We want to encourage our children to grow in their faith, but we must lead the way. Personal spiritual growth should be a priority. In this article, I share resources for your downtime, devotionals, and Bible study.
Nurturing our personal walk with the Lord is the best thing we can do for our kids. For there is an overflow of fruit that comes from fellowship with God. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law,” (Gal 5:22-23, ESV). Those are the character traits we want to exemplify as parents – aren’t they?
But eek(!), that doesn’t come naturally, and we must be intentional. Below are some resources that have been a blessing as I have battled my own sin nature. Sometimes there are fits and starts with my daily habits and I have to remind myself to maintain a long-term perspective. If that’s you too – give yourself grace. Don’t let discouragement keep you from the joy of growing in your walk with the Lord.
(Please see this post about our Hope if you have questions about your relationship with God.)
Downtime
Family Radio
What we meditate on is consequential. If you’re looking for something worthy of your quieter moments, check out Family Radio. For years I listened to a Christian radio station that was (for lack of a better word) “fluffy.” I didn’t realize the meat I was missing – the meat I needed to encourage my spiritual growth.
The Family Radio programming includes Scripture-reading and preaching as well as doctrinally-rich music. The focus is always on God. There is depth. My faith is strengthened as I listen to men such as R.C. Sproul, Alistair Begg, and John Piper. God has used this station to speak truth to me many times. I hope you find Family Radio to be a blessing for you (and your family!) too.
Look for your local radio station here: https://www.familyradio.org/stations/.
Download their app, listen live, or find a podcast from the Family Radio website.
Devotionals
Days of Praise
The Institute for Creation Research offers a free daily devotional called Days of Praise. I think I have received them in my email inbox every morning, for over ten years (my husband subscribes too). They are bite-size devotionals that only take a few minutes to read, but they offer a Biblically solid study of Scripture with application. They are meaty, and a great way to start the day. Sometimes the study is sequential, covering a passage of Scripture or a set of related verses over many days.
These devotionals have been such an encouragement for me. My husband and I sometimes joke that they’re written just for us. In difficult seasons, God has used these to remind us to put on the armor of God and stand firm in Truth. He has also used them to challenge us in areas where we’ve needed spiritual growth. They have certainly helped with our understanding and application of Scripture.
Sometimes when I’m up late, I check my email for this devotional. It often arrives around midnight. When I can’t sleep, it is always a helpful reminder of God’s goodness and mercy. I hope you find these devotionals to be a blessing for you (and your family!) too.
You can subscribe to Days of Praise (email) devotionals from their website. I have found that having the written devotional makes it easier for me to study or meditate on the content. But the Days of Praise podcast is also available if that works better for you.
Bible Study
I offer my review of the Bible study Seamless (and how God used it in my life during the COVID-19 pandemic), in this article: A Survey of the Bible Study, Seamless.
You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.
Isaiah 26:3 (ESV)