The greatest gift any parent can give to their children is a godly heritage—an example that includes a vital faith in Christ, and a life that is lived for Him every day.

And an important part of that heritage is teaching our children about God and His love for them. It’s true we can’t force them to believe in Jesus; in time, they must make their own personal decision to follow Him. But we can provide the spiritual “seed” and “soil” for God’s Word to take root and grow, and this is an important part of our God-given role as parents. The Bible says, “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it” (Proverbs 22:6).

The most important thing you can do is to be an example to your children. Do they see Christ in you? Do they see His love and patience and purity? If our lives don’t match up with what we say, our children will wonder if the Gospel is really true. In addition, pray for your children, not only that God will protect them from harm but also that He will give them a desire to follow Jesus. Pray simple prayers with them also.

Then find a church that puts Christ first and has a good program for children. Get a children’s Bible storybook also and read it to your children each day (your local Christian bookstore can help you select one for children their age). May God bless you.