Reading the Bible with children can seem difficult and discouraging activity. Sometimes we can feel unsure of how to go about it, how to explain some things and situations in the Bible texts. Please read carefully these tips about reading the Bible with children. This text really can help you on daily children’s Bible study!
Children’s Bible Study
Our 7 Tips for reading the Bible with Children:
- Read Bible regularly with your children, best of all daily.
- If you talk to children about the Bible and its contents, be a conversation partner, not a teacher!
- Children take up statements about God and faith quite differently.
- Learn to endure silence!
- Do not judge the questions and expressions of the children!
- Creative ideas can help children express their thoughts on Bible texts.
- Finish Reading the Bible with Children with prayer.
Tip 1: Read Bible regularly with your children, best of all daily
Read text in small pieces as the short stories. Do not set goal to read all the Bible, that exceeds your child’s understanding. You do not need to make promise that you will read two chapters from the Old Testament each evening before going to sleep. Believe me, 5 years child will fell asleep in 5 minutes. Better buy a Bible for children, in which the events of the Old and New Testament are divided into separate short stories and written in an easy language that is understandable to the child. After reading the story, discuss with the child, the story you just have read, explain what it means, what it teaches, what God wants to say and teach us. Teach your children Bible reading daily and they will thankful for you when they are adults.
For daily Children’s Bible study try this one year Bible reading plan or another of your choice: Here
Tip 2: If you talk to children about the Bible and its contents, be a conversation partner, not a teacher!
Get rid of the burden of having to teach them something – you can leave it to God to awaken interest and faith in them. But it can be very helpful for children if you know the cultural, religious and theological contexts of a Bible text too. So you can become “the expert” for the children. And when you think about your own attitude to the Bible text, it’s easier to let children share your experiences.
Tip 3: Children take up statements about God and faith quite differently
Children are not an “empty box”, but have previous experience and of course their very own character as adults do. Accordingly, they themselves sort such simple sentences as “God loves you!” in their own way of thinking. And they do it in very different ways. It therefore makes sense to avoid such abstract statements. You do not have to and of course can not have an answer for every question. So be authentic, tell the children about your own experiences and doubts and teach them to make their own conclusions.
Tip 4: Learn to endure silence!
If children do not respond directly to a conversation, they tend to send the next question directly afterward. The cause may be that a child just needs a moment to think about the topic. Do not give up when children initially struggle to formulate their own conclusions and questions. Many children first have to discover that their impressions, experiences and opinions actually are.
Tip 5: Do not judge the questions and expressions of the children!
On daily children’s Bible study, it’s not about “right” and “wrong” answers, but about children dealing with God in their own way. You should also not assume that you always understood immediately what a child means! (Of course this becomes easier the better you know your child.) For example, if a child says, “I think God is like a policeman!” then it can mean, “God protects me like the police!” or, “I’m afraid of him, just as I’m scared of the police! “Or something completely different. In such situations ask: “What do you mean?”
Tip 6: Creative ideas can help children express their thoughts on Bible texts
For example, on daily children’s Bible study, you can use smileys with different facial expressions that allow children to express their feelings about the Bible text. Under freebibleimages.org there are free illustrations and photos to many Bible stories for download – a good basis for discussion: “If you would paint the story or take photos – what would be seen in your pictures? Why?”. Questions about which you want to talk to the children, you can hide in balloons that can let the children burst. Be inventive and orientate yourself with your creative ideas to the interests and age of children.
Tip 7: Finish Reading the Bible with Children with prayer
Listening to how a child learns to pray is often a very entertaining activity. Children prayers can be fun with their simplicity and concentration on their childish world. Let your child in prayer tell to God what is most important to him. Maybe you will hear prayer for a loved kitty or dog, or a loved grandmother. Maybe you will hear how your child asks for toys from God. But this is the right prayer, even though adults often do not think so. The child is just in the presence of God. He still does not care about global affairs. He invites the Lord to his childish world. And this sincerity is what we adults often lack. So it’s a great idea to complete reading the Bible with children by praying together.
Children’s Bible study. The time you spend with a child while reading the Bible is the best gift for both child and you. This time gives for you a possibility to better know your child, his or her worries and problems. While talking about the Bible stories you have a possibility to implement and strengthen some Christian values for your children. Practice reading the Bible with children and you will see the difference in your relationships with your children soon. God bless you all!
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