I grew up without being exposed to Scripture, so as a young mom (age 20) it was all still very new to me. I was under great teaching that helped me to realize that all the answers for life are contained in God’s Word, so as I began searching and learning it myself, I sought to find ways to teach it to my little son.
We began by hanging verses around the house and Rick and I started memorizing portions of Scripture together. By the time we had 3 little boys (all 18 months apart), Rick began recording Scripture for the boys to listen to when he was at work. It seemed he was gone for most of their waking hours, so it was his idea to record and explain Proverbs for them to listen to at nap time and bed time.
He gave example stories to explain the what it was talking about so the kids could understand. The results were far-reaching and amazing!! He recorded other portions of Scripture as time went on, and as the boys and then girls grew up, they spent MANY hours listening to Dad read and explain the Scriptures to them.
We often read the Proverb of the day- there are 31 days to the month and 31 Proverbs. Rick always told the kids to raise their hands if they had any questions when he read. Â One day he began reading the Proverb of the day and the kids finished the verse before he had a chance to. It happened again and again. When Dad asked them how they knew so many verses, they said, “Well, you have us listen to Bible tapes every night and we just know them.” It was true!! It was incredible!!
Not only did they memorize it, it began to affect the way they thought. God’s Word does that! When they were faced with temptations, verses they didn’t consciously realize they even knew, would pop into their heads giving guidance in everyday decisions. Isaiah 55:11 says, “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” It is so true.
Isaiah 55: 8-9 tells us. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
It is when we meditate or contemplate on God’s Word, that we eventually begin to do that just and exchange our natural, sinful thoughts for God’s thoughts. It was a pretty simple thing to do, but the effects have been life shaping for my kids.
Another tip is to have time each day where you have your kids intentionally learn Scripture according to their need. I made flashcards to use as I had the kids learn verses that addressed areas of struggle in their lives. As I would see them struggling in a certain area, I would look up Scriptures that addressed that sin and have them memorize those targeted verses. It is, after all, ONLY God’s Word that will change the heart and then behavior as we are molded to the image of God’s Son. If your child struggles with telling the truth, have him memorize verses about honesty and lying. If he struggles with whining, have him memorize verses about gratefulness and complaining. We have a list of 32 negative and positive behaviors with corresponding Scriptures to learn. Â There is also an entire Bible study based on this list:GROWING IN WISDOM
Time spent teaching your kids God’s Word is NEVER wasted and pays eternal dividends.
I’m so glad that I made it a priority while raising my kids. I am blessed as I see how the Word works to build a godly value system in those trained by it.
Make it a top priority as you raise up your kids. Lord, may our prayer be as Psalm 90:12 says, “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”
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