We live in a state of moral decline where there is no absolute truth. A society that has blurred the lines between right and wrong. A world where we have shaved the corners off the truth so much in an effort to give the truth without hurt that it no longer resembles itself. A world where the Bible is no longer viewed as the standard for truth, right and wrong, or morality.
But, dear parents, we can change that.
It starts in our homes with the children God has given us.
Experts recommend that we as parents read to our children for a minimum of 20 minutes each day. What if we, as mamas (and dads) took even a portion of those 20 minutes and used them to read God’s Word to our children?
10 minutes each day for 6 days would mean that you could spend an entire hour reading God’s Word with your children in less than a week. Now if we assume that you could read to your children 10 minutes a day, 6 days a week, for 52 weeks (approximately 1 year), you will have spent 52 hours teaching God’s Word to those most precious to you.
Those readings can lead to amazing conversations between you and your child. Those conversations can lead to strong foundations in faith being laid, personal convictions being shared, understanding the whys of their beliefs, and Biblical principles of behavior can be taught.
We cannot change the moral decline of our nation on our own, but God can use us as we start setting the next generation on the right track here at home.
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When do I read to them?
When my kids were younger, I tried to have a devotional time with the kids in the morning before we began our day, but sometimes mornings were a rush to get out of the house. Now, after I finish teaching in the mornings, we set aside time to have our devotions together.
There is no right or wrong time to read God’s Word with your children. You only need to find a time that works within the four walls of your home with your people.
Where do I start?
Over the years I have come across so many wonderful children’s Bibles, devotionals, or Bible story books, which I have used with my own children. Although this list does not come close to covering all of the books we have used, these books featured in this list are some of my favorites.
The List
Both of my children began with the See with Me Bible: The Bible Told in Pictures by Dennis Jones (Ebay has them at lower prices, but not much lower). Each account is told through illustrations, not words. After reading through the See with Me Bible with them a couple of times, my children were able to retell the Bible accounts on their own. This then became the Bible they used to start them in the practice of personal morning devotions. The next book up from this is the Read with Me Bible (much more reasonably priced).
Before Addie went into youth group, she and I went through Life Lessons from the Princess and the Kiss. We had already read the book together, and this devotional serves as a companion to the book. The devotionals begin with salvation and move on to moral purity and purity in our relationships. An important lesson to teach early and repeat often.
Ian and I began Life Lessons from the Squire and the Scroll by Jennie Bishop and Susan Henson this summer. It is the male equivalent of The Princess and the Kiss. We have read the accompanying book multiple times while he was little, and the devotional will pull from the lessons he has already learned throughout the book. This study deals with keeping God’s Word front and center in the lives of our sons in order to keep them from temptation.
What would Jesus Do? by Helen Haidle is an oldie but a goodie. I read this devotional to my 4th and 5th grade students when I was a classroom teacher, and also to my children in years past. Each very short chapter leaves off with a question or two of personal reflection and a verse. Sometimes the reference to the passage alluded to in the story is put at the very end of the chapter. When it was, we would spend the time to look it up.
Addie used the Veggie Tales: 365 Bedtime Devos for Girls as her personal devotions in the mornings when she was in elementary school. This devotional in designed to take your daughter through an entire year. It is done very much in the style of Our Daily Bread with a verse, a small application, and a prayer. It is a great way to get little girls started on having their own quiet time. There is also a boy’s version of this devotional that Ian has used.
The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name by Sally Lloyd-Jones has to be one of my absolute favorite Bible books for children. From Genesis through the New Testament, the author shows how the story of redemption and salvation is found throughout each account, all pointing to Jesus. Beautiful written and beautifully illustrated, this storybook Bible is a must have for every child’s library.
My Big Book of Bible Stories: Bible Stories! Favorite Bible Stories Kids Will Want to Read Again and Again! by Phil A. Smouse is a rhyming Bible storybook. The cartoon-y illustrations are engaging for little eyes, and the rhymes are fun to read. Read here for a more in-depth review.
My First Hands-On Bible by Group Publishing and Tyndale is a series of excerpts teaching children the main Sunday-school Bible accounts using the New Living Translation. Sprinkled among the verses are little handprints. These handprints indicate a hands-on activity for the children to do which makes the account come alive and more memorable to little ones. None of the activities are labor intensive for Mom or Dad (one might be to count all of the stars in the illustration or march around the room). Both of my children loved this Bible, especially Ian. I liked that we are read Scripture with fun activities mixed in.
Around the time that Ian came along, Brian took over the evening Bible reading for Addie. He used the Little Girls Bible for Fathers and Daughters by Carolyn Larsen. The format is laid out beautifully and it allows for a father and daughter to connect over stories from his childhood. I remember Brian reading the topic ahead of time so he could think about which story he wanted to share. Each story from dad relates to the lesson taught in the day’s devotional. There are many others in this series- mothers and daughters, mothers and sons, and fathers and sons.
If you have read any of my reviews on the Love Letters from God series, you know I am a big fan. Each of her four “Love Letters” books takes children through a beautifully written retelling of a Bible story or Bible character. Each story comes with a beautifully written “letter from God” which is actually Scripture that has been paraphrased and put together in a letter form. Each page is beautifully illustrated and endearing.
Teaching our children about the Lord is not as hard as it sounds. If you commit to ten minutes a day, 6 days a week, 52 weeks a year, for the next 10 years, you will have put 520 hours of Biblical truth into your children! Then stand back and watch as God uses them to turn this world upside down! (Acts 17:6)
