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.
RELATED: Call on God When Parenting Gets Hard
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.
How to Train up a Child in a Godly Way: Training Kingdom Warriors
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So, how do we do this? How do we prepare our children to not just be believers, but active warriors working for the Kingdom?
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:
- 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!
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Are you a stay-at-home mom looking for encouragement? Please visit my new site www.allthingssahm.com, where I provide free faith-based devotionals, uplifting content, and more.
Teach Your Children HOW
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.
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.
(You can download a free printable of this full list below.)
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 on their individual walks.
You might also like:
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How to Teach Toddlers About God
“Mama Bear Apologetics” Is a Must-Read for Christian Mothers – Book Review
This is the hardest thing for me as a parent. I always worry that I’m not doing enough. Your list is spot on and I think it’s important to note that you mention what they read/see/listen to and who they are friends with. I like to give my children some of their own choices, but they also need to understand what is and isn’t acceptable and why. These aren’t something that can be taught once and then you’re finished. And while taking them to church is good, it isn’t enough. Our first mission is in our own home. Thank you for this post.
Thanks for sharing. My son is only a toddler, but I can imagine how much more challenging things become as they grow. I love that you said “these aren’t something that can be taught once and then you’re finished”. Because it’s so true. It’s an ongoing job and we need to stay diligent.
Thank you for sharing. Most at times instead of training the children, we tend praying for them.
Prayer has it role And training has it role.
We are to train them not to pray for them to turn good.
Well said. Both play a vital role. We can’t have one without the other.