide and promises to encourage us. And as you pray in faith, believe that the Lord, who has begun a good work in your children, will bring it to completion until the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6).

Click here for some ways you can pray for our children according to God's word.

Reflection:
Our goal in nurturing our children should not just be to see changes in their behaviour, but a change in their heart condition. When their hearts are set right with God, our children will understand what they have done wrong, are willing to be corrected and to learn from the wisdom of their parents and the Word of God.

Yet, before we set off to teach our children, I believe the Lord wants us to first examine our own hearts. How do we, as parents, react when we have done wrong? Are we above reproach because we are the parents? Parents who are willing to acknowledge a failure or a mistake and ask forgiveness, model to their children that they too are subject to the Law of God and that they practice what they preach. There will be a greater level of trust and respect as the children see that their parents are teachable too. Make that your prayer to the Lord today.

- by Sabrina Ng

Home \| About Us \| BMC This Week \| Ministries \| Gallery \| Devotional \| Resources \| Opportunities \| Contacts
This Week's Devotional \| 2004 Devotionals \| 2005 Devotionals Devotional For the Week 18th October 2004 OUR ROLE AS CHRISTIAN PARENTS Parenting is not easy but thank God that we are not alone but can always turn to the expert parent of all time, our Heavenly Father. As we recognise our dependence on God and walk closely with Him, the Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, will teach us all things. It doesn't matter if you're a parent, grandparent or spiritual parent of the children God has placed into your life, your duty is not just to equip them for life on this earth, but more importantly to prepare them for life in eternity. We must help our children understand that God loves them and desires to have a personal, intimate relationship with them. Relationships take time to build up and it cannot be done just once a week at Sunday school. Therefore we, the parent, must be faithful in making our children disciples for Jesus Christ. Here are two spiritual disciplines to help develop little disciples for Christ: Spiritual discipline #1: Make God's Word part of our lives God's Word must be taught to our children that they may know WHO God is, and learn to love Him they may know WHAT God can do, and learn to trust Him they may know HOW God wants us to live, that they may please Him. You don't have to be a Sunday school teacher in order to teach your children the Word of God. You don't have to wait until you know more. With whatever you do know, start teaching your children and you will learn much more. Deuteronomy 6:6-7 "And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down and when you rise up." *Informal instruction* Make God part of our everyday experiences. Help them to see God in all aspects of life, not just church-related activities and not just on Sundays. Find a relaxed time to read Bible stories with your child everyday and make sure they know that all the stories in the Bible are true. Play their favourite Christian songs when they are home or when you drive them to school or for classes and sing-a-long with them. Share testimonies that build up faith or share experiences which show that God is real that He desires to lead and guide us and is always there for us. Let your children see your faith in God in your response to day-to-day happenings. Let us be authentic disciples of Christ. For example, in times of sickness, lay hands on the sick and pray for healing, thanking God for doctors but proclaiming that ultimately God is our Healer. Let us also check ourselves on how we respond in some of these testing moments: when there are delays, when another driver cuts into our path or when our maids make an honest mistake. *Structured times of Bible teaching* Choose a suitable time of the day. Whatever time you choose, ask God to help you commit to it and not let other things crowd it out. Find a conducive place for heart-to-heart sharing and prayer. Use the Bible together with other devotional guides. Children need to read what God has said, not simply what others have written about Him. Share prayer requests and pray together. *Two important points* Ground them properly on the foundational truths of our faith. Teach our children about creation, how sin entered the world, how God sent His Son Jesus to die for our sins, that Jesus rose from the dead and will come back one day for us. Begin spiritual instruction early. The best time to begin spiritual training of your children is while they are still in their formative years, when your influence over them is greatest. As they grow into adolescence, many of them prefer to do devotion by themselves and from then on it becomes increasingly difficult to influence their values. Spiritual discipline #2: Pray *Praying with our children* Take time to listen to their prayer requests, no matter how big or small it is, and always remember to thank God for answered prayer. Pray for others. Encourage them not only to present personal petitions, but to think of the needs of others as well. As a family, pray for our pastors, missionaries, teachers, leaders of the church and of Singapore, relatives, friends, those who are sick or in need. Teach your children to also intercede for relatives and friends who do not know Jesus yet. Praying for our children Pray for our children to experience God for themselves. Even as we do our part in teaching them the Word of God and to pray, at some point of their life each child will examine the claims of the Bible and determine whether he or she will embrace its truths. This is a very necessary struggle for them to go through in order to establish their own faith in God, and not be an extension of ours. More than just reading about God in the Bible or hearing our testimonies about what God has done in our lives, they need to experience God and know that He is real. At such times, we have to let them go and search for God. But let us be there to help them pursue with honesty all questions of faith and to cover every aspect of their life in prayer. Search the Scriptures for whatever situation you are struggling with in your family. The Word of God is rich with instruction to guide and promises to encourage us. And as you pray in faith, believe that the Lord, who has begun a good work in your children, will bring it to completion until the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6). *Click here for some ways you can pray for our children according to God's word.* Reflection: Our goal in nurturing our children should not just be to see changes in their behaviour, but a change in their heart condition. When their hearts are set right with God, our children will understand what they have done wrong, are willing to be corrected and to learn from the wisdom of their parents and the Word of God. Yet, before we set off to teach our children, I believe the Lord wants us to first examine our own hearts. How do we, as parents, react when we have done wrong? Are we above reproach because we are the parents? Parents who are willing to acknowledge a failure or a mistake and ask forgiveness, model to their children that they too are subject to the Law of God and that they practice what they preach. There will be a greater level of trust and respect as the children see that their parents are teachable too. Make that your prayer to the Lord today. - *by Sabrina Ng*
(C) BMC 2005 All Rights Reserved