Pray With MeVoorbeeld

Our Calling as Parents

Regardless of what we look to as affirmation of our children’s salvation, our job isn’t done if or when they make a decision to follow Jesus.

While some in the Bible had a clear and dramatic conversion experience, not everyone did. In fact, we don’t really know when the majority of the disciples had a saving faith. And yet, it seems almost certain that their relationship with Jesus and trust in Him grew before that point. Because of this, I don’t think we should wait to teach our children how to pray until they’ve made some kind of profession of faith.

Talking about children, Jesus said, “See to it that you don’t despise one of these little ones, because I tell you that in heaven their angels continually view the face of my Father in heaven” (Matthew 18:10). If children have angels who are speaking to God each day on their behalf, I’m not going to deny them the opportunity to talk to God themselves.

Also, suppose we feel sure our children are saved, then what? Have we completed our assignment? No, not at all. Our children’s faith still needs to grow. Their salvation still needs to be worked out (see Philippians 2:12).

Let’s look at what Deuteronomy says our job is: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. Repeat them to your children” (6:5–7a).

Our role can be summed up like this: love God intensely and teach our children to do the same. And how could we possibly love God without prayer? Likewise, how could we teach our children to love God without showing them how to pray?

Our job as parents is not to “get our children saved.” It’s to teach our children how we love God. It’s to disciple them into a genuine relationship with Him, where they depend on Him, trust Him, and live for Him alone. If we never teach them to pray, we miss the whole point of salvation—to know Jesus and have a loving relationship with Him.

Father, thank you for calling me to be a parent. Help me to see more and more clearly what that role looks like and how You are alongside me. Amen.