Almost six years ago, a sweet, six pound, premature baby girl made me a Mommy. My life had changed forever – in a beautiful way. I remember trembling in awe our first days together as I contemplated the responsibility of being a parent.

As my little one has grown and God has blessed us with two more daughters, I have pondered these verses in Deuteronomy 6: 6-9 often:

“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. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

Teach them Diligently

As a Christian parent, God has commanded us to teach His Word diligently to our children. I love that this passage encompasses all aspects of daily life together: when we sit in our houses, when we are out and about, at bed time, and in the morning.

What I have taken away from this is that I can incorporate biblical teaching at any time.

Here are a few things I’ve done that have helped me to walk this out:

1) Start the day with a prayer – during breakfast or shortly after, I gather my kiddos together and we say a brief prayer to invite God into our day. It goes like this: “Dear Jesus, thank you for today. Help us to love you, to love others, to be kind, and to have fun.”

I am continually amazed at how pointing our gaze towards God at the onset of the day will set the tone for the whole day.

2) Practice Scripture Memorization together – I choose one short passage per week for us to memorize together. About a year ago, I began creating little tunes to go along with each passage, which made the memorization so much easier for all of us. When the girls can recite the passage and reference from memory, they get a piece of candy, which they love. You can sign up to receive these “Scripture Songs” here.

3) During Times of Instruction and Correction – Teaching God’s Word to our children in times of correction will help them to understand the foundation for our beliefs and values.

For instance, when talking to one of my children about a problem they have with complaining, I may refer to a verse we memorized together: “Do all things without grumbling or disputing,” discussing what God says in His Word about the importance of a thankful heart.

4) Out and About – As we walk with our children around this great big world they will see or hear things that they do not understand. When this happens, they look to my husband and me for direction.

Stewardship, Poverty, Crime, and every human issue can be discussed through the lens of God’s Word and provide a solid framework for them to process life.

5) When They Lie Down – Like many Christian parents, we read our children Bible stories at bedtime. They love hearing these stories of men and women in Scripture and how they handled adversity, prosperity, and every other problem known to man.

These are just a few ways that we train our children in God’s ways and His Word. I’m learning as I go and eager to learn from all of you. What have you found most helpful as you teach your children God’s Word?