Published 5/22/19
101 Ways to Strengthen the Parent‐Child Connection
Devotions, Tips, and Activities
By Michael and Tiffany Ross
The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.
Family Quest
Save this activity for evening. When it’s dark outside, flick off the lights and turn on a flashlight. Have each family member grab someone’s hand, and then go for a journey around the house. Carefully navigate your way around furniture, down hallways, up and down stairs—occasionally clicking your flashlight on and off. Eventually arrive at your destination: your bedroom. Climb into bed (assuming it’s big enough). Reach into a “treasure bag” (or box) that you placed there earlier, and pull out some snacks, maybe even some drinks. With the lights still out—and the flashlight on—let today’s lesson illuminate your minds.
Talk It Out
· Begin by reading Isaiah 58:11, followed by this verse: “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path” (Psalm 119:105).
· How did this flashlight help us get to our destination? What happened when I turned off the light?
· In the same way, God’s Word—the Bible—is like a torch or a lamp on a dark night. Can you think of ways that it lights our path in life? (Solicit answers like, “It prevents us from stumbling into bad choices,” and “Through it God guides us onto the right paths.”)
· How do God and His Word guide us to heaven?
Parent-Child Connection
Explain that even though God has promised to guide us, He will never force us to do the right thing. Read Psalm 46:10—“Be still, and know that I am God”—and point out that the Lord wants us to trust Him and obey His instructions. And if we do, He will illuminate our path and lead us in the right direction. But emphasize that God has given us free will. He will not make choices for us. Faith involves obedience—taking that step in the right direction and freely choosing to follow Jesus day by day, choice by choice.
Talk to God
As you pray, encourage your child to (1) thank Jesus for His amazing love for us and (2) ask the Lord for His guidance every day.
© 2015 by Back to the Bible