10 Tips for Getting Your Kids Into the Word in 2022

Photo 113333005 / Kids Reading Bible © Krystyna Taran | Dreamstime.com

When we had kids at home, I had a goal of a daily quiet time (Bible reading, memorization, and prayer) for each child before they left the house for school. 

I know. Tall order. 

Our kids attended public school, and I wanted God’s Word in their heads before they stepped out the front door. 

God’s Word changes things. People. Circumstances. Hearts. 

Check out these verses:

  •  “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 
  •  “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12 
  •  “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2

Getting your kids’ eyeballs in God’s Word is vital. 

How? Here are ten tips.

1. Tackle small portions:

  • One verse at a time 
  • One passage at a time
  • One story at a time 

(See Devour the Bible: Small Bites and Devour the Bible: One Bite at a Time at the end of the post.)

2. Study a character: Who’s their favorite Bible hero/heroine? Villain? Team?

3. Choose a genre: History? Poetry? Battles? Love stories? Proverbs? Parables? Where does your student gravitate?

4. Identify topics of interest (or need): Anger? Money management? Sibling issues? Tie to a Bible character if possible. Trouble with lying? Abraham’s your guy. Sibling rivalry? Explore Joseph and his brothers or Rachel and Leah.

5. Meditate & Memorize: These two disciplines pair beautifully. Think on it (Meditate). Over and over (Memorize). Start with short verses and progress to passages and even chapters and books as they grow. 

6. Find a dramatization of what they are reading. Choices range from a time-traveling trio exploring Bible times in a Hanna-Barbera’s The Greatest Adventure: Stories from the Bible cartoons to Dallas Jenkins’ s The Chosen series.

7. Keep helpful resources on hand:

  • Concordance
  • Study Bibles
  • Biblegateway.com
  • Bible apps 

8. Provide needed supplies and create a special spot:

  • Journals
  • Colored pens, pencils, markers
  • Stickers
  • Highlighters
  • Pillows
  • Good lighting
  • Comfy seating (But not too comfy!)

9. Try different reading plans and study methods.

Study Methods Example: Interrogate the text: Who, what, when, where, why, and how?

What is God saying to me?

Reading Plan: Read one chapter of Proverbs each day for a month.

10. Reward the effort. One of the best things you can do is to reward the behavior you want to see repeated. What hits their sweet spot? A gift card? A trip for ice cream? A new book?

If you feel overwhelmed, I get it. 

When it comes to your child’s race of faith, we parents serve as coaches, mentors, cheerleaders, medical crew, and water station personnel. 

It’s a lot. 

We feel equipped for some roles. Others—not so much. That’s why I created Devour the Bible: Small Bites for preschoolers and Devour the Bible: One Bite at a Time for elementary-aged students.

A key part of any race is moving toward the finish line—Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith. A large part of that movement involves time in God’s word: reading, understanding, and applying it, all in relationship with Him. 

Devour the Bible helps kids understand what they read and how to walk it out. Think of it as the fuel offered at a race station. Oranges. Bananas. Water. Gatorade. 

Fuel that will get them through the next leg of their race. 

For your elementary-aged students, Devour the Bible: One Bite at a Time offers one Bible verse with five study points in infographic form you can stick on your fridge. Kids study one verse while learning something new each day. By the weekend, they’ll have hidden a new verse in their heart. 

For your preschoolers, I’ve designed Devour the Bible: Small Bites, a coloring sheet with a shorter verse for easier memorization, five easy applications, and a parent’s guide. 

Fuel today’s race with Devour the Bible. This month, we’ll chew on 1 Corinthians 13:4a. Enter your email in the form below.

If you would like both, just email me and I’ll send you the other link.

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