Jesus holds my hand

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When a child is worried, frightened or unsure of a situation, it’s natural for the child to want to hold the hand of someone they trust. Holding hands reassures a child that they are with someone who is caring for them.

While you are out on a walk or shopping in a busy place and one of your children holds your hand, it’s an ideal time to talk about “holding Jesus’ hand.” Let your children know that just as they can reach out and hold your hand for comfort, they can also reach out and ask Jesus to walk with them at any time (even when Mom and Dad are not around).

Discuss the special names your children call you (Mom, Mommy, Dad, Daddy) and ask if any other kids call you that. Explain that only children call their parents by these special names. Similarly, when we ask God to forgive our sins and decide to allow Him to be the leader of our lives, we are given the honour of being able to call God, “Daddy.” As God’s children, we can call Him “Abba, Father.” We can call out to our Father in heaven at any time and He will be there to listen to our concerns and comfort us.

Ask your children to think of times when they feel worried or unsure of a situation. Let your kids know that at these times they can pray and ask God to hold their hand. Practice praying with them. For example, you could pray one of the following prayers:

Abba Father, right now I am going to the doctor to find out why my throat keeps hurting. I am a little worried. Would You come with me and hold my hand? Thank you and amen.

Abba Father, I am not used to staying with (a babysitter / a Sunday school teacher / at a friend’s house / at school). Mom and Dad won’t be here with me and I am scared. Please be with me and hold my hand. Amen.

Relevant Scripture

Isaiah 41:10 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”

Romans 8:14-15 “. . . because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by Him we cry, ‘ “Abba,” Father.’ ”

Galatians 4:6-7 “Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘ “Abba,” Father.’ So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.”

Pray a Psalm

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Lord, the earth is Yours, along with everything in it, the world, and all who live in it! And that includes us! We are so glad that we are Your children, Jesus! You created the earth and placed it upon the seas. Lord Jesus, we want to enjoy Your presence, but we know that we need to have clean hearts before we can be close to You. Please forgive us for ___________________ (Observe a quiet time of personal confession here).

We want to love You more than we love anything else, and we want to tell the truth. Thank you for the gift of forgiveness. When we confess our sins, You take away our guilt and shame. How amazing it is that we can be close to You when we have had our hearts washed clean. You are God our Saviour! We are a family of God-seekers. We want to know You better and better each day. Amen.

Read a beary fun story

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In their traditional, kid-friendly style, the authors use Papa Bear’s Easter-time candy cravings as a springboard to discuss Jesus’ resurrection. The bear cubs learn that salvation is much sweeter than candy or chocolate.

“I love you this much” game

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Use this fun, creative exercise to assure your children of your love for them. Add an Easter theme to the game by talking about God’s vast love for your children. To play, follow the example below, taking turns coming up with words ending in “er” to explain the magnitude of your love.

Here’s an example showing how to use the game to emphasize Jesus’ love for your child:

Mariah: Do you know how much I love you?

Mommy: No.

Mariah: I love you bigger than an elephant. I love you cuter than a little puppy. I love you taller than the tallest mountain. I love you more green than spring grass. And I love you whiter than the snow. Now do you know how much I love you?

Mommy: Oh, yes! Do you know how much I love you?

Mariah: No.

Mommy: I love you faster than a galloping horse. I love you blue-er than your eyes. I love you more tumbly than when you do cartwheels. I love you more beautiful than sunrises, sunsets and rainbows. I love you squishier than our rubber animals. Now do you know how much I love you?

Mariah: Yes!

Mommy: Do you know how much Jesus loves you?

Mariah: No.

Mommy: This is how much Jesus loves you: He says, “I love you higher than the sky and as deep as the sea. I love you longer than the longest car ride you have ever been on! I love you with love wider than the ocean (extend your arms as though your hands are nailed to a cross). I love you so much that I died on the cross so that you could be My child.” Now do you know how much Jesus loves you?

Mariah: Yes! He loves me a lot!

Relevant Scripture

John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”

Ephesians 3:16-19 “I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

Thankfulness jam

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While driving in your car, open up discussion by inviting your kids to tell you what life would be like without a car or a vehicle for transportation. Work together to include your kids’ ideas in a short rhyme of praise. For example, God, thanks for our car; without it we couldn’t go far!

Each time you drive somewhere, repeat the jingle and add another verse like this one: God, thanks for our food; not to say thanks would be really rude! This is a fun way to remember to thank God for all the ways He provides for your family.

Other things you can praise God for include shoes, food, clothing, pets, stores, water, health, friends, family, freedom and books. See how many verses you can add to your “thankfulness jam” and still remember them!

Seeing the bright side

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Help your children understand that there is a positive side to everyday circumstances with this simple game called What’s the Bright Side? You will need a blindfold (or a stretchy headband works well).

Begin by asking your children to help you think of some jobs or things you or your kids dislike. For a parent it may be scrubbing toilets. For a child, eating salmon for supper may tempt them to whine.

Explain to your kids that having a negative attitude means we are “blind” to the many good things in our lives. Then, take turns wearing the blindfold. Think of a scenario in which the person who is wearing the blindfold could be tempted to complain. The blindfolded person then has to think of a reason to be thankful in regards to that situation. (You’ll need to explain that this is called “seeing the bright side.”)

For example, the blindfolded person could say, As much as I hate scrubbing toilets, I am thankful that we have an indoor toilet to use instead of an outhouse. Or, I don’t care for fish, but I am thankful that I have food to eat.

Let everyone have a turn wearing the blindfold and “seeing the bright side.”

For follow up, model gratefulness for your children by stating aloud the things you are choosing to be thankful for. For example, as you load the dishwasher or wash the dishes you might say, Thank You God for all these dirty dishes. Dirty dishes remind me that our family has food to eat. When your children complain about little jobs or inconveniences, you can ask them to “see the bright side.” Don’t forget that you can also encourage them to thank God for difficulties and fears. For example, your child could say, Dear God, I don’t like being scared of the dark, but I’m glad that my fear reminds me to trust You to take care of me. Amen.

Praise brigade

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Mom or Dad, pick a day that suits and say thank you to God, out loud, for everything! (Don’t tell your children beforehand; see if they catch on).

Thank God for fresh water every time you turn on a tap, for electricity when you turn on a light switch, and for food when you have something to eat. Thank Him for friends and family who phone, text or email. You can thank God for difficulties and problems as well. The sky is the limit – and you can thank Him for that too!

Finally, ask your kids if they are tired of hearing you praise God. Whether they answer yes or no doesn’t matter, just let your children know that God never gets tired of hearing our praise.

Names of God prayers

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Most of us remember the childhood prayer that begins with the phrase, God is great, God is good, let us thank Him . . . Yes, God is great and God is good, but He is so much more too! To teach your children about the many dimensions of God’s character, keep an envelope in your car or at the kitchen table that’s full of slips of paper with various “names of God” written on them.

Every time you go for a drive or sit down to eat, have your child pull out one name for God and pray together, based on the name. For example, “The God of all Comfort” is one of God’s special names. You can pray a simple prayer together along those lines, such as, Thank You God for being like a warm quilt on a cold night. When times are rough, what a comfort it is to have You as our Comforter! Amen. (This name and prayer are based on 2 Corinthians 1:2-4.)

Here are some more names of God to inspire praise. The first two columns listing names of God and supporting Scriptures are reproduced, with permission, from Time Out: Prayer Retreat Manual by Mary Kassian (Kingdom Communications Inc., 2005).

Name of God Supporting Scripture Sample prayer of praise
“El”
Mighty One		 Psalm 50:1-2
“The Mighty One, God, the Lord, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to where it sets. From Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth.”		 God Almighty, You are the Mighty One. As we see the sun rise and set each day, please remind us of Your beauty and Your power. Amen.
“El Shaddai”
God Almighty		 Revelation 4:8b
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.”		 Lord God Almighty, only You are holy. Thank You for being the Lord of yesterday and today. You are the Lord of tomorrow and the next day too. Amen.
“Borey”
Creator		 Isaiah 40:28
“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom.”		 God, You are the Creator of the earth. You never get tired and You never grow old. Thank You for making __________. Amen.
“Ha-El-ha-Nora”
Awesome God		 Nehemiah 9:32a
“Now therefore, our God, the great God, mighty and awesome, who keeps His covenant of love, do not let all this hardship seem trifling in Your eyes . . .”		 Awesome God, today we want to praise You for being so amazing! Thank You for __________________. Amen.
“El ha-Kavod”
God of Glory		 Psalm 29:3-4
“The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord thunders over the mighty waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic.”		 God of Glory, when I hear the thunder and it is scary, please help me remember that it is Your power making the big rumbles! Amen.
“Melek ha-Goyim”
King of the Nations		 Jeremiah 10:6-7
“No one is like You, Lord; You are great, and Your name is mighty in power. Who should not revere You, King of the nations? This is Your due. Among all the wise leaders of the nations and in all their kingdoms, there is no one like You.”		 God, You are great! You are King of the nations! You are wiser than all the wise men in the world! Amen.
“Yahweh Rophey”
Lord Healer		 Exodus 15:26
“He said, ‘If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in His eyes, if you pay attention to His commands and keep all His decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.’ ”Psalm 103:2-3
“Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all His benefits – who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases . . .”		 Lord God, today we want to thank You for being the One who makes us better when we are sick. Thank You for forgiving us too – healing the sin-sickness in our hearts. Amen.
“Yaweh Shalom”
The Lord is Peace		 Judges 6:24
“So Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called it The Lord Is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites ”
Philippians 4:6-7
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”		 God of Peace, we pray today, thanking You for ___________ (name a stressful or difficult situation relationally). We ask You to give us peace in place of ________ (worry / fear / fighting etc.). Thank You. Amen.
“Hatsur”
The Rock		 Deuteronomy 32:4
“He is the Rock, His works are perfect, and all His ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is He.”		 God, You are our Rock! Thank You for being solid and strong like a rock! You are faithful and we trust You! Amen.
“Pele Yo-ets”
Wonderful Counsellor		 Isaiah 9:6
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
John 14:26
“But the Counselor, 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.”		 God, thank You for giving us Your Holy Spirit as our teacher! We want to be willing to learn everything You want to teach us! Amen.
“Uzzi Yawhe Chizqi”
O Lord, My Strength		 Psalm 59:16-17
“But I will sing of Your strength, in the morning I will sing of Your love; for You are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. You are my strength, I sing praise to You; You, God, are my fortress, my God on whom I can rely.”		 God, when we feel weak, please be our Strength. We want to sing praise to You, even in times of trouble. Amen.
“Immanuel”
God With Us		 Isaiah 7:14
“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel.”		 Jesus, thank You for living on earth as a person. Thank You for being with us every day too! Amen.
“Ek Theos”
Love		 1 John 4:16
“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.”		 God, You are love! Please fill us with Your love so we can share it with others. Amen.
“Moshiach”
Messiah / Christ		 John 1:41
“The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (that is, the Christ).”
Philippians 2:8-15
“And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”		 Jesus Christ, today we bow down and call You Messiah and Lord. You are Lord of this earth and Lord of the whole universe. We invite You to be Lord in our home and Lord in our hearts too. Amen.

 

High-five prayer

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Praise God for the joy of having five senses with this “high-five prayer.” Start each sentence yourself, and have your children take turns finishing them. Finish by giving each other high fives.

Dear God, thank You for my eyes. I like to look at ___________.

Thank You for giving me ears. My favourite sound is ____________.

Thank You for creating skin. I really like the feel of ________________.

Thank You for my tongue and the taste of ______________________.

Thank You for bad smells that warn me not to touch or taste! Thank You for good smells, especially __________. Amen.

Fun ways to say thank you

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Encourage your children to show gratitude by teaching them how to say thank you in a different language. Having fun using a “new” word will hopefully encourage your kids to say thank you more often. Here’s a list you can use, or you can research other languages on the Internet.

New ways to say “thank you”

Afrikaans: Dankie
Albanian: Faleminderit
Arabic: Shukran 
Bosnian: Hvala 
Chinese: Xie xie (pronounced “Shyeh shyeh”) 
Czech: Dekuji 
Croatian: Hvala 
Danish: Tak 
Dutch: Dank je (pronounced “Dannk yuhh”) or Bedankt (pronounced “Buh dannkt”) 
Filipino: Salamat
Finnish: Kiitos (sounds like “Kee-tos”)
French: Merci
German: Danke (informal; pronounced “Dahn-kuh”)
Hebrew: Toda (pronounced “Toh Dah”)
Icelandic: Takk Fyrir
Italian: Grazie
Japanese: Arigato (informal; pronounced “Ah-ree-gah-toh”)
Maltese: Grazzi
Norwegian: Takk
Polish: Dziękuję
Punjabi: Dhannvaad
Romanian: Mulţumesc (pronounced “Mool-too-mesk”)
Russian: Spasibo (sounds like “Spa-see-boh”)
Spanish: Gracias
Swahili: Ahsante
Swedish: Tack
Thai: Khawp khun khrap (if you’re male) or Khawp khun kha (if you’re female)
Welsh: Diolch
Vietnamese: Cam on (pronounced “Caam-ungh”)