This is a guest blog post by best-selling author and speaker Laura L. Smith.

Learn more about her at the end of the post.

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My biggest prayer for my kids is that they fully grasp how much Jesus loves them. I long for them to experience Christ’s joy, grace, and peace. My kids and your kids will ultimately choose for themselves who and what they want to follow, but there are so many simple ways we, as their moms, can point them towards Jesus.

READING

Multiple studies have proven the benefits of reading to our kids (bonding, communication, improved listening skills, better ability to articulate feelings, etc.), so why not use books to teach our kids about God? There are piles of adorable picture books emphasizing God’s love and retelling Bible stories in ways our kiddos can grasp them. I love Amy Parker’s sweet stories for littles not to mention all of the Veggie Tales books. Pop one in a Valentine goodie bag for your kiddo or as a potty-training reward. Raid the library for stacks and stacks of fresh stories. Snuggle up and get reading. God just might use those simple, colorful books to remind you how much He loves you, too.

MUSIC

There is a plethora of free faith-filled music out there specifically geared for kids. With a quick search on YouTube or Spotify, you can find traditional tunes like “Jesus Loves Me,” tracks dedicated to teaching kids scripture like Seeds Family Worship, and more contemporary music from groups like Hillsong Kids. Find something you enjoy. If kid bee-bop isn’t your jam, there’s nothing wrong with playing a Christian radio station or Spotify list of Christian artists or worship bands that rock your soul. Jazz up meal prep with upbeat songs playing in the kitchen. Turn on the tunes in the car to make running errands more fun. Or have a dance party to get the wiggles out (this is also a great way to sneak in a little exercise). We get to choose the soundtrack for our kids’ lives. Why not pick one packed with spiritual truths?

PRAY FOR AND WITH YOUR KIDS

As mamas, it can be challenging to find time to sit down and pray. Heck, it can be challenging to find time to shower. But praying with our kids requires zero planning or peace and quiet. Dropping someone off at preschool? As you’re unbuckling car seats say out loud, “Dear God thank you for Beau. Please help him have a fun day at school. Let him know you’re with him always.” Lying someone down for a nap? “Dear Jesus, please help Emma have a sweet, snuggly rest, so she’ll be energized for the rest of her day.” Splashing in the tub? “God thank you for bubbles, and boats and that Laney gets to play with them.” Skinned knee? “Jesus, You are a healer. Please heal Brady’s knee quickly, so he doesn’t hurt anymore.” Ask your kids to join in the prayers—to pray for their sick sibling or friend’s bumped head, to give thanks for sweet, sticky cookie dough or a cuddly bear.

You get the picture. Praying out loud teaches our kids to be thankful—models to our littles that God is accessible at all times, that He sees us, provides for us and cares about the details of our lives. It also reinforces to our kids how much we love them—that we care enough to ask God to love, help, guide and heal them.

SET AN EXAMPLE

Our actions speak louder than words. When they’re young, we are our kids’ biggest source of information. If we tell them they can’t watch that movie because it’s inappropriate and then sit down to a nightly binge-watch of shows filled with bad language and premarital sex how will they define inappropriate? If we tell our kids they should embrace who God made them to be, because they are created in God’s image, but complain about our body and hair on repeat, why would they believe us? If we tell our children to trust Jesus but freak out about every little thing, what message are we sending? Do we give God glory in times of triumph? Ask Him for help when life is messy or scary? We need to consider what we say, listen to, watch, and how we live. Our kids are watching. And if we truly want them to love Jesus, let’s show them how it’s done.

Our kids will get to choose if they follow Christ. But we have years and years to model and guide them towards His love and grace. The best news? Jesus, Himself, is after each and every one of our kids’ hearts. We don’t’ have to do this on our own. When we trust Jesus and show our kiddos who He is, God will do more for our kids than we could ever hope or imagine.

Best-selling author and speaker Laura L. Smith loves Jesus, is blissfully married to the man of her dreams, is a joyful mom of four and has a thing for travel, coffee, music, books and chocolate. She lives in the picturesque college town of Oxford, Ohio and speaks around the country sharing the love of Christ with women at conferences and events. Her newest title, How Sweet the Sound, releases in August. Connect with her on Instagram @laurasmithauthor and at www.laurasmithauthor.com