Spiritual Needs of our Children

Have you ever thought about your child’s spiritual needs? It’s easy to see the mental or physical impediments and think that our kiddos wouldn’t understand the Bible or the truths found therein. While this may be true, it doesn’t mean they don’t need God in their lives. John 3:16, a well-known verse, says that “whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”.  Many of our children are unable to believe because comprehension is limited. If this is the case, do we completely dismiss the opportunity for them to know about God?  I don’t think so. There are so many ways to reach our children with God’s truth.

Here are 3 examples of how you can share Jesus with your special needs child:

1. SHARE SCRPTURE WITH THEM

The Bible says that His word never returns void (Isaiah 55:11). I believe this applies to everyone no matter what their mental capacity may be. In our home we shorten scripture and use a simplified version such as the NIV. Here are a couple examples to start with:

Matthew 28:20 I am with you always.

Ephesians 4:32 Be kind to one another.

Matthew 19:19 Love your neighbor as yourself.

Etsy has fun cards that you can use to get started. You can make a list of verses to circulate though. These can be read out loud or if the child is able, you can have them write or copy in a Scripture Writing notebook. They will feel so proud to have a keepsake of their hard work while being edified through Gods word.

2. USE MUSIC

We love playing worship music throughout the day on our Apple TV. Since we homeschool, we can easily have it playing quietly in the background while we work. This is a wonderful way to invite Jesus into your day. He will set the mood and fill us with His presence. A super fun way to use music is through YouTube videos. We especially love Mary Rice Hopkins! You can add hand motions to the songs and make it a physical activity, if possible. If it is not possible, you can entertain your child with hand motions and get the workout!

3. PRACTICE GRATITUDE

A couple of years ago, we started using gratitude journals. Monday though Friday we list one thing we are thankful to Jesus for. We write things like: Good sleep, sunshine, new flowers, the rain, family, vacations. Simple things. This way our daughter is reminded that every good and perfect gift comes from above. This is something we incorporate into our homeschool schedule and use as handwriting activity. I will start with saying, “What are we thankful for today?” and give her a few seconds to think. I verbalize a couple of options and then she will nod when she likes what I say. It’s usually the latter. I will write it in highlighter, and she will trace the words. After writing in our journal, we pray to give thanks and to ask Jesus to be with us as we do our homeschooling.

I know these things sound simplistic but in fact, Jesus wants us to keep things simple and to come to Him like little children (Matthew 18:13). We all need Jesus in our lives. Moms, don’t forget to fill your cup first so that you’ll have lots of good things to offer to them. I say this from a place of love and experience. There’s been too many times I’ve found myself losing my marbles because I’m operating on empty. We can’t give if we don’t have so take a few minutes to fill your spiritual cup with prayer and Gods word. My days go much better when I do.  

I hope this gives you a little encouragement to think about your child’s spiritual needs and ideas on how to reach them on a deeper level.