On reading & praying God's word with your kids {a guest post & giveaway}

I was excited when Kimberly Amici approached me with her Read It! Pray It! Scripture Cards. Not only is she sharing them with my family, but she's got a set for one of you. But, first, for the rest of her story about how and why these cards came to be and how you can incorporate them into your family's life. 

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 

{John 8:31-32 (ESV)}

When my kids were really young I discovered they had the ability to memorize Bible verses.

I was a young mother with three kids under the age of five and desperately needed some breathing room and what better place to send them then to Vacation Bible School. At the end of the week, they came home with a set of dog tags. Each tag featured a different Scripture. Apparently my little ones had been taught these verses, complete with body movements. “Wow, this is awesome!” I thought. Over the next few weeks I taught my kids a few more Scriptures and that’s when our journey began.

There are so many reasons why scripture memory is fundamental to our children’s spiritual formation. Here are a few I have discovered:

It grows their personal relationship with God. As your children read and memorize the Word of God, they will begin to discover the character of God. Through the promises and stories in the Bible and they’ll discover that he is might and strong, yet loving and compassionate. Just like with a friend, the more you spend time learning what He likes and dislikes, what he thinks of you and how much He loves you, you’ll get to know him better.

It helps them to make good choices. All the choices I make, the way I treat others, and how I spend my time is motivated by what’s in my heart. What is in my heart is a by-product of what I read, listen to, and think about. Scripture memory will causes out little ones to meditate on what God says and equip them to make choices that please Him like sharing with others and getting along with siblings.

It fills their minds with good. As children grow they will be tempted to believe the lies of our culture that say that their worth comes from what they do or that they need to look or act a certain way to be loved. The more they hear, read, and meditate on truth, those lies will loose their power and eventually will be crowed out by God’s Word.

Strengthens their prayer life. When you know the Word of God you can incorporate it into every aspect of your life including your prayer life. Whatever your children are faced with, they can choose a scripture that speaks to that issue, insert their name or the specific details of their situation into that verse and pray it. It fine tunes their prayer and takes the guesswork out of what to say to God.

Creates a foundation of faith. Time and time again God has shown up on behalf of his people. When we read his promises and talk about how he has proven faithful over time it builds our faith and the faith of our children.

To help my children memorize and pray the Word of God I created a set of 3×5 cards. On the front of the card it says “Read It.” That’s where the memory verse is printed. On the back of the card it say “Pray It.” There you’ll find the verse turned into a prayer. The topics cover such things like God’s protection (to prevent fear), courage (to make new friends at school), and thankfulness (to help them appreciate what they have).

The cards I mentioned above are free to download, however, if you prefer the convenience of receiving these cards professionally printed, trimmed, and delivered to your mailbox, you can purchase them in my Etsy shop. Choose from a variety of topics or purchase the Starter Set that includes all 48 cards shared on my site.

In my shop you will also find new scripture cards available in 3-month, 6-month, and 1-year subscriptions available in the form of a digital download or printed product. First set ships in August.

It’s been so amazing to see the spiritual growth of my children over the years and it is all because the Word of God has been planted in their heart.
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Kimberly Amici is a writer, designer, and community builder whose desire is for hearts to be healed, minds to be renewed, and women to be connected in fellowship just as God intended. She is known for her creativity, strong faith, and commitment to living life with purpose and passion. She is the co-founder and managing editor at Circles of Faith and a writer at Faith Gateway. She also blogs at Living in the Sweet Spot. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. Kimberly lives with her husband Carl and their three children in the NYC suburbs.
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Kimberly sent my family a set of these scripture cards. I know we're going to love reading them and praying them. AND she has a set to giveaway to one of you! Whoo-hoo! Just use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter to win. One winner will be randomly selected Thursday, June 25 to receive a set of these 48 scripture cards in the mail and a one-year subscription to the digital downloads.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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