Help them pay Attention

Saturday 26 August
READ: Prov. 4:1-2
MORE LESSON: Prov. 23:22-26

The dictionary definition of the word ‘attention’ is listening or looking carefully; thinking about something or someone carefully. God wants mankind, including children, to pay attention to His words. For example, God had to help Moses to pay attention to His message to him in the wilderness through the fire that was burning but not consumed (Exo. 3 : 1 – 6).
The attention span of children actually varies with age. It usually increases with age, and as we teach and help them to pay attention. This must start very early. The mind of a child is believed to be like a fresh concrete blank board. But whosoever or whatsoever can get printed on it while fresh can become permanent and the focus of the child's entire life. A religious group said: “Give me a child for the first five years of his/her life and I will possess him/her for life”. Great impact can be made on children at this tender age. Parents successfully do this “early – start” educationally by registering children of about two years or less in schools. However, the same children are often considered too young to be exposed to the Word of God. It is erroneously assumed that they will not understand.
Note that it is whatever you expose them to today that will become their way of life tomorrow. You can get children's attention and they can understand God's words if you follow God's instruction in Deut. 6 : 6 – 9. This shows that it’s an “all-time-job” to pass God's commandments to children.
1. Teach them diligently and talk about the commands of God at all times: when seated at home, walking by the way, while lying down and when you rise up. Note that it is parents’ responsibility to do all these. Don't rely on children teachers or pastors - their roles are secondary.
2. Make the word visible; e.g. some on the hand and where it can be seen. What are the pictures in your living room, bedroom and all around you depicting? Do they point Jesus to children and make the place conducive for Christ to stay and be felt?
God wants you to “load” them prayerfully with the Word of God using all means, including directing and controlling their exposure to media (radio, tapes, TV, etc) and other gargets in your houses. This will help to prevent contrary information from being disseminated to them. Grown up children should be involved in Sunday School, Bible club, singing, Bible recitation/memorization competition, etc. Get them involved in family altar; encourage them to personally study the Bible and pray on their own. Make them to see the significance of the Word of God, obedience to it and a life in which Christ is the Lord.

Prayer/Action
.* Father, fill our children with the love of God and is Word, in Jesus’ name.
* Every power or force distracting our children from God and His Word be paralysed, in Jesus’ name.

TODAY’S PROPHETIC
Satan, you do not own my life, I rededicate my all to Him who died for me at Calvary now and ever, in the name of Jesus.