Listening is also a way of showing that you care about your parents and their feelings. It’s a way of showing that you honor your parents. It’s hard enough being parents to you and your siblings, juggling work, church, the home and so many other parts of their lives.
One good way to appreciate your parents is by truly listening to them when they are speaking to you. Don’t be too quick to talk back, interrupt, grumble, or be rude to them. When you keep quiet and listen to them, you get to hear what they are saying, and what they want you to do.
Give them room to breathe by just hearing them out. They think they are old-fashioned or country bumpkins. They were once teenagers like you and understand you more than you know or can imagine.
After they finish speaking, then you can speak and tell them what you feel. Every parent loves to hear their children air their views.
Apologize if you have to and mean it. This way, you get to listen and they get to listen to you too. Both parties have a win-win situation.
“My child, guard my sayings; store my commandments with you.”
Prayer: God, please teach me to listen so I can understand what my parents are communicating to me.
Action plan: The next time your parents are talking to you about something you did wrong, listen and don’t argue. Apologize when you should and need to.
Declaration: My children are good listeners. They don’t speak back to me. They are very cooperative.
Having your Bible is great. I remember my first bible. It was a teenager’s bible with many illustrations, quizzes, puzzles, a place to write my name, favorite verses and bible characters, and a lot more.
Having my own personal bible really fascinated me. I wasn’t going to share reading it with another person and I could read and make notes in the places provided. It was mine.
‘Your word is a lamp to guide me and a light for my path.’ (GNB)
Psa. 119:105
What I enjoyed most about that experience was that God’s words became my own. The feeling that I could pick it up to read and study was the high point of the whole experience. Reading those words felt as if God was Himself talking to me directly.
‘The Almighty God, the Lord, speaks; he calls to the whole earth from east to west.’ (GNB)
Psa. 50:1
As you claim ownership of your things, you should do the same for a bible. Owning a personal bible is a start towards developing a personal relationship with God, knowing His words, and accepting Christ at an early age.
You’ll also know why you need to attend church and the benefits of having friends that are believers like you.
As a child, knowing God’s words helps you to handle the many situations, people, and stages of your childhood. You won’t have to struggle because you can pray and receive answers. Bible verses will be at your fingertips to speak and confess concerning any situation.
‘Then you will know how to behave properly, and your words will show that you have knowledge.’ (GNB)
Prov. 5:2
Do you own a personal bible? Is it according to your age? Ask your parents or guardian(s) for one today. God bless you as you do.
Prayer: Lord, I want to know your words. Help me to cherish, read, and study my bible. Speak to me. Teach me Your words, in Jesus name, Amen.
Action Point: Ask your parents to buy you a bible
Declaration: My children follow what the word says. They are students of the word. They read and understand the bible.
What are you teaching your children? To pray and trust? Or to worry and murmur? Daddy and mommy always sighed when there was no food in the house. Jade, their first daughter wasn’t happy either whenever together with her two brothers, they were sent back home because of school fees.
Ever since daddy lost his job, events like these have been frequent. She wished she could help out, but what can a nine-year-old do?
At church, her teacher mentioned that God hears our prayers. She entered her room, shut the door behind her, went on her knees, and began to pray, “Our heavenly father, I know you hear prayers. Daddy and mommy need your help. Please, provide for them.”
“Pray at all times.” (GNB)
I Thess. 5:17
Children, God hears your prayers much the same way He hears your parents. Your father in heaven wants you to pray always for your parents. Your prayers will release God’s blessings on them.
He wants you to pray to Him not only when things are bad, but always. He is a caring and loving God who hears everyone’s prayers and is ready to answer them.
He is waiting to hear your prayer.
“God made our ears – can’t he hear? He made our eyes – can’t he see? “
Psa. 94:9
Prayer: Lord, help me to pray for my parents. Provide for them as they go about providing for me. Be their helper, in Jesus name. Amen.
Action point: Pray to God about that pressing issue.
Declaration: My children are prayerful. They understand the power in their words. God answers them speedily.
Children can study the Bible. We can find the stories of children in the bible. They had their own special place in bible times. God used them in ways that moved His plans and purpose forward.
They were children like you, who also faced some challenges like you could be facing right now.
Studying about them helps you know how these children handled themselves and overcame the struggles they faced.
Look at the story of Samuel, Joseph, little Jesus, and others. How were children treated back then? Who were their parents? What did God say about them? This is how children can study the Bible.
Prayer: Thank you for showing me how You can use me as a child for Your plans and purpose. I bless Your Holy name. Amen
You must learn to choose your friends wisely, for they can make you or mar you. Let’s look at the story of Dele, Kemi and the purse.
“She won’t know!” Dele said, urging Kemi to take some money out of Kemi’s mother’s purse. “I don’t think she counted it.”
They were at Kemi’s house watching a movie. Kemi’s mother had just come back from the market and left her bag on the chair beside them.
“I don’t want to take her money,” Kemi said. “I can always ask her for money and she will give me.”
A friend is not supposed to encourage you to commit a sin. Stealing is a sin because you are taking what does not belong to you, even if the person is a family member, close friend, or classmate. As long as what you have taken isn’t yours and you don’t have permission to do so, it is still a sin.
Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.
1 Cor 15:33 [KJV]
Be careful of friends like Dele. Friends who urge you to steal. Don’t make friends with such people. Choose your friends wisely because your choice of friends deeply influences your choices, actions, behavior, and attitude.
Good friends help to strengthen your relationship with God and your parents. They offer help, support, encourage you to be a good person, and not the other way round. They tell you the truth when you are wrong.
Bad friends will influence in negative ways that will disturb your walk with God and keep you at loggerheads with your parents constantly. Their influence can seep deep into your whole life, causing you so much pain later in life.
Prayer: Lord, give me good friends that will help me know you more. Amen.
Action plans: Take a good look at your friends. Have there been times when they have asked you to do something wrong?
Declaration: My children are surrounded by good friends. They are not negatively influenced in Jesus name, amen.
