As parents and followers of Jesus, it鈥檚 exciting to think about the day when our kids will make the decision to trust Jesus with their lives and ask him to be their Forever Friend. But before that time comes, we have to determine when our kids are ready to think about making that decision.
If you鈥檙e looking for practical ways to know if your child is ready to trust Jesus, check out the list below:
1. Your child is excited about their faith and the activities surrounding it.
It鈥檚 easy to tell when your child isn鈥檛 interested in something (like eating their dinner, maybe?), but have you noticed that they鈥檙e showing special interest in going to church, listening to worship songs, reading the Bible, and praying at home? Showing excitement towards faith is a sign that your child may be ready to talk more seriously about what it means to have a faith that is their own.
2. Your child is inviting others to church.
When something is meaningful to us, we want to tell others about it! The same goes for your child - if you鈥檝e noticed them wanting to invite friends along to church, or just talking more about Jesus in front of others, they could be ready to take a next step and proclaim their own faith.
3. You child is asking tough questions about God (and church, faith, and the resurrection).
Questions probably aren鈥檛 anything new in your household, but when they start to revolve around Jesus, faith, and spiritual matters, it鈥檚 a good indication that your child is thinking more seriously about what it means to be Forever Friends with Jesus and all that comes with it.
We know that if you鈥檙e observing any of these in your child, you鈥檙e excited - but you may also be nervous about having such an important conversation around faith. The good news is that there鈥檚 no one in your child鈥檚 life better than you to have that conversation - and we want to be sure you feel equipped to have it.
Check out these helpful steps on trusting Jesus. On this page you'll find a guide that will help you lead your child to take the simple step to follow Jesus and understand how sin separates us from God. As well as a prayer to pray with your child as you lead them to trust Jesus.
If you as a parent or caregiver have your own questions about following Jesus, Starting Point may also be a great next step! Join a Starting Point group and connect with others as you explore faith together.