How can we teach our children to recognize and thank God for blessings? God’s Pattern for Gratitude: Deuteronomy 8 v 10 “When you eat and are satisfied, you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land He has given you.” • God built thanksgiving into the normal rhythm of meals. • Satisfaction is never meant to stop with the gift; it is designed to rise to the Giver. • Teaching children begins by showing them that full stomachs and full hearts belong together. Modeling a Thankful Heart • Let them hear you bless God aloud for specific things—fresh bread, steady income, a safe bed. • Connect every provision to the One behind it. “Look how God supplied work this week.” • Keep gratitude visible in hardship. When repairs are costly, say, “God has still given us more than we deserve.” (cf. Job 1 v 21) • Use Psalm 103 v 2—“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and do not forget all His kind deeds”—as a family refrain. Daily Practices That Shape Young Hearts Mealtime Routine • Before eating, invite each child to name one way God provided that day. • Close with a short blessing: “Thank You, Lord, for this good land and these good gifts.” Blessing Journal • Keep a family notebook. Young ones draw pictures; older kids write lines. • Review entries weekly, watching the list grow—James 1 v 17 comes alive: “Every good and perfect gift is from above.” Creation Walks • Point out sunsets, birdsong, spring buds. Say, “See how God paints the sky for us.” • Quote Psalm 19 v 1 so they link beauty with the Creator. Serving Together • Deliver groceries to a neighbor or volunteer at a shelter. Explain that sharing is a way of saying “thank You” to God who shared with us first. (2 Corinthians 9 v 11) Celebrations That Point to the Giver • Birthdays: Light the candles, then read Psalm 139 v 14, praising God for knitting each child together. • Harvest or Thanksgiving: Re-tell Deuteronomy 8, reminding everyone that abundance can breed forgetfulness if we don’t stop to bless the Lord. • Personal milestones—lost tooth, driver’s license, first job: pause for a family cheer and a spoken thanks. Keeping the Memory Alive • Retell stories of God’s past faithfulness—family healings, timely provisions. Children gain a history with God. • Memorize 1 Thessalonians 5 v 18: “Give thanks in every circumstance, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” • Place Scripture around the home—sticky notes on mirrors, framed verses in bedrooms—so gratitude is the atmosphere, not an occasional event. By weaving these habits into everyday life, we help our children trace every good thing back to the hand of their faithful Father and instinctively respond with praise. |
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