As a Christian family, my husband and I have made reading the Bible to my oldest, who is 4, a nightly routine. We felt like she was ready to learn about God after having a conversation. One day, riding home from church, she said ” Mommy, where is God?” I would lie if I said my belly didn’t sink to the floor. Not because I wasn’t ready for her to ask that or because I was scared. It was more so because I really had no idea to answer that question correctly. So, leaning on the Holy Spirit mentally, I said, “Baby, God is apart of Jesus and the Holy Spirit.” (She has known about the Holy Spirt and Jesus because of Church, but obviously God is a little more complex to teach a toddler.) I continued, “He is always with us in our heart just like Jesus and the Holy Spirit. We can’t see Him, but if we ask Him a question, the Holy Spirit and Jesus will step in and help us so we will see what He does and who He is.” Consequently, she looked a little puzzled, but I could tell she somewhat understood because she stopped asking more questions. Anyone who knows my oldest, knows the girl doesn’t stop talking or asking questions. She is always so curious and so talkative, so I know she really was grinding her gears to understand what was just told to her. Later that night, I told my husband about the discussion me and her talked about earlier and we decided that reading the Old Testament in The Beginner’s Bible for Kids would help her at least have the foundation to put together who God is in the best way, in our opinion. (Zondervan, 2016). Additionally, since my oldest was 2, we have always prayed to God before bed by telling Him our thankfulness of our day. My daughter has always repeated after me the prayer and tells me who she is usually thankful for. She has always started it with me, my husband, and her now 1 year old sister additionally with her friends and immediate family members. She just recently started saying “what” she is thankful for rather than “who” and it seems to be helping her get closer to Jesus. He revealed to me that she was ready to start prayer on her own. So, the next night, I made her pray on her own and she did an amazing job. If you go on my Pinterest, you can find a document for a nightly prayer under the pin Prayer Tips and Guides. Also, it doesn’t matter the age of your little disciple, if he/she knows how to read, or even if you are a new believer. I believe the prayer will help any child who is searching for Jesus feel the deep love that He gives just from a single prayer. Now, does she still need help with prayer? Of course. Heck, I need help with prayer sometimes too, but I am always reminded of Romans 8:26 (NIV) when me and her both get stuck. “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.” This reminds us that even when we don’t have the words, God still hears our heart, and the Holy Spirit helps carry our prayers to the Father. Transitionally, I would just like to point out that this is what I do as a parent. Some others might do it differently, but I have found that for my family, this has worked. As for my rambunctious one year old, since she is so different from her sister, we will cross that road when we get there. One step at time and one day at a time. She is still learning how to speak so I think we are going to wait until she is about the same age her sister was when she first asked about God or wait until we feel from God that she is ready to start learning more. To end, Remember, God doesn’t require perfect words- He listens to our hearts. Even our sighs, tears, and silence can become a prayer because like I said, the Spirit carries it to the Father.

When you are weak or uncertain, remember: You are never praying alone.

ACTION PLAN

• Pick 1 short bedtime prayer.
• Read the Bible story or verse each night (rotating).
• Play soft worship music a kids drift to sleep.
• You can use the PDF listed here for a seamless prayer:

Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978,1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

The Beginner’s Bible Holy Bible. King James Version, Large Print ed., Zondervan, 2016.