Beyond Sunday School Answers: Helping Kids Develop Real Faith

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! (Psalm 34:8, ESV).

We’ve all experienced it if we’ve ever taught Sunday School or Vacation Bible School. We ask a question, and inevitably a sweet little child yells out, “Jesus!” as the answer. Well, Jesus is the answer, but not to every question we ask. But children learn quickly the “Sunday School” answers, and they learn to disengage their hearts and minds if we aren’t careful.

Our children grew up at MKs (missionary kids) and PKs (preacher’s kids). I guess they got a double whammy of religious life. But we didn’t want them learning only the Sunday School answers. We wanted those answers to live in their hearts and minds. We wanted them to truly know God and own their faith for themselves, not just try to be good MKs and PKs. We tried very hard  not to put too harsh of expectations on them, and we prayed often that they would grow into faith of their own.

Two of our kids first “prayed the prayer” to believe in Jesus which turned out to be a prayer so they could have the grape juice and cracker during the Lord’s Supper. I guess they didn’t like missing out on snack time. Later, though, they prayed for real, and both have chosen to follow Christ. However, when they were on their own, they had a difficult time going to their own church where their dad wasn’t pastor.

Even if your kids are not MKs or PKs, you have a similar challenge in helping your kids’ faith become their own. So, how do we help our children truly taste and see that the Lord is good and find their refuge in him? How, in a practical, real way do we help our children encounter Jesus?

Most of us have taken our children to church, read the Bible together, and taught them how important it is for them to read the Bible. We’ve prayed bedtime prayers and table prayers, and helped them learn to pray. But how do we help them go beyond just making these religious practices to them truly becoming essential parts of their lives and faith?

Jesus becomes real as the relationship grows with authentic experiences of faith such as:

>Teaching children to be specific in their prayers. As a family, consider keeping track of the answers and thanking God together. Our oldest daughter prayed specifically many times, but one that stands out was when she prayed on her own for us to get a silver car. We had just moved to the mission field and had not planned on getting a car. We didn’t know about her prayer, but not long after we’d been in Taiwan, a family was transferred to Thailand and asked if they could donate their car to us – a silver Ford Festiva. Rachelle beamed as she saw God answer her specific prayer. We were all so blessed.  

>Asking what Scripture comes to mind in a situation. I’m trying to learn this one even now with my kids. Rather than giving them a Scripture which can come across as preachy, when I ask them what Scripture comes to their minds, they always have an answer. This helps them see that God is working in their lives, and let’s them see how Scripture applies to their daily lives.

>Asking what Scripture they’d like us to read today, especially if they are concerned or feeling bad. I always love the example of this from one of my podcast guests. He shared how one day his son was ill, and he asked if his dad would read a specific Psalm to him. This Psalm was a Psalm of lamentation and sorrow that comforted this young man as he was feeling so sick. He knew which Scripture would bless him because his family had been in the Bible every morning together.  

>Memorizing Scripture so that the Holy Spirit can bring it back to their minds. In addition to reading Scripture together, as we memorize verses, they go deep into our minds and hearts. I still remember verses I memorized when I was in elementary school. And the Holy Spirit knows when I need those verses to pop back up in my memory. He uses them to bless, comfort, and guide.

>Teaching them to pray for others and joining them in those prayers. Prayer is powerful. Praying for others helps our children learn to begin ministering to others. Even our most introverted children can pray. Our son often asks for prayer for a friend who is not yet a Christian and is really struggling in his life. He details his friend’s concerns. Our family often prays for his friend, and he has seen his friend getting better even though he has not yet opened his heart to Christ.

>Asking God to show them ministry opportunities throughout the day. Henry Blackaby in Experiencing God shares the story of when he challenged students to go on their campus and just pay attention to when someone asked them about their faith or a question about God. The Bible tells us that no one seeks after God on their own. We only seek him when the Holy Spirit is drawing us. Helping our children recognize where God is at work and that he wants them to join him in that work helps them see the reality of God, their ability to make a difference and minister to others. It’s powerful and life changing.

>Taking time to teach them to be still in God’s presence, to tell God how much they love him and let him speak to their hearts. My kids have a hard time sitting still and focusing as many children do. However, we can give them a great gift if we teach them to be still in God’s presence and wait on the Lord. It doesn’t have to be a long time. We can start with a timer for a few minutes. Encourage your children to thank God, praise him, or tell him how much they love him. Then, tell them to be quiet. The only rules are they cannot go to sleep, make up things, or try to imagine Jesus. They just need to talk to him and see if he speaks to their hearts. Often, he will bring Scriptures to mind and minister to us in that way. We encourage our kids to journal after spending time with God so they can remember these times with God which will help them see how real and how good God is.

What other ideas do you have for helping our children grow in genuine faith in God? How can we help them recognize when God is working in and through their lives?

The goal isn’t perfect kids who know all the right answers—it’s children who know the God behind those answers. When we intentionally help them see God working in real time, in their everyday lives, we’re helping them move beyond Sunday School answers to truly taste and see that the Lord is good. And in discovering their refuge in him, they’ll find a faith that’s genuinely their own.