Why You Should Read The Bible With Your Children

Developmental and Spiritual Reasons

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How do you read the Bible with your children?

Is it something you do everyday? Or do you struggle with this one?

I will be honest with you and tell you that I struggle with this one.

And not because I don’t completely desire to make it a wonderful, pleasant, every single day experience. I do! I really do! I know it’s something I should do.

Our lives are complicated and 4 out of 7 nights we don’t even get home by bedtime! Three kids, one autistic (you can read our story here), it is absolute chaos when we finally get home. We have time for prayer and bed and that’s it!

I set out on a mission to find out how other parents do it, and to find the reason’s why reading the Bible with your children is important.

What you can do

Most parents have similar ways of how they read the Bible with their children.

• Read the Bible (many choose to read a children’s Bible)
• Ask questions about what was read
• Practice Bible verse
• Prayer

This is very similar to what my family did when we were little. And it’s what I thrive for for my evenings with my children.

Of course with different ages and stages and personalities and behaviors this can be hard to accomplish.

Don’t expect your children to sit still and listen to every word and answer every question. I wish my kids could sit still and be perfect angels. And maybe one day they will learn. But for now I have a 2 year old barely listening and climbing the bunk bed. The 5 year old will sit but will easily get distracted. And my sweet, sweet C, cannot sit and listen. By bedtime medication wears off and there is no attention whatsoever!

I’m learning to let the idea of perfection go and instead I am preparing with tools to create the best experience for all of us and not fill the evening with frustration and anger.

Tools for making reading the Bible with your Children

• Be excited about reading the Bible

If your children see YOU excited they will want to be excited as well.

• Establish a routine

Make sure to follow the same routine every night. Or maybe it’s something you do in the morning?

I know that my family cannot do this EVERY night so the 3 nights that we ARE home I will create a routine.

Once it’s a routine your children will learn that it’s something you do and will remind you if you forget.

• Ask questions!

WH questions are great for this! Who? What? Where? When? Why?

Make sure to ask age appropriate questions. I also learned not to wait until the end of the story. My kids forget! I get them engaged riight away! I read one paragraph and ask a questnion, another paragraph or a few sentences and another question. And so on and so on.

• Have age appropriate activities available

Do you have a doodler that would love to draw while you’re reading? Maybe have a coloring page related to the reading? Older kids can have pages for scripture writing or copying.

It won’t be perfect and will take some practice and repetition of the routine.

Set up a reward calendar or reading chart if you know that it will help.

Now that you have everything set up and are ready, why is this even important?

Why reading the Bible with your children is important

Developmental Reasons

• Builds relationship  in the family

What a great way to spend time with your children

• Engages the whole family

You’re reading together and asking questions. Everyone is participating.

• Promotes family unity and family trust

Again comes back to spending quality time together as a family

• Supports the child’s development and understanding

You’re reading and asking questions. You’re learning what your child understands and what they still need help with.

• Empowers children and their views

You ask questions and have your children ask questions. There are so many wonderful conversations you can have as a family. Let your children know you hear them and that they have a voice!

I spoke to Vladimir Troshin, senior pastor of Grace Avenue Bible Church in Northern California to learn the importance of reading the Bible with your children for spiritual reasons. Here are some reasons that he shared with me.

Spiritual Reasons

1. Children need to hear the Bible, God’s Word, to accept Christ so they will be saved.
2. Reading the Bible forms our world view from a Biblical perspective. There are not many truths. There is only one truth.
3. Introduces the authority of the Bible.
4. Introduces children to a purpose in life.
5. Learn about the future (afterlife).
6. Children will learn right from wrong. This will help keep children from sinning. It will set standards and teach morals.
7. It’s a great way to spend your time with family.

Do you still need more help and would like to read more on the topic?

I found great helpful resources from these websites:

focusonthefamily.com

crossway.org

illustratedchildrenministry.com

How do you read the Bible with your kids?

Do you have any special traditions or routines?

You got this mama!