A Prayer for Our Children to Understand the Joy of Easter
By Amanda Idleman
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” – Romans 15:13
Easter is such a special time for our children. Spring is exploding all around us as we prepare our hearts and homes to rejoice in the truth of the resurrection! It’s almost impossible to miss the excitement that comes as the trees start to bud, the sun begins to warm us again, and the animals run wild with anticipation of new life. It’s so beautiful that nature mirrors the message of Easter, which is a story of new life breaking through and destroying death’s grip on humanity!
As we go participate in our many family traditions, celebrations, and gatherings, let’s not forget to point our kids to the true source of our joy. We have to show them that the excitement of the physical new season we see unfolding parallels the spiritual reality that we were once dead in our sin but with Christ have eternal hope through salvation.
Of course, we need to use the language that matches their age. Tell them that just as the flowers are bursting open after a cold, dead winter we also can have faith that we will experience the same transformation when we meet Jesus. Share with them that the impossible really did happen! A man who was killed beat the grave to show us that he was more than a man; he was God in the flesh. It’s his story that changes ours. We can shake off the anxiety of our own winters because, as a new creation in Christ, we know the best is yet to come.
What I find so impressive about kids is that the truth feels so obvious to them when we point them to it. While my kids ask wonderful questions, they also see the reality of God as truth at this age without the pressures of culture. They have the faith of a mustard seed, readily trusting that God’s death is enough to assure them of life everlasting. We need to learn from our kids and not shy away from sharing the truth of the Bible with them. Their hearts are more hungry and ready to see God’s reality than we realize.
Joy for them comes easy. My kids find joy in running circles around the kitchen! Throwing balls in the air! Painting messy, indistinguishable paintings! Chasing each other in the backyard with Nerf guns! The possibilities for joy are endless. It’s not hard for them to see Jesus beating death so they can have hope as a joyful event, we just have to be intentional to share this truth with them in a way that exudes joy. How can they be happy about Jesus if Jesus feels complicated? Boring? Or distant?
Our joy, our life patterns, and our expression of faith inform theirs. This is a heavy reality for us parents but it also is a great opportunity. Ask God to renew the joy of your salvation so you can eagerly pass it on to your children. If they see your God as a real, joyful, and loving God, they will be ready to cling to him without hesitation.
As my daughter goes to bed each night, she fervently prays for every friend, need, worry, and loved one that comes to her mind. This prayer ritual is not prompted or demanded… it comes from a genuine place of eager faith that lives in her heart. Jesus, for her, is the answer to all of life’s complicated and scary scenarios. I want to be more like her, ready to bring my cares to the feet of Jesus every day. I hope that this Easter, I can show her that God’s gift to her is worth celebrating joyfully!
Let’s pray:
God, restore to me the joy of my salvation so I can be one that eagerly passes my faith onto my children. Let each of us in my home view this season with wonder. Open our eyes to how nature mirrors the story of resurrection. I thank you that you bring life to dead things! Give me the right words to point my kids to who you are and what you’ve done for them. Enable me to live out a genuine life of faith so my kids do more than hear what salvation is but also see it worked out in my own life with fear and trembling. Help me to be wise in how my home celebrates Easter, making sure that I do more than hand out candy and eat deviled eggs but also I share Jesus with my kids. I invite your Holy Spirit to reside in my home, filling us with joy that comes from the eternal hope we have in Jesus. Amen.
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/Kristina Kuptsevich
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