Reality is there are times that our children don’t want to have their Devotions.

We must remember that Children are just like any other person you know – they will have spiritual highs and spiritual lows. How do you respond to your friend when they are going through a spiritual low? Think about this and see what you can learn so you can respond to your child in the same situation with the same level of grace. It is easy to have high expectations on our children and yet they must go through their own journeys.

There will be times when our children don’t want to have personal Quiet Times, there will be times when we feel that they have turned their backs on God. What will our response be? My encouragement to you is to keep your eyes on God yourself, love your child as God loves them – remember Jesus died for us while we were yet sinners.

At such times in our household, while keeping my heart full of love and grace towards my child I have

• Talked to them about what I see happening – I go with their response – sometimes it was been a “well, that’s just where I am at” and other times it has been “oh, yes, I want to change that” kind of response.
• I strengthen my commitment to devotional living (talking about God day in and day out), and to our family devotions. While the child is still in our home they will be hearing the Word of God.
• I pray for them. If their hearts are soft (not angry) I pray for their hearts while praying with them otherwise this becomes my personal prayer for my child.

We need to be careful not to mark our child’s relationship with God based on the quality of their Quiet Times.  When we do this we are stepping very close to the idea that good Quiet Times makes you a good Christian – that we have to do things to be a Christian.  Quiet Times, Devotions, are a tool that Christians use to deepen their relationship with God.  It has to be a heart response to God, and not a performance for the parents peace of mind.