Practical Ideas for Teaching Devotion: Part 1

Mar 5, 2013 by Jim and Jerolyn Bogear

Every parent can use some new ideas to teach values to their children. In our book, Faith Legacy: Six Values to Shape Your Child’s Journey, we have pages of ideas to jump-start your creativity.  Today and Thursday, we will share the practical tips for teaching Devotion to God to your children. We have broken them down into age-appropriate activities.

All Ages:

• Let your child “catch” you praying and reading God’s Word.
• Let your conversations be permeated with wholesome talk, so your children will see and know your love for God.

Ages 2-5:

• Read from a children’s Bible. Share with your children how important God is and how important they are to God.
• Encourage your child to have Time Alone With God (TAWG). For younger children, start with just a few minutes to sit by themselves alone with God.

Ages 6-10:

• Give your elementary-aged children a Bible and a lengthier TAWG time. Provide guidelines for their time, such as listening to and reading only material that honors God. At this age, they may want to draw or even play quietly. Even this can be time alone with God.
• Discuss what your child is learning from God’s Word. Work together with your child on any take-home materials from your church.
• Make decisions a matter of prayer. Ask “Have you prayed about that?”

Ages 11-17

• Encourage your child to go more in depth in their TAWG time. Be sure you are modeling the importance of time alone with God in your own life.
• Teach your child the SOAP method of studying the Word – Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer.

Have you tried any of these? Let us know how well they worked for you.

~Jim and Jerolyn