We have seen this week that our homes are under satanic attack.  The devil knows that if he can wreck our homes by destroying our families, ruining our marriages, and corrupting our children, he is going to hurt the cause of Christ and cause many souls to be lost.  Sadly, he has won battles in this fight.  There are more homes than ever before that simply are not what God wants them to be.  To build homes that are strong and pleasing to God, we must bring up our children “in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).  How do we do this?

We must make sure that our children have a strong knowledge of God.  We live in a society where everybody is busy.  There is less and less time for parents and children to spend quality time together.  No time is better spent with our children than when we are gathered together with an open Bible to study the precepts of God.  If our children are going to grow up and be respectable citizens in the kingdom of God, they are going to have to have faith in Him, and the primary source of faith is the Bible (Romans 10:17).

If we are to bring our children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, we must make time to study the Word of God with them.  This has always been God’s will for parents (Deuteronomy 6:4-12; 2 Timothy 1:5).  

We should all want our children to grow up to have the kind of unfeigned faith that Timothy possessed, but he did not come to have that faith accidentally.  He was taught the scriptures from an early age.

2 Timothy 3:14-15 (KJV)
¹⁴  But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; ¹⁵  And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

Our children should know God’s Word.  We should teach them all about Jesus and what He has done for us.  We should make sure that they know the truth about the church and why it is right, while denominationalism is wrong.  And, of course, we need to teach them to be morally upright in this sinful world in which we live.

Faith should start in the home.  It is great to have strong Bible classes in our local churches, but too many times parents use that as the only source of teaching for their children.  This is not the way it should be.  Whatever our children get from those Bible classes, or from anywhere else for that matter, should only be supplemental to what they are getting at home.

Another great way to help our children spiritually is to make a habit of praying for and with them.  Do you believe in prayer?  I am confident that you do, and well you should.  Jesus died so that we could have a renewed relationship with God, a part of which is being able to pray (Hebrews 4:14-16); Hebrews 10:19-22).  

The spiritual welfare of our children is worth praying for regularly.  How often have you prayed that your children will be able to resist temptation?  How often have you appealed to God for help in training them in the way they should go?  If we believe that prayer works, and that it is effective, that is, if we believe in the power of prayer, then let us make sure that we are praying for our children and grandchildren.  And, let us not forget the importance of praying, not only for them, but also with them.  The more we pray with our children, the more they will believe in prayer themselves, and the more they will pray.  If we pray regularly with our children, we help them to form the habit of prayer early in life.

Let us never neglect to study and pray with our children.  Let us remind them of their duties before God. Let us give our children a fighting chance, spiritually, by training them in the way they should go.  This is an integral part of building a good home.

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.