Jesus Calls Me Friend: Creating Space for Your Children to Encounter Godنموونە

God wants us to sing joyfully! And you know what? Kids love to sing. Have you ever noticed how preschoolers constantly sing the ABCs or Twinkle Twinkle Little Star? A desire to sing was sown into their hearts at a very young age by God. Let's capitalize on their desire and invite our children to sing to Jesus.

I know many moms who play worship music constantly in their homes. And all of them say it makes a big difference in setting the atmosphere. Listening to worship music ushers in the presence of God. Worship music instantly changes the mood of our homes and reminds us of the goodness of God.

That being said, we want to avoid becoming legalistic in our routines. What do I mean by this? We don't want our kids to worship because they think they must earn God's love. Or they must sing because it's part of a formula to hear from God. That's not how God operates. We sing because He put a song in our hearts, and worship is a way we feel close to Him.

One of the best ways to experience God is through worship, but forcing our children to worship leads to inauthentic results. Remember, the goal is to set an atmosphere of worship and wonder in our homes, naturally drawing our children in.

Have you ever heard the expression, "more is caught than taught"? While we are instructed to teach our children about God (Deuteronomy 6:7), our kids also watch our actions.

They'll notice if we tell them to praise God, but we never do it ourselves. As we model worship to our children, we should show them what it means to praise God at all times. David writes in Psalm 34:1, "I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth." (NKJV).

Reflect: Singing isn't just to make us feel good. Singing God's praises shifts something in the spiritual realm. When we sing out to God, we prepare a place for God to move in our lives. We make room for Him. We need to share this truth with our children. By praising and worshiping God, they discover more about Him!

How can we apply this to our everyday lives? Is praise and worship a part of my life? What does God’s Word say about praise and worship?