Helping Children Grow Spiritually offers help for parents who desire to see their children grow in their understanding of God. Part 1 of this series discusses the importance of modeling a love for God and Part 2, the need to model a trust in God. Part 3 looks at modeling a relationship with God, as another practice for fostering spiritual growth in your children. Part 4 finishes up by covering the importance of modeling prayer and grace.
Each of us must make a personal decision to follow Jesus. Having Christian parents, going to church or attending a Christian school does not make someone a Christian. Becoming a Christian is not taught, or handed down from parent to child like the family name. Christian parents though, long for their children to know Christ and make Him known. While salvation is not inherited, parents are given the opportunity and commanded to teach and train their children in the Lord. Parents’ personal relationship with God is a powerful influence.
Model a Relationship with God
God desires to have a personal relationship with us. This comes as a result of placing our faith in the redemptive work of Christ. Like any relationship, a relationship with the Lord requires spending time with Him - time in His presence, communicating through reading, prayer, and worship. Modeling this relationship means our children will witness these practices. Children may be more likely to see us reading and worshiping on a Sunday, but unless we let them in on our conversations with God, and our personal worship, they will miss this meaningful way of communing with the Lord.
How much of your conversation with your children is about God? Do you regularly share stories of His grace and mercy in your life? Do you pray throughout the day for God’s help with attitudes, challenging tasks, and relationships? Sharing with your children, your personal relationship with God helps them to better understand the concept of a Living God who wants to be active in our lives.
Here are five ideas for modeling your relationship with God.
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Read a short passage of scripture and discuss how to apply it.
For example, read Philippians 2:1-2 together. Talk about how you might obey God in counting “others more significant than yourselves.” Maybe take a meal to someone needing encouragement and ask if you can pray for them.
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Tell personal stories to illustrate to your children that God is living and active in all aspects of your life.
Your stories might be from your childhood or current circumstances that describe something you have learned about God or an attribute of God you have experienced. Share with your children when you believe God is speaking to you or teaching you something. Is He teaching you patience? Are you learning to trust Him in a specific situation? Is He using someone in your life to help you better understand compassion and mercy? What goes through your head when you see the homeless man on the street? Your children will learn from your thought process and how you communicate it.
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Point to creation as a means of communing with God and learning about His majesty.
Creation provides countless lessons that point to the Master Creator and can make Him known to our children. The heavens declare His glory, the wind and the seas obey Him, the stars provide light and guidance. All these elements of creation function as images for understanding attributes of God. When I’m outside with my three year old granddaughter, I always point out some aspect of creation and ask who made it and why. The clouds, the blue sky, the sunset, the wind, the birds, and little creature, are His handiwork. Pointing out the created and talking about the Creator, reminds our children of His greatness.
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Teach your children how you listen to the voice of God.
Hearing from God often comes while reading Scripture, but the Holy Spirit is always with us and can speak at any time. Any communication, believed to be from the Holy Spirit must always be tested with Scripture. Saying, “God told me…”, doesn’t make it so! God will not contradict Himself. For example, He would not tell you to steal, gossip, act immorally or act selfishly since these practices conflict with what He has commanded in Scripture. Share with your children the lessons you have learned from Scripture and how the Lord leads you.
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Teach your children how you experience the silence of God.
Our culture is not conducive to quiet and reflection. Google allows us to find the answer to any question immediately. Our electronic devices engage our mind most of our waking hours. It is important for our children to learn to reflect on the silence of God and understand that silence is not absence. God is not obligated to answer our prayers immediately, or to answer according to our wants. Rather, His response may be painfully slow and the answer much different from our expectation. This does not mean God did not hear the request or does not love us. Silence can be an opportunity to rest, to learn patience, to intercede, to learn endurance, and to realize that it’s not all about us. Usually our prayers, concern others and we must trust that “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). Share with your child how you might struggle waiting for God to answer your prayers. Let your children know what it is like to wait in silence. 
Reflect on Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Talk about what this might mean in regards to experiencing the silence of God.
As you are growing in your relationship with the Lord, your children will benefit from you letting them in on your interactions with Him. Modeling this relationship will help them to grow too. If you are already doing these things, comment below and share some of the lessons you are learning. If there is a new idea here, give it a try and let me know how it goes