How to train up a child in a Godly way? Hmm, it’s almost a loaded question! There are tons of things we can do as parents to help prepare our children for a Christian life.
It’s often said that children are the future. And it’s true. Our kids will be the next leaders and voices making change in this world. And their kids after them.
And that adds a different weight to the duties of motherhood.
It doesn’t take much effort to see that the earth is suffering greatly because of sin and the work of the evil one. And as a mom, this oftentimes feels scary.
How can I raise my son in such a world? How can I bring him up to do right and serve God in a world that is increasingly becoming more accepting of sin? A world that not only accepts sin but celebrates it.
Well, first, we don’t do it alone.
God is there to help, so let’s not forget that we can lean on Him, even for seemingly silly parenting struggles.
But secondly, we should do more than just raise our kids to know God and to do what is right. That’s just the start of it. That’s only the base.
After teaching our kids who God is and the right way they should go, we should train them to be Kingdom Warriors. We should teach them not to be Christian bystanders, watching others take on all the risks and do all the Kingdom work.
We should show them how to be active participants in the battle to win souls.
We need to teach our children to work hard for the glory of God.
Raising Godly Children
So, how do we do this? How do we prepare our children to not just be believers, but active warriors working for the Kingdom? What can we do so that they come to love the Lord, follow His commandments, and spread God’s love to others?
Well, we can start by simply doing our part. God has given us a very special role in our kids’ lives. He is trusting us to steward them through this life.
So here are 6 ways we can start to do our part in stewarding our little ones:
(1) Pray over them. Pray over your kids. And I mean really pray. It’s easy to remember to pray for the basics: protection, safety, health. And these are, of course, great things to pray for. But I say take it deeper. The enemy is prowling. And the minds of our children can be easy prey if we allow it. God put these babies in our care. And not just physically. Let’s be intentional about covering our children in serious prayer. Some examples:
- Pray for their spiritual gifts to be manifest!
- Pray that they will resist the devil!
- Pray that they will walk by faith and not by sight!
- Pray for their spiritual discernment!
- Pray for their future spouse!
(2) Speak over them. Much like prayer, where we ask for the grace of God to cover them, we should decree and declare God’s promises over their lives. Don’t just ask but declare in the name of Jesus.
(3) Monitor what they watch and listen to. Let’s be diligent about protecting our children’s eye and ear gates. Keep as much evil from their sight as early as possible. Guard their minds. Even something that seems harmless can spark an innocent curiosity that the enemy can use later.
(4) Pay attention to who they are friends with. Watch who their friends are. That’s not to say our children must be friends only with “perfect” kids, because our kids are not perfect either. But the enemy often uses peer pressure and the influence of friends to twist truth. I pray that my son befriends everyone, but radiates Truth so that instead of being influenced, he is the influencer. However, our children are often too young to recognize a harmful friendship that could lead them astray. That’s where we come in.
(5) Learn Apologetics as a parent! Apologetics helps us to tackle the tough questions about the evidence, reason, and trustworthiness of the Bible. Learning to reasonably defend our faith will help prepare us to answer the tough faith questions that are sure to come. Mama Bear Apologetics is a great book to start learning about apologetics and why it matters for moms.
(6) Talk to them about God. Tell them who God is. Allow them to see you read the Bible and worship. Casually mention God in conversation, when out and about, when doing the normal things. Make God a regular part of daily life.
“You Shall Teach Them Diligently”, But Why?
Doing the work to raise Godly children is like laying down a solid foundation for their lives. It’s about giving them something reliable to stand on when everything else feels uncertain. Not to mention helping them to secure their salvation.
Raising them to love the Lord early matters because this will lay a foundation that will keep them strong in the faith when life throws lemons at them.
Think about it this way: life throws all sorts of curveballs our way – challenges, temptations, tough decisions. When kids are raised with a strong faith, it’s like they’ve got this inner GPS guiding them through the twists and turns.
They learn about values like love, kindness, and forgiveness from a young age, and those principles stick with them. So, when they’re faced with tough choices or peer pressure, they’ve got this anchor to hold onto – their relationship with God.
Plus, raising Godly children isn’t just about them – it’s about the ripple effect.
When you nurture a child’s faith, you’re not just shaping one life; you’re influencing future generations. It’s like planting seeds of goodness that can spread far and wide.
Imagine the kind of world we could create if more people grew up with a genuine love and connection to God. From that relationship with God would grow an understanding of compassion, empathy, and grace.
So yeah, raising Godly children? It’s not just important for them; it’s important for all of us.
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Tips on How to Train Up a Child in a Godly Way
Now that we know what we can do as parents, what can we teach our kids to do for themselves? As parents, we are essentially preparing our children for a life of independence. They can’t always depend on us to feed them, bathe them, and drive them everywhere.
At some point, they have to do these things on their own.
And this also applies to their faith. Once out on their own, it’s up to them to keep the fire going; to continue to grow spiritually and seek God. So we need to help cultivate within them the characteristics of a Godly child that will follow them into adulthood.
However, there are some things we can begin to teach our children now to prepare them for this life of independence.
Below I’ve put together a list of 9 things we can teach our children to do for themselves to prepare them for spiritual battle.
- Teach them HOW to pray, not just TO pray.
- Teach them how to be THINKERS, so they aren’t easily influenced.
- Teach them how to LOVE, as defined by scripture.
- Teach them to STUDY the Bible, and not just brush over the words.
- Teach them what it means to WORSHIP, so they connect with God.
- Teach them to PRAY DEEPLY, and not just recite cute poetry prayers.
- Teach them how to FAST, and why it’s important.
- Teach them to SEEK God diligently, in both good and hard times.
- Teach them how to SERVE others with a generous heart.
Bible Verses About Raising a Child
Raising kids who have a solid foundation in faith can make a world of difference. When children grow up with a strong understanding of God’s love and teachings, they tend to make better choices, treat others with kindness and respect, and have a sense of purpose that guides them through life’s ups and downs.
Plus, it’s like giving them a compass for navigating life’s journey – they know where True North is when they have a relationship with God.
Now, let’s dive into some biblical wisdom on raising children. These scriptures on raising children have been guiding parents for centuries, offering timeless advice on nurturing young hearts and minds:
- Proverbs 22:6 – “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”
- Ephesians 6:4 – “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”
- Deuteronomy 6:6-7 – “And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”
- Proverbs 29:17 – “Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will give delight to your heart.”
- Colossians 3:20 – “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.”
- Psalm 127:3 – “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.”
- Proverbs 1:8-9 – “Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching, for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck.”
- Proverbs 20:11 – “Even a child makes himself known by his acts, by whether his conduct is pure and upright.”
- Titus 2:6-8 – “Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.”
- Matthew 18:2-4 – “And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, ‘Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.'”
These verses offer timeless wisdom for parents, reminding us of the importance of guiding our children with love, discipline, and the teachings of our faith.
In Conclusion
Our children will not always live under our roof. So we have to equip them to be ready when it’s time to leave the nest. We can prepare them for college, how to manage money, and how to gas up a car. But let’s also prepare them for the spiritual war that they will face in their individual faith walks.
If you were researching how to train up a child in a Godly way, I sincerely hope that this blog post has helped show you some things you can do. Raising a Godly child in an ungodly world is challenging, to say the least.
But by being proactive, intentional, and with much prayer, you can raise children that love the Lord.