As Christian parents, part of our calling is to train up our children to follow God, and part of that is teaching them to love and respect His Word. The first step for this is training your child to read the Bible, and as they get older we can build on that foundation. One way we can expand on that and help them further learn about God is by teaching them to meditate on God’s Word. Here are a few ways you can start training your child to meditate on what they read in the Bible!
1. Help them memorize key verses and packages
As a family, identify a few key verses and passages that impact your day-to-day life! Proverbs and the Gospels can be great places to start. These books have many short but meaningful verses that are easier to memorize! Repeat these verses or passages regularly each day, and memorize them with your children! Once they have a handle on a few verses, teach them to really sit and think on them. Take a few minutes quietly in the living room, at the table, or in the car each day to practice. Remember this is a discipline that takes practice, but it will be so worth it in the end as they dive deeper into who God is!
2. Teach them how God tells us to meditate
Read Bible verses on meditation with your children, and teach them how Christians are to approach this practice. A great verse to start with is Psalm 46:10, where God commands His people, “Be still and know that I am God.” Teach them about meditation as a valuable spiritual practice, meant to draw us closer to Jesus and give intentional space for Him to speak into our lives through His Word.
3. Help them figure out ways to implement what they are learning
Try taking a few minutes to sit quietly with them as they meditate, and when they are done ask questions to help them apply what they learned! Questions like “What does this say about how I should treat people?” or “what does Jesus want me to learn from this?” can help them find ways to apply the verses they meditated on to their daily lives. Take the time to listen intently, and guide them toward a deeper understanding of Jesus and the Bible.
Now, you are prepared to start teaching your child how to take their Bible reading one step further, and truly meditate on God’s Word!
