The Power of Parental Influence: Spiritual Leadership For Your Children

Parents are a child's first and most influential teachers. Their actions and words have a profound impact on their children's spiritual development. It can shape and mold a child's character, values, and worldview.  As parents, we have the unique opportunity to be the spiritual leaders for our children. We are the ones who can teach them about God, His love for us, and His plan for us, and that His word is the authority in our lives. 

The Bible has a lot to say about parental influence. In Deuteronomy 6:7, the children of Israel were commanded to teach their children diligently about God. Moses instructed them: "These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart.  You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.” Deut. 6:6-7 (LSB) For us in the New Covenant age, this rule still applies. This includes talking to them about God and His word when we are at home, at the grocery store, doing homework, and even when we are going to bed or getting up in the morning for school or work. We are to be intentional in our instruction and make sure that our children know about the Lord and His ways. This is modeled by example as well as instructed from the word of God. 

Providing spiritual leadership for young hearts sets a trajectory for their souls that continue on through adulthood. King Solomon said: “Train up a child according to his way, Even when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6 (LSB) John MacArthur states: “Since it is axiomatic that early training secures lifelong habits, parents must insist upon this way, teaching God’s word and enforcing it with loving discipline consistently through the child’s upbringing.” If we take the time to instill godly values and truths into our children's hearts, they will take up residence in those hearts for the rest of their lives.

As parents, we understand the incredible opportunity we have to shape our children's lives spiritually. A great tool for spiritual leadership in the home is the Generations of Grace Family Devotional. It includes a five-day devotional for each lesson in the Generations of Grace Sunday School curriculum. The simple and easy to use Family Devotional allows parents to get involved in leading them through the story of God’s redemptive plan. It also provides discussion questions in every lesson to help children to think through the implications of the truths illustrated through each biblical narrative. 

The Family Devotional can be used as a daily reinforcement for kids who are taking the Generations of Grace Sunday School program at church, but it can also work just as well as a standalone resource for at-home spiritual leadership. To learn more about the Generations of Grace Family Devotional and to download a free sample, click here to go to the Family Devotional product page.