I grew up in a church where memorizing verses from the Bible was encouraged from an early age! We even had a bit of fun having contests and winning prizes in our Sunday school classes! I memorized many verses and these ones came to mind as I was answering one of my daughter’s questions, have a look:

^“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” Deuteronomy 6:5-7

I have always liked verse 5 and I think many Christians will have heard these words before. It is something that has always amazed me: how God demands our whole. He wants all of our heart, all of our soul and strength to be devoted to Him. That is no easy task and that is why we seek His guidance and wisdom in order to live a life of holiness.

But then, there is the second part of this command: Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. It wasn’t until I had children that the importance of these verses became so apparent to me. We are to teach our children to follow these commandments as well. We need to do it all the time. Again not an easy task and I am no expert in parenting and the Lord knows how much I need His help!

My daughter was never good at sleeping through the night. In fact, she only slept through when she was 2 and a half! And yes, I tried everything: all the methods and advices people gave me but she would not sleep. Even now she wakes up every once in a while to go to the toilet. We discovered that she slept better when she had music on. So, I take my iPod to her room every night and play some Christian music so she can listen to it.

I need my sleep as well so as much as I would like it I can’t sit by her bed and read her the Bible all night but I figured playing Christian music (good and biblical Christian music) would be better than playing lullabies. She goes to sleep listening to Jesus’s friends singing (this is how she puts it) about Him.

One morning she came downstairs and asked me: “mummy, why do Jesus’s friends sing name above all names, worthy of all praise?” She remembered the words from the song How great is our God and it was a fantastic opportunity to talk about what the Bible teaches and that our God is great and Mighty! We did this over breakfast just before we set of to school and my son took part in the conversation as well.

We also try to have Christian songs playing in our car when we are out and about so that we can all worship God and let some of the truths that are sung find a way into our hearts.

As we mums, grans, aunties, teachers, sisters, friends seek to obey God’s commands to teach our children, may He grant us wisdom and creativity to do it when we have the opportunity wherever we are!

What are some of the things you have been doing at home to impress God’s word on your children?