Training Children to Worship
Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it (Proverbs 22:6).
The goal: Train up a child in the way God designed him. God designed mankind to be dependent upon Him and to worship Him (Isaiah 43:7, 21; Revelation 4:11). Everyone worships someone or something. Many even worship self, but God seeks for those who will worship Him (John 4:23).
We might not like to admit it, but there are certain things that only God can do in the lives of our children and our grandchildren. This should not be a problem for those who know how to connect with God in prayer.
Our culture through the years, even our Christian culture has made a very serious assumption that is wrong – that mothers have the greatest input into a child’s training including his spiritual training. The assumption came from the truth that the man was the main bread-winner in the family. That argument has totally disappeared today. The real problem: Men have long avoided their God-given responsibility. And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). Most important in this responsibility is the father’s spiritual example. My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways (Proverbs 23:26). The oft repeated plea, “My Son” in Proverbs emphasizes the love and concern of a godly father for his children.
There is a world out there controlled by the prince and power of the air that wants the hearts or our children. We need to be wise as to what the enemy of our souls is doing and in the training process of our children, warn them of the evils of our sin-cursed world. We cannot emphasize enough the joy of a godly father when his children walk with the Lord. The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him (Proverbs 23:24).
Notice again the words “my ways” in Proverbs 23:26. The question that must be asked to all parents and grandparents, not just fathers is simply this – WHAT ARE YOUR WAYS. What are you doing to cultivate a love for God in your children and grandchildren? Most often, what we do is far more important than what we say and what we say and do ought to be the same. The example of a godly parent and grandparent is so crucial.
Children tend to emulate somebody and we know that some things are “better caught than taught.” Though I never told them, I prayed that at least one of my boys would become a pastor. One of them, when he was small would stand on a box and preach to his sisters.
Matthew Henry had a tremendous love for the Word of God. Every morning, his father gathered his family together and read from the Word of God. Read the words of someone else who followed this same practice. It has been my practice for many years to spend at least an hour at the beginning of every day reading at least four or five chapters of the Word of God. And to my embarrassment, I don’t always have the time because of the pressures of life to sufficiently meditate upon what I have been reading, but I never omit the reading. And this MY SON is the only way to be happy in life.” John Quincy Adams, sixth president of the United States, wrote this.
Worship begins in the home (Deuteronomy 6:7-9) where fathers can lead their children to know and love the Lord. There are many other ways to teach children to worship. Parents can take their children to many places to see various aspects of God’s creation, camping in the mountains, fishing, seeing a variety of God’s animal kingdom and calling attention to God’s power and the beauty of His creation. Regular praise and prayer is something that is caught. Parents and grandparents need to love God with all their heart, mind, and soul. They also need to daily pray for their children and grandchildren. Thanksgiving ought to be a regular habit in the home and a regular part of prayer.
Parents and grandparents need to pray that God will give them tremendous compassion for their children. Early in the ministry of D. L. Moody, he saw children in Chicago playing out in front of an underground saloon. God gave to him that kind of compassion for the children. He went in and the barkeeper thought he wanted a drink and asked, “What will you have?” He said – “Those children for my Sunday School.” Obviously, he was met with laughter, but Mr. Moody persisted. The man finally gave him permission to come to his saloon on Thursday night to ask the children directly if they would like to go to Sunday School. Mr. Moody opened the session in prayer and God melted the heart of the barkeeper. Do not underestimate the power of prayer before your children and others.
George Stiekes serves as a Lay Pastor at Bethany Bible Church in Hendersonville, NC. See here for a more complete bio of brother Stiekes extensive ministry. We republish his material by permission.
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash