2. Developing the Spiritual Life of Your Children I. What is God’s desire when it comes to the spiritual life of our homes? A. He desires to be welcomed in our homes (Luke 19:5-9). B. He is interested in salvation coming to our homes (Acts 16:30-34).

3. C. He is interested in our homes being a miniature church. As a miniature church, our homes should be a place of: a. Worship b. Prayer c. The Word d. Teaching e. Body Ministry

4. f. Discipline g. Covering and Protection h. Fellowship i. Commitment j. Devotion to the Lord

5. II. What is the foundation of a good devotional life? The foundation of a good devotional life is the personal commitment of the parents to live a life that is Christian. If Christ is not real to the parents, they will never be able to make Him real to their children. Christ must be the center of the home. The home must be a place where the principles of the kingdom operate.

6. Christianity and all that goes with it should be spontaneous in the home. When it is the rewards are tremendous. If Christianity is not a way of life in the home the children will be trained to be hypocritical.

7. III. What does the word “devotions” mean? The word “devotions” comes from words like devote, devoted, devotee and devotion. A. Devote To devote is to give or apply one’s attention or time completely to some activity or purpose. It also means to set apart, dedicate or consecrate something to God.

8. B. Devoted To be devoted is to be ardent, zealous or devout in adherence to something or someone. C. Devotee To be a devotee is to be a person who is passionate about something especially the observance of religious duty.

9. D. Devotion Devotion is the state of being devoted. It is a strong attachment or affection which expresses itself in earnest service.

10. IV. Who is responsible for the devotional life of the home? A. The father has been placed by God as the spiritual head of the home (Eph. 5:23). 1. It is the father’s responsibility to be sure that the children are raised up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Eph. 6:4).

11. 2. The father is the one who will be held accountable by the Lord for the spiritual state of his family (Ex. 4:24; I Sam. 3:11-13).

12. B. The following are guidelines to help the father (parents) strengthen the spiritual life of the family. 1. The father must have a proper relationship to the Lord. 2. The father must follow godly principles of child discipline in the home. 3. The father must be prepared to teach by example.

13. 4. The father must make sure that the atmosphere in the home is conducive to spiritual growth. 5. The father must be the initiator of spiritual enrichment in the home. 6. The father must be diligent to pursue the well-being of his family members. 7. The father must continually encourage his children in leadership development.

14. 8. The father must make time for special spiritual activities. 9. The father must never under-estimate the abilities of small children. a. They can be worshippers (I Sam. 1:28; Mt. 21:15-16). b. They can pray and share prayer requests. c. They can share testimonies.

15. 10. The father must be creative with the methods of teaching in the home. Here are only a few ideas: Conversational prayer Question and answer Memorization Devotional reading Worship times Story-telling

16. Acting out stories Playing instruments Singing Sharing Bible reading (simple translations) Testimonies Praying for the sick Composing songs of praise

17. 11. The father must use every opportunity and happening in the home as a learning experience. 12. The father must seek to answer the questions of the children correctly. 13. The father must be a feeder who is sensitive to the individual needs of each of his children. 14. The father must encourage the participation of all family members regardless of age.

18. 15. The father must be a teacher who instills in his children the fear of the Lord and a respect for His Word. 16. The father must be sensitive to the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of his child. 17. The father must be ever prepared to lead his child to the Lord. 18. The father must not be afraid to include visitors in the family exercises.

19. 19. The father must be willing and eager to seek counsel and advice from other fathers. 20. The father must continually encourage trust in and reliance upon and an acknowledgement of the Lord in all circumstances. 21. The father must lead the family in prayer times as the need arises.

20. 22. The father should help to assure that the children retire with the Lord and the good things of the Lord on their hearts.