Training Spirituality

In every person's heart is placed the need to love and be loved. And we understand very well on a subconscious level what this is and whether it exists in our life. Also, every person at birth is given the gift of faith, which accepts everything without requiring additional proof. Children are unique in that parents can write anything in their hearts and mold little people into what they should become in the near future.

By placing certain soul qualities in a child, father and mother form a certain personality that becomes part of their culture, understands their language and becomes very similar to them in worldview.

Each of us wants to have obedient, patient, persevering, caring, attentive, smart and well-behaved children in our home. And all this is in our power. We ourselves create this masterpiece with our own hands and then reap throughout the rest of our lives what we sowed in children's hearts.

Such upbringing makes the child a law-abiding citizen of any country, who from childhood is taught culture of worthy behavior and can independently arrange their personal life. But no matter how good this person may be, all their good manners and correct behavior don't give them right to Heaven, to life among holy angels, to Eternity that will soon begin.

There is only one condition for obtaining the right to Eternal Life—this is faith in Jesus Christ. This faith differs from all other faiths because it personally introduces me to my Creator, who is also my Savior, through whom all things began to be that began to be.

From what age is it necessary to begin training spirituality? The earlier, the better. And even better to do this before birth and ask God for special wisdom and blessing for this task. While the little person is still in mother's womb, they are already receptive to everything that happens around and for them, and we don't know what influence prayers have on the developing fetus, but absence of prayers definitely produces nothing.

And when a child is born, they already know how to hear and feel the atmosphere around them. Although they don't understand the meaning and sense of father and mother's prayers, they feel warmth and love in these words. Perhaps Heaven opens to them during these prayer times, and they see what they cannot retell to us? And how easy it will be for them to understand God the Father's love when they see and hear this love in their earthly parents.

I can teach a child biblical principles. They will know all God's commandments and laws. At a certain time they may even be able to become a member of the right church, but if with all this they don't personally know Christ and have personal trusting relationships with Him, then all their knowledge and most correct behavior won't bring substantial benefit to their soul and won't give them right to life in the Heavenly Kingdom. And not to reach Eternity and not hit this target with abundance of light and opportunities—this is sin.

But how can I give someone what I don't have myself? If my spouse and I don't have personal relationships with Jesus, then what can we teach our child? What we ourselves don't have. "A disciple is not above his teacher" (Matt. 10:24).

It's possible that not knowing a foreign language, I could teach my children to understand this language and speak it using textbooks. But if they weren't born in it, this won't be their heart language.

For life with God it's necessary to be born for Him. And we parents cannot do this by our own strength, but in our power are means to bring our children to this decision and transfer this task to God.

Jesus taught that we should not hinder children from coming to Him (Matt. 19:14). And in this command is laid hope for all parents. It consists in the fact that children are created for God and naturally reach toward Him, and if they are not hindered, then they will gladly come to Jesus and learn from Him.

Not to hinder doesn't mean only not to put barriers, but also means to stimulate children's interest in spiritual and direct young mind toward eternal truths.

Not to hinder children from coming to Jesus is also teaching them heavenly principles of life. God cooperates with believing parents and in special way conveys to the child's consciousness and conscience much of what parents are unable to give. When we see how our daughter asks us for forgiveness for actions unknown to us, we understand that this happens under action of the Holy Spirit in her heart. She cannot resist this conviction and comes with repentance to us, and then to God.

When you teach children that God hears their prayers and answers them, they don't argue and don't require extra proof. They simply go and pray. They learn something from their parents' prayers, repeating what is customary to say in their house. But the most interesting happens when their hearts open under Holy Spirit influence, and they begin to ask for great and much, believing they will receive.

Parents' task also includes teaching children which prayers have quick answers, and which the Lord doesn't answer immediately, where God says no, and in something He asks to wait. Children quickly absorb this science, and the Lord rewards their faith with His wonderful answers.

Not to hinder a child from coming to Christ is to read and tell the young creature about Jesus's life, assuring that the Lord loves little children very much, and adults too. Children very much like to hear about God who loves children so much that He gave His beloved Son for their salvation. They believe this God loves them too, and naturally respond to Him the same way.

I have many times tried preaching to different children about God's love and always saw the same result—children reach toward the loving God, and they don't mind receiving this love from me in form of kind words, praise and hugs. Children very quickly fall in love with Jesus, and He accepts them, blessing in all other spheres of life. Blessed are those parents who understand this and bring their children to Jesus.

The most important thing that parents can and should do for their child is to personally introduce them to Jesus and teach their child to have close relationships with the Savior. When this process is launched, this will be the strongest foundation for all subsequent virtues.

Take any kindest character trait that you want to see in your child and try to present it without Christ in the heart. What do we get? Spirit of wickedness in heavenly places. Fallen angels are beautiful in their appearance and possess good manners, but their hearts are filled with deadly poison. They believe in God but tremble from His power and authority.

Faith in God and friendly relationships with the Creator teach many useful things that lay solid foundation for righteous life.

We cannot transfer our faith, love and righteousness to our children in any way, but with our personal example, persistent instructions and tireless prayers we are capable of bringing our family members to Christ, introducing them to basics of faith, showing how this faith helps us, and observing what choice young mind will make.

1. Please read Eph. 6:4; 2 Tim. 3:14-17; Prov. 22:6; 2 Kings 11:21; 12:1-2; Ps. 71:17-18; Prov. 1:7-9; 4:1-27; 6:20-23; 1 Cor. 4:14-16 in light of this chapter.

2. What other verses from the Bible came to your mind?

3. What did you understand from this chapter?

4. How do you understand training spirituality?

5. Why is it necessary to instill spiritual knowledge and values in a child?

6. Is Bible teaching the strongest foundation for spiritual upbringing?

7. What will happen if spiritual instructions are postponed until the age when your child must choose their life path themselves and then offer them biblical principles as something better?

8. From what age is it best to begin spiritual instructions?

9. What to do if I didn't understand the importance of religious upbringing from early age, and children have already grown up and gone to school where they're not taught this either?

10. Do believing parents need to be taught how to instruct their children in faith?

11. Why is it so important to bring children to Christ?

12. How do you understand Christ's expression from Matt. 19:14: "...Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven"? What could this mean?

13. Will God cooperate in training a child's spirituality if parents ask for wisdom from above in this matter?

14. What is the best way to begin children's spiritual education?