Relationships

Should Parents Be More Vulnerable with Their Children?

4. Immerse Them in Scripture and Prayer

In our constantly changing culture, we may feel intimidated by all our children face and encounter. Out of self-protection, this might motivate us to disengage. There are so many outside forces seeking to leave impressions on our children. There are teachers, classmates, coaches, teammates, and mentors. Add to that Hollywood stars, YouTubers and other social media “influencers,” and peer pressure has taken on a whole new meaning.

Teaching youth Scripture as Truth is critical. When we feel ill-equipped or insufficient, we can trust God has given us all we need to parent well. Consider the following ways to accomplish this.

Weave Scripture into Casual Conversation:

Deuteronomy 6:6-7 states, “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” As parents, we cannot allow the world to teach our children morality.

Times are different. And our kids are facing a reality we never had to as children. While the birth of the internet took place in 1983, everything changed when Apple released the iPhone in 2007. Since then, children have been able to carry the world wide web, the entire internet including the “dark web,” in their pockets and access a wealth of information with a simple touch of a glass. The need for Scripture as our moral compass is more crucial now than ever.

Pray for and with Them for All Things:

It’s daunting to think about the things our children are exposed to at such young ages. Praying for our children is crucial, and humbling ourselves to pray with our children brings great peace. Paul writes in Phillipians 4:6, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Help Them Process Their Thoughts Biblically:

Our kids are trying to manage body changes, extra-curricular activities, hormones, academics, “frenemies,” bullying, overloaded schedules, online shaming and more. It’s a lot for anyone, let alone young people that are still finding their way. But Paul continues in Phillipians 4:8, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

As we seek to mold our kids into adults, let’s be sure to use Scripture as our guide, bathe them in prayer, and teach them to seek out what is noble in God’s eyes.

Photo Credit: © Getty Images/Anastasiia Stiahailo