Does your child desire to worship the one true God?

We all want our children to worship the one true God.  Because we are naturally sinful, from time to time one of our children will ask, “Why do we have to go to church today?”

What a wonderful opportunity as parents to share our thoughts and beliefs with our children. As we think back on these times we are thankful for the privilege of answering their question. 

First of all we are reminded that we need to be in constant prayer for our children.  It is only by the grace of God that our children will show any interest in worshipping and serving Him. So we must continuously depend on the Lord to call them to Himself.  When we trust the Lord to pour His grace and mercy out on our children He gives us opportunities to teach and point them to Him. 

When we are asked this question we tell our children we are going to worship services today because we are commanded in scripture to worship God together on Sundays. We recognize that Sundays are the Lord’s Day. We also remind them that many times we do not feel like obeying God but the Bible teaches that if we love Christ we will keep His commandments. After we have shared this truth with our children many times we have been reminded by the Holy Spirit to tell our children that we are going to worship God today, and everyday, because of all the good and wonderful things He has done for us. When we stop and ask the child to tell us about some of the good things God has done for our family, soon that child will have his mind focused on the things of God. It is amazing how God can work in the hearts of children when they are reminded of God’s goodness.

As parents we are given many other opportunities to help our children learn to worship.  Reading the Psalms together out loud to them, sharing scripture that instructs us to worship, singing a hymn with them as a family, helping them make preparations for the services such as getting their offering envelopes ready, laying their clothes out the day before, praying with them and asking God to prepare their hearts and minds for worship are all activities that show our children that we are interested in helping him/her prepare for worship.

Last of all we know that we can’t expect our children to want to worship God on Sundays if we have not worshipped God ourselves during the week. Our children know better than anyone else if we are genuinely walking what we are talking. If they never see us open God’s Word, pray, share with them our experiences of walking with God, tell them of God’s goodness in our own lives, then we cannot expect our children to want to worship a God that is not really “real” to us. 

Thank God today for the wonderful privilege that God has given you as a parent.

Psalms 77:11-14

           I shall remember the deeds of the Lord; Surely I will remember Thy wonders of old. I will meditate on all Thy work, And muse on Thy deeds. Thy way, O God, is holy; What god is great like our God? Thou art the God who workest wonders: Thou hast made known Thy strength among the peoples.

Randy and Evelyn Owens

Directors of Children’s Ministries