Over the last several weeks I have noticed that K has taken a special interest in singing about and speaking of God. I mentioned to my husband last week that it seemed something was going on in her heart and yesterday he got a glimpse for himself.
We spent 6 hours in the car yesterday because of a day trip to visit with my extended family. As night was falling and we were pulling back into our town K interrupted the darkness with this statement," You know what I am really thankful for? Jesus dying on the cross for me."
"It is the most special gift anyone could give you,"I agreed.
"Yep, I am so glad he did that so that when I do bad things I can be forgiven." She then proceeded to articulate the Gospel clearly in her own words.
My husband and I exchanged looks and he mouthed, "This is awesome!"
And it is. But, really, I am a little freaked out. I pray nightly that my children will come to know the precious love of our Father and accept Him as their own. Now that I see it beginning to happen in one of them, I am excited, but nervous that I don't know what I am supposed to do next. I acknowledge that it is the Lord at work, but what is my role as her mother? Do I lead her in a prayer of salvation? Do I take her to talk to pastors at our church?
I have mentioned before that I did not grow up surrounded by conversation about the Lord. I went to VBS each Summer and Wednesday night activities (G.A.s anyone?) with my Grandmother. Yet, I could not explain the Gospel until I was in 7th grade. I thought being a Christian simply meant believing there was a God.
The Summer before 4th grade, I 'walked the aisle' at my Baptist church on the final day of Vacation Bible School. The Lord was really tugging on my heart. When the church visitation team came to call on my parents, they decided I was too young to make that decision, so I didn't 'pray the prayer' until 4 years later. I suppose that may have a little something to do with my hesitance with K.
Mentally, I wonder if her acceptance of Christ so young will mean as much to her as mine did as a 13 year old.
Just Monday she asked me about fictitious characters in a movie we were watching. "Why are those boys so mean, Mama?"
"I don't think they have God's love in their hearts," I replied.
"But their Mama is kind and loves God. Why aren't they?"she asked.
God gave me a great opportunity to explain to her that just because your parents love God, it doesn't always mean you do. Each person has to accept Jesus for themselves.
There is no denying the Spirit is at work in her little heart.
I am definitely praying about all of this, but I would love to hear your thoughts. Do I just keep listening as she chews through some of this stuff or do I use the next conversation as an opportunity to pray with her?
30 comments:
I read you blog often and love reading about your babies. My daughter "walked the isle" and was saved at the age of 6. I wasn't sure if she really knew what she was doing, but who was I to stop her? She is 35 now and has never doubted her salvation. I just figured that if she was too young for it to be "real", then God would let her know that in due time. If it was time, I was not about to be the one who discouraged her for fear that if I stopped her now, she may wonder away and never "pray the prayer". I have never regretted that decision. I figured, if necessary, two times was better than 0 times!
From what you have said I think she has already accepted Christ as her Saviour. She may not have prayed a prayer but if she is telling you the Gospel and then backs that up by not just knowing but having a thankful response then she gets it and she believes it... she has responded to God. God never said we had to pray a special prayer to be saved we just have to believe and sounds like she does. But I'm only saying that from what you have written.
I would still sit her down and pray with her, it's important for people to have a date or time to hinge their conversion on.
Praise the Lord! And be encouraged that you are obviously on the right track with Gospel centered parenting.
I will preface my comments with -- each parent has to decide what's best with their child/children, especially timing about this! My husband and I prayed with each of our sons for them to receive Christ when they were 6 years old. I knew they were ready because we had been talking about Christ since they were very young. Now that they are 15 & 16, I find it interesting that one remembers this important experience, and the other doesn't. So I guess I would say I wouldn't rush it. You might want to get the advice of your pastor, though. My father (a pastor) led me in the salvation prayer at age 9. I'm not sure why he chose that age, but I vividly remember the experience!
Just a quick response to Cait -- the Bible does say that we are to believe and then confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord (in Romans 10).
I agree with psm 260 that the Bible tells us to believe and then confess, but it also emphasizes baptism as part of salavation. (Mk 16:16 and other passages). There are many examples of salvation in the new testament and baptism is integral part - Acts 16 is a great place to study as well as chapter 8. Part of believing is the realization that the act of baptism is what 'washes away our sins'. We are symbolically buried with Christ, we bury our old man of sin and arise a new creature (Romans 6). We truly clothe ourselves with Christ (Gal 3). It's interesting that the conversions that we read about in Acts and other place baptism follows closly on the heals of true belief, not months or years down the road. Just some food for thought.
I agree with psm 260 that the Bible tells us to believe and then confess, but it also emphasizes baptism as part of salavation. (Mk 16:16 and other passages). There are many examples of salvation in the new testament and baptism is integral part - Acts 16 is a great place to study as well as chapter 8. Part of believing is the realization that the act of baptism is what 'washes away our sins'. We are symbolically buried with Christ, we bury our old man of sin and arise a new creature (Romans 6). We truly clothe ourselves with Christ (Gal 3). It's interesting that the conversions that we read about in Acts and other place baptism follows closly on the heals of true belief, not months or years down the road. Just some food for thought.
Oh such a sweet note! I always enjoy reading your posts.
I think you just need to pray and the Lord will lead your way! (just like I know you are doing)
BTW, I SO remember the G.As, that made me laugh! And it seems I was raised similar to you, I went with my Grandmother to Wednesday nights at church with the G.As, I will always remember her being my spiritual leader.
Katie
I got saved at 8yr old and while I did question things later, it was mostly because I grew up in church & never knew life without God in it...so when pastors would ask about the big change that occured at salvation, it would throw me for a loop. I mean, I hadn't exactly turned from a life of drugs & jail time to Christ when I was eight!
My own kids all asked Jesus into their hearts between 6 & 7. With all three, I've wondered "do they really get it?" but they've all been able to verbalize the gospel message in their own way, so we've talked & prayed with them to make sure they understood. We've been blessed that my husband's been able to baptize all three of the kids himself--such a sweet treasure!
My advice is to follow his lead and see if he continues to ask questions & talk about it. If so, then it's probably time to sit down & talk it through and pray together.
One morning on the way to kindergarten, I told my mom that I wanted to ask Jesus into my heart. She pulled over, got in the backseat with me and we prayed together. I was five years old.
Now, I don't remember that moment myself but it has always been a part of my testimony. Did I have a complete understanding of what I was doing? Probably not. I knew I loved Jesus and I wanted him in my heart always. It was still another seven years before my relationship with Jesus became my own, when I fully understood what it meant that Christ wanted an intimate and personal relationship with me.
But that morning in the car? One of the sweetest parts of my story :)
What a sweet post! I've read your blog a few times lately and love that you're so open about your love of the Lord. :)
It sounds to me like she may have already accepted Christ as her Savior. She may not understand everything about salvation, forgiveness and a relationship with Him but isn't childlike faith enough.. and she'll grow spiritually in time? :)
I don't have a child her age so I'm not sure what I would do in the same situation. Maybe pray with her and let her talk to a Sunday school teacher?
In any case it's wonderful that she seems to have such a tender conscience towards the Lord. :) I pray for the same for my daughter as she gets older.
My oldest daughter was 5 when she accepted the Lord as her savior. I don't think it is too young. She actually asked me to pray with her, said she wanted to ask Jesus into her heart. Certainly K has the knowledge and it's a beautiful thing to see your children really "get it". My advice would be next time she initiates a conversation about the Lord, tell her you would love to pray a special prayer with her to ask Jesus into her heart. Simple but sweet is my advice from a mom of 4, ages 13 to 6.
Well, I just think that you do not have to worry about, you are teaching them so well and God will always protect you its His promisse.
God bless you!
I'm kind of in a similar situation with my 6yo. She gets it, and at one point a year or so ago, she said that she had prayed the night before for Jesus to live in her heart. She understands that He was sent to be our "Rescuer." However, socially/emotionally, she's not quite ready yet to walk the aisle at church (our pastor is very careful about talking to the child beforehand to make sure that they really understand what they're doing) and given her fear of water, she's not ready for baptism yet! I'm trying to proceed in faith that she's on the right track and just keep doing what we're doing and she's going to get there soon.
I walked the aisle at 8 at VBS after I had been feeling an urge to do so for a very long time. The pastor said he was going to come to our house to talk with me and my parents. He never did. At age 11, when we had a NEW pastor, I walked again and was baptised the same time as my younger brother--I had had that urge every since week since my previous walk forward.
I don't think you can set an age limit on when a child is ready to ask Christ into their hearts. Its a beautiful thing at any age! However I would stay away from a formal sinner's prayer and setting this time as when she officially surrendered her heart to Jesus. Not that she can't do it and MEAN it, but she is a little young to be ready for baptism.
I believe that one needs to ask Christ to rule in their life on a daily, often moment by moment, basis so learning to do this at a young age is wonderful. Her faith is exactly what Jesus was talking about when he said that unless we become like little children we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.
I accepted Jesus into my life at a young age too. However I didn't make the commitment of Bible Study and Baptism until I was in High School. I had expressed interest around the age of 10 but the Pastor of our church didn't really pursue it and I somehow felt like I needed to be affirmed by others that I was "ready". So my official Spiritual commitment is at a later date then when I truly accepted Christ as my savior and redeemer. And honestly it has been in the last few years that I have started to TRULY surrender my life to Him and allow Him to remove things that do not belong in my heart/mind. So its certainly a journey with Jesus.
Keep encouraging her to let Jesus live in her heart and look for opportunities to teach her about how that plays out practically. When she's older and has more understanding of what the Christian life is all about she will be ready to make a formal commitment.
I have a theory.
From observing years of children's ministry, it seems that the bulk of kids who are raised in church and/or Christian families tend to accept the gift of salvation around ages 5-7, or around 11-13. That very neatly corresponds with Piaget's stages of cognitive development and I don't think that is just chance. Around age 6, children enter the stage of concrete operations. They understand facts, cause and effect, etc. I think at this age, kids understand the facts -- they have sinned, Jesus died for them, they ask Him into their hearts -- and they become old enough to make that decision. Around age 12, children enter formal operations where they comprehend abstracts. And I think at that age, the kids who haven't already accepted Him based on the facts begin to understand at a deeper level just what salvation, and God, and His relationship to man, is all about. I know for me, growing up in a Christian family, church, and Christian school, I was saved at 5 -- but I changed from knowing ABOUT God to knowing God about 11. It was a new development in an already stable relationship. When K is ready, she'll tell you. And it's not too young. She'll still likely experience the deeper meaning that you did when she reaches that later age, but rejoice in her early decision!
I'm excited for K! I would jump on the opportunity. Then you can tell her what an exciting adventure she has entered and that as she grows older the decision that she made will mean more and more to her and that she will learn something new about God each day!! Exciting stuff! So good to visit with you the other night!
I talked with my K- about salvation. I admit that her conversations with me culminated to that conversation.
You want to do whatever it is that makes your heart comfortable. It sounds as if the next step would be the big conversation (she verbalizes that she "gets it"), so perhaps confirming that with a pastor or whatnot might be helpful.
I accepted Christ at the age of 6 and was soon after baptized. My daughter at the age of 5. She ask me at the age of 3. My son was 6 and rededicated his life at 14. K has childlike faith. SHE KNOWS. Ask her if she wants to ask Jesus into her heart. She may say she already has. You're wonderful parents. You're just reaping what you've sewn.
The best piece of advice I received about a young child accepting Christ is to have them write down, or dictate to you the parent, what happened in their life. Have her tell you why she made that decision and how she feels now that the decision has been made.
You can keep the letter for a time when she might doubt her salvation. And you will be able to show her in her own words that she did indeed accept Christ as her Savior and she knew exactly what it meant to become a Christian. Julie
I love your blog! I went through the same thing with my 6-year-old daughter almost 3 months ago. I was hesitant because of her age, but the Lord convicted me in 3 very disctinct ways. Thought I would share with you. Praise God for K's faith!
http://ksthompson.blogspot.com/2009/09/no-greater-joy.html
Oh, this blessed my heart!
My daughter asked "Jesus into her heart" right before she turned 5. I, too, wondered if she understood what she was doing and would it last. Oh, to have the faith of little children! She is now 25, married to a wonderful Christian man and did not waiver from her faith...even through the teenaged years. She did not get caught up in the insanity of college or the call of the world. She walked God's path, based on a decision she made at age 5. Thank you God, for your faithfulness to our children!
I am so like you in wondering if they 'pray the prayer' so young will it truly mean what it is supposed to mean to them. Would it stick? I grew up in a non-Christian home and my husband grew up in a Christian home. When I explained my fears to him, he smiled and proposed to me that Jesus knows each child's heart and that children may pray for salvation many times, meaning int sincerely each time, but with perhaps a new facet of understanding each time. It helped to assuage my trepidation, though not entirely. I still get nervous with the kids and their questions and so on, but my heart doesn't jitterbug in my chest anymore. I just pray that my children will continue to love the Lord as purely and innocently as they do now and that their lives will bear the fruit.
I have two children that both prayed to ask Jesus into their hearts when they were 4 (almost 5) years old. They understood the gospel, they wanted Jesus as their Savior, and I didn't want to hinder them from coming to Him. I also worried about whether they were too young, but I really don't think so. I have a little guy who is 4 1/2 right now and he is absolutely full of questions about the gospel. He asks questions daily and I can see that he is processing that. It's all very sweet. :)
What a sweet girl. I had a pastor once who said the way to tell if a child was ready to confess and be baptized was to ask them if they were a sinner. Alot of kids will say, no, I'm a good kid, I follow Jesus. But, if they said yes, I'm a sinner, then they are probably ready. My four year old "asks Jesus in her heart" but she doesn't understand being a sinner other than she does wrong things at times. Sounds like K may be on the path to realizing what being a sinner is and how important personally a savior is.
Personally, I think you should ask K if she is ready to pray the salavation prayer. It sounds like she already understands what it means so it might just be more of a formality for her. I would suggest having the conversation with her away from the boys, lest they follow suit "just because" rather than really being ready on their own.
I am so grateful that God is working in her heart. She is sure to be used mightily of Him!
We don't know how long any of us are here. Pray with her!
My two oldest asked Jesus into their hearts two years ago (at ages 5 and 6), and had a good understanding of what that meant for their ages. We have not baptized them yet, though, and my husband and I have been talking about when to take that step. Our pastor likes to wait until kids are a little older (9-12+), so they have a more mature understanding of what they're saying with that public declaration of faith. But my husband would like to do it sooner. :o)
How exciting! Child-like faith, that's what it's all about! I think we sometimes make it too complicated. It's really not, is it? Does she realize she's a sinner? Does she believe Jesus died on the cross for her sins? (from what you said, yes!) Does she want Him to be her Savior? (seems like it from what she said) That's it! From experience I can tell you there's nothing more precious than leading your child in that prayer. Blessings!
Our three accepted Christ at very young ages as well - they key is in knowing that they know they are sinners, which it really sounds like K knows. :) And to echo the sentiments of what someone else said, it sounds like K is probably already saved (Romans 10:9) -- so definitely sit her down (just the two of you) and take a walk down the good old Romans Road with her - the privilege of leading our own children to Jesus is an awesome thing. So excited for you!!! :)
I agree with the comment about the brevity of life. I would do it. But yes she might end up rededicating her life at an older age or renewing her commitment in some sort of way, but I wouldn't miss the chance if it came up. After seeing my 4 year old diagnosed with type 1 diabetes this year and being reminded how children can be taken from us so quickly I would jump at the opportunity if my son was showing the signs of readiness that she is. Your children have such tender hearts!
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