Key Scripture: Deuteronomy 6:6-7, ESV
“And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”
Summer is a wonderful season for children. There is more sunshine, free time, snacks, sleeping late, and, if we are real, more opportunities for them to say, “I’m bored!” However, while school may take a break,
spiritual growth should never take a vacation. Parents, grandparents, guardians, and church families have a beautiful opportunity during the summer months to help children grow closer to God in creative, meaningful, and joyful ways.
Deuteronomy 6 reminds us that teaching children about God should not be limited to Sunday mornings. Faith should be part of everyday life: at home, in the car, at the table, on vacation, and even during those long
summer afternoons when nobody knows what to do next. Consider these suggested “spiritual do’s” to put in place for your children for the summer vacation.
First, make prayer a natural part of the day. Teach children that prayer is not just for church or emergencies. Pray before meals, before trips, before bedtime, and when someone is hurting. Let them hear you talk to God with sincerity. Philippians 4:6, ESV affirms, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Children need to know they can
take their worries, dreams, and questions to God.
Second, build Scripture into summer routines. Choose one verse each week for the family to learn together. Put it on the refrigerator, text it to older children, or say it during breakfast. Make it fun, not forced. Psalm 119:11, ESV, declares, “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” A child who stores God’s Word early carries spiritual strength later.
Third, teach children to serve. Summer is a perfect time to visit the elderly, help a neighbor, collect food for families in need, or write cards to the sick. Children learn compassion by practicing it. They need to see that
Christianity is not just what we say; it is how we love.
Fourth, connect faith with creativity. Encourage children to draw Bible stories, sing gospel songs, act out Scripture, keep a gratitude journal, or create a “God is Good” summer scrapbook.
Parents, do not underestimate what God can do with small moments. A prayer in the car, a Bible verse at breakfast, or a conversation before bed may plant seeds that last a lifetime. Summer will end, school will begin
again, and schedules will get busy. Consequently, the faith you pour into your children now can follow them into every season of life. Will this summer only entertain your children, or will it help shape their souls? Always abound in the faith, and never leave home without Him!
