Hope Streams with Stephen and Crystal Wade. Hope Streams publishes tools, based on principle and prophetic, which help build identity, heal trauma, and draw the spirit closer to the Perfect Parent.
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In my earth years (because we’re all timeless in Heavenly Father), I grew up writing on notepads with pencils or pens – which, as you can tell, preceded Internet technology. With pen, paper and access to a copy machine, I started publishing a newsletter at the ripe age of nine.
Some time later, after an ardent discussion with my honors high school English teacher about research papers and college and “never doing that,” a crossroads moved me to change my major to English and graduate with (almost) a dual degree in journalism.
Looking back, Heavenly Father placed me in situations to develop skill in the writing gift He gave me. However, when my children were born, that’s when my “why” came to be. Children are such magnificent gifts from Heavenly Father – and they change everything. I believe that a child has the God-given inherent prowess like nothing else on earth to cause a person to know the love of Heavenly Father.
There, I discovered that the Perfect Parent is Heavenly Father – and that His relationship with us, in many aspects, mirrors the parent-child relationship. Through it, He heals and builds two (and even three) generations at once.
On the flip side, nothing reveals our deficits like having children!
Long story short — walking through many personal and generational deficits to rebuild in Christ Jesus our Lord, I have written for over two decades to help parents, grandparents and caregivers invest (heal/repair and build) in their children. Beyond the physical parent relationship, every person on earth is a child sent here with purpose and destiny from Heavenly Father – and massive is the assault on their (all of our) identity, purpose and destiny. Thus, I write to create pathways of connection (and repair) from Heavenly Father’s heart to yours.
This is the blog arm (the Living Hope blog) of Hope Streams. Several parenting articles to assist in your journey are archived here. It’s updated, but the newsletter is a weekly release.
Tech and methods continue to change, but I still love newsletters!
As we enter June, we find a unique time window for spiritual connection and growth. This month, we are called to recognize opportunities to align with divine plans, nurturing both our spiritual inheritance and the land around us. Engage in prayer and intercession to establish His will in fullness. Let’s invest faith and action to harvest cycles of blessing. Sign up for the Hope Streams newsletter for more details – coming to your inbox this Sunday!
During a season in our “turning the Titanic around,” my son and I were locked in a cycle. He grew angry, and I grew angry for his anger. The Lord led me to a year or more focused time of daily repentance for bitterness. One of these “cycle” moments, Holy Spirit flashed a thought in me to stop – and release his sin. “Your sins are forgiven, and your debts are released,” I stated in a separate room. This is an actual empowerment Jesus gave as we walk with Him in His Spirit (John 20:23). Five minutes or less later he returned in perfect peace. I was stunned, as we had been locked in this cycle. That day, it turned as I had been repenting for me first for bitterness, and then applied the release of sin to him.
Yes, it is His Will
Know that it is Father’s kind intention and good will for your children and grandchildren (no matter their age) to walk with Him in wholeness and fullness.
I’ve heard from parents a recurring theme over the sorrow of their grown children’s choices, and the parents’ helplessness as they watch their children and pray for Father to change their children.
Again, Father designed you to be upstream of your children and grandchildren. While you cannot force your will on them, and while you may feel helpless after many prayers with few results, please hear this.
What you change with Father in you first, at your prayer altar in repentance and holy exchange of life with the Lord Jesus Christ, does affect your children and grandchildren. Furthermore, when you ask Father to apply it to them, too (then seal and rearguard it), that amplifies the impact. (Don’t forget to include your spouse.)
What Spiritual FIRST Looks Like
Here are several key spiritual first practical steps. This is not a list to follow religiously. We are so ingrained to make a physical step first and continue on in that pattern that it’s helpful to get a glimpse of what it looks like to take action spiritually first.
Know it is Father’s will for you and your family to be continuously more like His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 8:29). He has paid for you all to have this. You don’t have to beg or plead. You can stand in faith and confidence. This is like “free money,” if you will, because Father gives His YES from Heaven and you give your AMEN on earth (2 Corinthians 1:20). Yes, this alone (a one-time AMEN on your part) does oversimplify some prayers and asking forgiveness processes we have to walk through, but He is completely FOR your walking in this way.
Make a daily habit of going to your prayer altar, and repenting for sins known and unknown against God and man, and every word you should not have said. I recommend including bitterness, fear, pride, perversion, and idolatry. Holy Spirit will shine His light on anything else that needs to be addressed, or addressed in more detail.
Come expectantly, He says boldly, to His throne of grace to receive for yourself (and your family, Hebrews 4:16). It transformed my life when I began asking daily for His grace before arising.
Allow Father’s processes in you to cause you to live in new patterns in His Spirit. This takes more than one prayer. Its effect, however, will be felt by all around you, and even causes downstream ripples in your family.
Should you have a blow up – or should a conversation reveal a place where you caused injury – humbly ask their forgiveness. As we own our failures and ask their forgiveness, it produces seismic shifts in hearts and, therefore, relationships.
Watch for times of need and/or vulnerability. That is the most opportune time to show mercy and grace. Please note that there is a great distinction between enabling abuse because a person is “showing a different face” to illicit a certain merciful response from you. That’s not what I’m referring to. For instance, God forbid a family member should experience sickness or trouble or a need – or even a “crash” in their life from sinful choices which makes them wake up. But, if they do, that’s an opportune time to drop what you’re doing and to show up in meaningful ways with love, care, support, and attentiveness. This is your love-mercy-grace in spiritual action in times of physical vulnerability or need. Father does not cause sickness that Jesus paid to redeem us from. However, He does Romans 8:28 it by making it work for good, should it occur. It is actually Father’s model to show mercy in times of vulnerability: “. . .because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved” (NIV, Ephesians 2:4). “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (KJV, Romans 5:8).
Pray for them. Speak blessing to them in your prayer time. Ask the Father if there’s a physical gift you could give that would minister to them, then pray over the gift and pray that they would be prepared to receive and respond.
Practical Ways to Get Scripture
into Your Grandchildren
Pray over an audio Bible which you purchase. Pray for your children to receive and respond to it, and incorporate it for your grandchildren, if possible.
Should your grandchildren still be young enough to visit and play, turn on Scripture as you engage in activities such as art, building blocks, play dough, whatever healthy activity that’s age-appropriate. Even if you’re on a tight budget, YouTube has many audio versions of Scripture available for free. Further, there are Bible apps. Biblegateway.com, an amazing free searchable Scripture site, provided an audio Scripture app which you can download. Or, you could read a chapter to your grandchildren. Whatever way you can find to get Scripture in to your grandchildren sows life to them now and for their future.
“So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it” (KJV, Isaiah 55:11).
Coloring or painting Scripture is a fun way to incorporate Scripture, as age-appropriate. Speaking a verse together and talking about it is another great way to make it memorable. When listening, it’s easy to get large portions of Scripture moving through; that’s the wide angle view. Reflecting on a much smaller portion, such as one verse or a small group of verses, causes it to go deep.
Finally, if your grandchildren are grown and you realize you’ve missed key moments, I pray Father’s great blessing and grace to you and yours. We have all missed key moments and are amazed at what we did not know – and where we failed in parenting. Heavenly Father alone is the Perfect Parent. He’s also the One who stands outside time and beckons us to “redeem time” in Him (Ephesians 5:15-17). Recognize these spiritual steps first apply to your grandchildren as well. Ask your Heavenly Father to lead you in redeeming the time with Him (which often, if not always, starts with repentance. Repentance is both recognizing our sins and confessing them as well as changing our mind-sets from earth ways to Father’s ways). Ask your Heavenly Father to give all your children and grandchildren a heart to know Him and His Spirit and Scripture.
You have a mighty role to play in your children and grandchildren’s lives. Heavenly Father’s good will and kind intention placed you upstream. Every day is a new moment in Him to begin again.
“Who has done this and carried it through, calling forth the generations from the beginning? I, the Lord—with the first of them and with the last—I am he.” (NIV, Isaiah 41:4)
What if the situation with your children and grandchildren doesn’t make it as simple as praying and giving?
All of us have areas we tried and failed, or blew it badly, with our children and don’t know how to heal or rebuild that breach. This does affect relationships with (and access to) grandchildren.
It’s Not Too Late!
First, you need to hear that as long as you are alive on this earth, it is not too late.
“Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God” (NIV, Mark 10:27). “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever,” (NIV, Hebrews 13:8).
Spiritual Solutions FIRST
Next, the solution comes firstspiritually, and then you walk it out physically. Often, we try to solve a problem or breach in relationship physically first. This universally accepted method gets nowhere fast. You may not even remember when the breach happened, or the moment you blew it, but you recognize that there’s a problem in your relationship with your children, or in them, and you recognize you played a part, or that it’s connected to you.
Your Mighty Role
You actually have a mighty role to play in your children’s and grandchildren’s lives.
“Who has done this and carried it through, calling forth the generations from the beginning? I, the Lord—with the first of them and with the last—I am he.” (NIV, Isaiah 41:4)
Heavenly Father placed you in your generation upstream of your children and grandchildren. What you release spiritually (and physically) directly affects them. The stream of inheritance flows downward, not upwards. No condemnation here! Father chose to place you upstream of the children and grandchildren He chose to entrust to you. All this is His kind intention and good will. This news is for grace. What you change now with the Lord, doing business with Him spiritually, at your prayer altar, directly affects your children and grandchildren.
Your Heavenly Father is merciful and kind to you, too, as He alone knows what you’ve had to deal with as you also have walked downstream.
The Grace of Giving it Prayer and Process
Many times along the way in this process and other rebuilding processes in my family, when I felt overwhelmed and that it may be too late, Holy Spirit played Amy Grant’s song in my heart:
“It takes a little time sometimes
To get the Titanic turned back around
It takes a little time sometimes
But baby, you’re not going down
It takes more than you’ve got right now
Give it, give it time”
Healing the Breach Starts with You –
and Heavenly Father!
It’s never too late with Heavenly Father! You are chosen by Heavenly Father to be upstream from your children and grandchildren, and no matter what it looks like or what has transpired, you have a mighty role to play. Your pressing in to do the “spiritual work” – such as: prayer, repentance, speaking blessing, breaking vows, disentangling from wrong alignments, righteous decrees, developing personal growth with Heavenly Father, etc. – is the catalyst that deals with the breach spiritually first. From there, come the good changes to the physical relationship.
What if you’re a grandparent and you recognize the need to incorporate listening to Scripture (“The Best Rest Time”), but you missed that time with your children and don’t know where to start for your grandchildren?
While I’m not a grandparent yet, I have had experience with giving “spiritual gifts” in many ways — and have spent time helping grandparents pray and invest in their families.
Sometimes, it’s as simple as purchasing an audio Scripture set (and if apropos, a CD player to go with it), praying over your gift and gifting it to your children for your grandchildren – or straight to your grandchildren.
Sweetness Prepares the Way
What I’ve found with spiritual gifts – and by “spiritual gifts,” I’m referring to Bibles, audio Bibles, and there are a few other tangibles that fall in that category – is that they’re often “sweetened” by including a physical gift. For example, I have received a word of the Lord for various people, including teenagers, through the years. That is also a spiritual gift.
Most people expect a physical gift, such as money or tangibles. Obviously, a spiritual gift has greater weight, measure and eternally significant impact. However, if a person does not receive it, it has zero impact.
For most of the teenagers, I included money in the card with the words the Lord gave me for them. Other times, I prayed: 1. over the gift and 2. for the person to be prepared to receive it together with a 3. card that shared about the gift and the heart for it sufficed. For children, I often included some type of candy and something colorful, like balloons or stickers.
In fact, it’s a biblical principle to associate sweetness to Scripture. Ezekiel spoke of the scroll he ate tasting as sweet as honey (Ezekiel 3:3). Proverbs 24:13-14 speaks of wisdom being compared to the sweetness of honey. Rabbis wrote Scripture on slates the first day of school, had the children repeat the words, reminded them of Ezekiel, then invited them to lick the honey off the slate (https://www.jerusalemperspective.com/2634/ Sweetness of Learning” by Dr. Marvin Wilson).
My point is that associating physical sweetness to a spiritual gift helps the person come into an open-hearted stance in which they can receive the gift. And, receiving is the point!
Gift Anointed by Prayer
Prayer prepares the way. The gift is anointed as you pray over it. One time, I received a gift in the mail across nations. When I opened it, love literally poured out of it and embraced me. My friend poured love and intention into the gift which she made, and it imprinted in the physical gift as a battery. Yes, a battery will run out eventually, but the memory of the jolt of love I felt remains.
Prayer Prep the Person to Receive
Prayer prepares the person to receive. I have poured physically into strategic gifts I’ve made for people. After a few epic fails, I learned to pray that they would be prepared to receive the gift, and that the time, place, space, dimension, communication, all, would be prepared and nurtured by Father for them to receive and respond. That prayer prep changed everything on the gifting.
Time to Redeem
What if the situation with your children and grandchildren doesn’t make it as simple as praying and giving?
During the time I changed Scripture CDs between my sons’ rooms, it was easy to loosely recognize where they were in Scripture. I usually had one son in the Old Testament and another son in the New Testament, as that worked for rotation. When our third son arrived, my oldest son took over changing CDs in order to help me. I didn’t know where they were.
Here’s why it’s good to recognize where your children are in Scripture.
Be Ready
They throw questions at you!
Nothing like a child to train you to stay ready in season and out of season! (2 Timothy 4:2)
Children may seem rather random with their conversation, and sometimes, they are. However, other times, they are flowing in the Spirit. There’s a reason Jesus said we need to become as little children to enter the Kingdom – and that the Kingdom belongs to such as these (Matthew 18:3, 19:14).
The Principle and the Pace
The principle for parents is to incorporate the Lord’s ways through Scripture (and by Spirit) throughout the day – morning and evening, sitting and walking, the hand that represents work, the head that represents thought and direction, the doorposts of the house and gates which represent the access of the spiritual and physical house. The house represents where we live — where we dwell in our inner being — and that affects our physical house.
In order to do this, we, parents, need to walk with the pace of grace. That is very counter-cultural, but significantly and eternally valuable. And when we fall down, let us receive His grace and move on.
Part of the Shema prayer speaks to this – both the principle and the pace:
“Hear, Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. And you shall repeat them diligently to your sons and speak of them when you sit in your house, when you walk on the road, when you lie down, and when you get up. You shall also tie them as a sign to your hand, and they shall be as frontlets on your forehead. You shall also write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates” (NASB, Deuteronomy 6:4-9).
Heavenly Father designed parents to partner with Him to help frame and build their children’s perspective of life in His ways.
That’s best accomplished, as He said, through talking about His ways in the “daily stuff” of life.
Here’s good news, it does not all rest on you!
Holy Spirit causes you to know what you need to know and when you need to know it!
“But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things” (MEV, 1 John 2:20).
Flotational Questions
Often, children release flotational questions. What I mean by that is – their questions are not directly related to what they just heard. They have been processing, and Holy Spirit reminds them (because that’s a big part of Holy Spirit’s job description) to ask when they’re flowing in their day with you.
I consider this one of the greatest joys of parenting.
However, some of those flotational questions hit you out of the blue!
(By the way, here’s another good reason to take your own rest break when they do. That assures you will have bandwidth to “hear” what’s important and to speak into it in those few short years you have to make the greatest impact in their lives.)
Pause to Hear His Answer
One time, my young son shared with me that he was having trouble because Jesus said you needed to hate your father and mother (Luke 14:26). I was thrilled he thought to tell me this – even though I was troubled that he was troubled.
Instantly, the Holy Spirit moved my thoughts to answer his concern in this manner, “Son, Jesus was talking to adults. These adults were putting their families (expectations and responsibilities) above what He was personally calling them to do. He was not telling children not to love, or to hate their parents, to follow Him.” I could tell that he was relieved, and I was to, as initially, I did not know how to answer him.
A good practice in life, which brought me to this place to answer my son, is to pause before answering.
In your prayer time, intentionally tell Holy Spirit that you want to hear and speak through Him. Even if you have not yet prayed, just pausing first will give Him a moment to prompt you rather than spilling out your own thoughts. My thoughts and words have no lasting benefit, and they can even be a detriment. However, Holy Spirit’s words are life and peace – now and forever.
How to Answer When They Won’t Stay
or You Don’t Know
Sometimes, children toss out a question and then move on. If they don’t want to listen right then, just take note of the question and pray about it, and ask the Lord to make a good time to go back to it.
Other times, little ones ask a question you truly do not know the answer to. That’s perfectly fine! Be honest. Tell them, “I don’t know, but let’s pray for Heavenly Father to cause us to know the answer.” He will give you the answer; it may be right away, it may be another day, but He will answer. So, keep your listening ears on and your spirit open to receive.
How It Should Have Ended
One day, my young son burst from his room and grabbed the front of his shirt, attempting to forcibly rip it. By the sheer grace of God, I instantly recognized what he was en route to do: Tear his clothes!
He had been listening to the dramatized version of Scripture.
People in Scripture who experienced great distress tore their clothes, and apparently, that day he was in great distress, and intended to join them! I intercepted him just in time to save the outfit. I didn’t answer well that day, either – I just told him that we don’t tear our clothes.
However, if I, too, had been taking rest breaks, I may have had the presence of mind to tell him that while we hear many accounts of people tearing their clothes in Scripture it is because it was such a big deal. Clothes were so valuable, so expensive, and when one tore their clothes, it was noteworthy and an extreme presentation to those around them of their great distress. Which, based on his outlook for the day, may have encouraged him to join them!
Dear Honored Parents, consider the effect of advertising and media on your children when an audio (dramatized) version alone caused my son to want to join what he heard.
Television, DVDs, movies, streaming and devices are appealing to parents because they keep children occupied – allowing the parent to finish their tasks, have a break, or prevent a melt-down.
I’ve been there. I know.
Wholesome media, in moderation, and at right times, can be helpful. (Note: Further, there’s a pretty short list of these in comparison to the oceans of media available, Honored Parents.)
Age and Time
There is an age and time factor.
The American Academy of Pediatrics released a policy statement that children two and under should avoid watching TV as much as possible. They noted that TV (and by association, media and devices) may lead to sleep problems and delayed use of speech in young children (livescience.com “Kids Under 2 Should Play, Not Watch TV, Doctors Say”).
Further, worsening eyesight among children is soaring – and directly related to increased screen time (studyfinds.org “Parental blindness? Half of parents don’t know screen time damages their kids’ vision”).
Children under the age of two need little to no TV or screen time. Children over the age of two need wholesome screen time in time-limited doses.
What children do actually need for their spirit, soul and physical development (aside from the obvious: love, care, healthy nutrition and sleep) is play, interaction with their parents, time outside, and Scripture.
In today’s lifestyle, this is a tall order.
I’d like to encourage you if you’re in a place to start well for your children, there are benefits to limiting (or even avoiding) screen time. The children aren’t being conditioned to: 1. depend on the screen or melt-down 2. demand things that are advertised 3. be influenced by values that don’t match yours.
Further, children who are free from the imposed culture that streams through screens have an openness to play with simple things. They will play with them, and be engaged longer, if they are not bombarded with stuff! stuff! stuff! at every turn.
This time actually helps them develop the ability to have deep thought and focus.
All of this takes intentional and consistent input from parents. Not easy, I know. However, the long-term pay-offs are worth it.
If you recognize areas of deficit, take heart. Every day is an opportunity to begin again with Father God. Add prayer for His redemption to this mix, and watch Father God show you that “. . .it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy” (NASB, Romans 9:16).
Our calling, and our children’s, does take faith and action on our part. Yet, it does not start or end with us. Its genesis and finale is in the mercy, grace, love, choosing and calling of our Father God.
Everyone Needs a Break
Dr. Caroline Leaf, neuroscientist, talks about the way Father God wired our brains to take rests. Brains cycle and have a rest stop every so often. Dr. Leaf recommends taking “thinker moments” in our day (drleaf.com/blog/news/”The Dos and Dont’s of Brain Health”). She writes that a “thinker moment” is intentionally stopping external work to allow our brain to meditate on the internal (this is a GREAT place where Holy Spirit can move Scripture to our meditation if it has been placed in there for Him to work with!). Intentional times when we stop and let our mind “wander” from the outside to the inside.
When Holy Spirit and Scripture are deposited within, the presence of fear and trauma of “letting the mind wander” are greatly reduced or eliminated. Therefore, this mind/brain rest is beneficial.
Here’s good news! Neither parents nor children need to work the entire day (or avoid work by distraction because healthy habits were not formed). Everyone needs a break.
It is healthy to a person – and that person’s life starts when they are in the womb – to have “thinker moments,” healthful nutrition, creativity and play and good sleep.
The most optimum time to start these healthy habits are in childhood.
Parents or caregivers are the ones chosen by Father God to nurture children. Greater grace to you, Honored Parents, in the mighty name of the Lord Jesus Christ!
Scripture Rest Break
As I wrote previously, creating a pleasant experience for children to freely play (without screens or devices) as they listen to Scripture is the best rest time on earth! (Hopefully with snacks included, as age appropriate!).
Because it takes so much energy and input for parents to raise children, it is important to hear that you, Honored Parent, need a break, too. You don’t have to “sneak” in a break or distract or zone out in scrolling, Father God wants you and created you to have regular, healthy, replenishing breaks.
I highly recommend if you have young children to take a break yourself when they listen to Scripture. We used the audio Bible on CD, and each CD was about one hour.
When my youngest son rested or listened to the Scripture, there was so much (I believed) on my plate that demanded my attention. I raced through the house cleaning or crammed in email responses or cooking, etc. They rested – but I did not.
I believed that by pushing myself to accomplish these physical tasks that I cared best for my family. I worked hard to care for their needs, but neglected my own. As a result, I ended up exhausted and angry – which caused me to not care for my family in the best way.
It is all glory and praise to Father, Son and Spirit that my following His inspiration to hear His Scripture bore much fruit in my sons – and I pray it does for your family as well.
In these lessons learned from that time, I hope that sharing what failed and what succeeded from my life will encourage you and assist you with nurturing your precious children, Honored Parents (and Grandparents and Caregivers).
In the best rest time on earth for children – a prayed-over, pleasant time of consistent listening to Scripture – I learned lessons which I pray are helpful for you and your family.
Age-appropriate
Children are very impressionable and tender-hearted. They’re like wet cement – in a very few years an enormous, lifelong impression is made. Parents are their gatekeepers. Children need to be shielded from news, movies, media, conversations, situations, etc. that are traumatic, abusive, defiled and explicit sexually or violent. In our world today in the midst of wars, both visible and invisible, sometimes that is impossible. However, whatever we can shield them from is vital to their healthy development.
When they experience something we can’t shield them from, they need to be prayed over for cleansing and stabilizing, and helped to feel safe by: a. their parents’ comfort and b. age appropriate processing (for example: “I felt scared, did you? [Let them answer.] We remember that Jesus is with us, He will never leave us. Jesus, help us feel safe in You.”)
I realize this is a tall order. Yet. . .dearly honored parents, Father gives more grace where there is more sin, and there is more sin in our day. You, dearly honored parents, are here on earth raising these little ones for such a time as this. Greater grace to you, honored parent!
If you realize you’re in need of these things – comfort, processing, cleansing and stabilizing – remember you, too, are a child of your Heavenly Father. Go to Him in prayer, faith, and tears, if needs be, as a child.
Back to the Bible, I rotated the Bible on audio between Old and New Testaments. There were certain portions that I skipped and left off the rotation altogether — and I’ll explain why.
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (NIV, 2 Timothy 3:16).
That’s very true. Scripture is God-breathed (inspired!) and is useful to teach, rebuke, correct and train in right-ness.
However, not every portion in Scripture are the very words of Father God, Jesus or Holy Spirit. (Here’s where a red-letter Bible version is very handy!) Father inspired writers through the centuries to record what He directed for our benefit and training – and so that we would recognize Jesus. Further, the Scriptures are the Sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17).
Here’s my point. Point your children to their Heavenly Father through His Son Jesus – first and foremost.
Some of the historical record in Scripture of what people did, and the subsequent response is violent and/or explicit. It is important from Father that we have this Scripture record: to teach, rebuke, correct and train in righteousness.
When the children hear Scripture about Jesus (and the impact of His words, life, death, and resurrection), their hearts are moved toward their Heavenly Father through Jesus by Holy Spirit.
To achieve that primary goal and to protect their sensitive spirits and souls, I recommend the Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John first. Further, Acts is very wonderful for its action-packed record of the expanse of the Good News of Jesus. Hebrews, 1st John, 2nd John and 3rd John are helpful in laying down children’s spiritual foundation as well.
In a world that does not recognize the value or significance of life, it is important to lay the foundation for our children with Genesis.
Exodus and Numbers are great action-packed adventures with lessons that lay the spiritual foundation for your children. Psalms, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes build a framework for wisdom in their hearts and neurological development. Ruth, Esther, Nehemiah and Joshua are wonderful examples of faithfulness of people, their relationship with Father God, and His intervening presence.
That’s what I recommend for young children – with the caveat below (dramatized vs. non-dramatized).
Older children can expand in more books of the Bible, but I do recommend leaving off Judges 20 and Revelation until you are led by Holy Spirit to add them – or until they are reading the Bible personally. At that point, I spoke with my sons, having prayed, before they read it. That occurred somewhere in their tween years.
Dramatized vs. Non-dramatized
There are several versions of Scripture recorded on audio. Some can be found on YouTube. I used the NIV because that was available at the time.
The NIV recorded two versions: Dramatized and Non-dramatized.
In our “best rest time on earth” schedule, I played the dramatized version. Again, that was available for me at the time – there are more options now.
Looking back, my sons said they liked the dramatized version. Be led by the Holy Spirit. Some parts of Scripture are intense.
I do recommend choosing a well-researched/translated version of Scripture as opposed to a child version of Scripture. Well-researched/translated versions include: New International Version (NIV), King James Version (KJV) and New American Standard Version (NASB).
While I honor those who are making Scripture accessible for children, the children do need to hear Scripture in a pure form. I believe that the NIV and NASB provide Scripture in a form that is understandable for children, as they listen and play quietly without interruption from media/tech.
Though I did read a children’s book version of the Bible (or children’s Bible stories) together with my sons, I don’t recommend their listening to a child’s version of the Bible.
“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (NIV, John 14:26).
A pure form of the words of Jesus (not a diluted version for children) is what Holy Spirit will use to teach and remind them (NIV, John 14:6). It’s our part to give Holy Spirit what He needs to teach and remind our children (and ourselves!).
Once upon a time, in the childhood of my sons, Holy Spirit inspired me.
The children’s shows from which to choose remained minimal (those without practiced silliness, political correctness, evolution or witchcraft, that is). Even with nurturing our children’s spirits in the womb, as we progressively learned and applied, there’s still the pressing and substantial need to care for, protect, and nurture their souls. Of course, the healthy nurture of their bodies with healthful food and exercise also plays an important role in their development.
A Stunningly Brief Window of Time
to Establish a Solid Foundation
Cultivating healthy children — spirit, soul and body — is a full-time job. In addition to this is the fact that the most crucial time to build healthy children is a stunninglyshort time. Their spirit is dominant until age two when their soul comes on board. In these times, as early as ages 8-9, they’re entering the physical change of puberty.
There are twelve years or less to establish their healthy foundation – spirit, soul and body. Amazingly brief.
This must be stated in order to underline the extreme importance of their early-years nurture. However, if you realize you’ve missed critical years and important developmental input, please do not receive any negatives — no condemnation, no overwhelm, etc. With Heavenly Father, every day is a time to begin again.
Early years with children are physically demanding. By and large, children do not stop. The healthier they are, the more energy they have! Their naps and times of rest have to become part of a routine that is nourishing. This does not happen by default.
Most parents are trying to figure life out themselves, and in these challenging times, working hard to stay afloat financially, etc. Most adults do not recognize or implement the need for times of physical rest as well.
Amidst these factors and challenges is when Holy Spirit inspired me – to combine my young sons’ rest time with Scripture on audio. It nurtured their developing souls, as well as strengthened their spirits, and gave their bodies a consistent time for physical rest.
Pleasant with Freedom!
I knew they needed a foundation of their own in Scripture, and that it needed to be clear of man’s thousands of years of traditions piled on top of Scripture interpretation. I wanted their souls to be nurtured and taught what mattered. Yes, we also watched children’s shows which I selected very meticulously.
However, almost every day of the week (we missed some days), I implemented this schedule. From a CD set of the entire Bible, I selected one (each one was about one hour in length). They each had a CD player in their room for this express purpose. They heard undiluted Scripture themselves – not from a secondary source. “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (NASB, Romans 10:17).
Having had a dose of religious experience in my time which was not pleasant, I wanted this “rest stop” to be very pleasant. I prepped snacks and their CD player at a routine time. The first schedule was an afternoon time when all of us (children and parents) needed a break. Since this was inspired by Holy Spirit and I had a love of Father’s Scriptures, it wasn’t a “religious” tradition. Further, as we started young (my oldest son being six years old when he started, and my youngest son being about three), it was natural. With the snacks, it became anticipated! Beyond that, I added this cherry on top: They could freely move about their room, playing with any tactile or learning toy (no computers or technology). Much Lego equipment and places were constructed in those days!
“How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (NASB, Psalm 119:103).
When they emerged after the hour rest stop with Scripture, they always looked settled.
Fruit Now, Fruit Later
The fruit now is that it’s the best rest time on earth. The children are settled (and nurtured) in soul, spirit, and body as a result of listening.
Fast forward almost twenty years.
Over the past few years, I’ve heard feedback, independently and unsolicited, from each of my sons. It’s astounded me. They’ve each expressed a highly discerning and nuanced detection of erroneous teaching, some from leaders with platforms. They knew the truth from Scripture, and it wasn’t difficult to decipher error when they heard that. They’ve each expressed a concern for people to know Heavenly Father and His inspired Scripture personally in order to have personal salvation, Father’s blessings, and protection. I’ve witnessed each one making personal choices from their own foundation (not their parents’) from Scripture and with Holy Spirit.
“Your word, Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens” (NIV, Psalms 119:89).
“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (NIV, Isaiah 55:10-11).
If you have young children or work with children in any capacity, I encourage you to seek Heavenly Father and prepare to implement a prayed-over, pleasant time of consistent listening to Scripture.
It’s THE best rest time on earth! For children. Parents, too. And for any person — at any season of life.
“And that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man or woman of God may be fully capable, equipped for every good work” (NASB, 2 Timothy 3:15-17).
Important Postscript:
** If you start now, I advise to start with the Gospels. **
Taking her beloved pet dog to the veterinarian confirmed that my friend’s dog quickly neared the end of its life.
She began praying.
Her prayer before Heavenly Father remained heartfelt, fervent and simple: Please allow our dog to die here at home, and cause it to be quick and peaceful, with no extended suffering.
A day went by. Then another. It was as if the clock ticked in slow-motion.
My friend suffered as she watched her dog suffer. She went back to Heavenly Father and fervently asked, “Why have You not answered my prayer and taken our dog?”
To her surprise, He answered thus, “Your son is praying for your dog to live.”
Tears streamed down her cheeks as a beautiful dawning swept her being.
Father was walking through this valley of the shadow of death with them – and He gave special care and attentiveness to her young son’s prayers for their beloved dog.
Filled with thanksgiving and encouraged, she spoke to her son. “Son, our dog has lived a long, good life, and is now suffering. We don’t want him to suffer. It is for the best for us to let him go – release him.”
When he heard the truth in love from his mother, he agreed that it was best to release him.
So, they did.
Soon afterwards, their beloved dog passed away.
Father gives such great care and attentiveness to the prayers of all His children – and special care to the prayers of the little ones.
May this beautiful truth settle your heart in His perfect peace.
“I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free, for his eyes are on the sparrow, and I know he watches me.”
The Living Hope Blog 