After years of downloaded devotionals, Bible apps and exhaustive research, Danielle Finch discovered that discipling her children didn’t require elaborate planning — just two ancient, beautifully simple practices rooted in Deuteronomy.
Our children are ten and eight now, so no longer little ones. But until the last year or so, I found myself getting increasingly stressed about how to make sure that we were discipling them well.
As a former Special Educational Needs (SEN) teacher, my training had ingrained in me the importance of leaving behind traditional methods of teaching, like recitation and narration, because they’re outdated and ineffective. Instead, the focus should be on differentiated activities designed to cater to all abilities and learning styles.
In practice, this sounds wonderful. Don’t misunderstand me, there are benefits to this style of learning. But as a teacher, I completely exhausted myself meticulously planning activities to fill my lessons because ”that is what teachers do”. For several years, I attempted to carry this mindset into my own parenting.
But what if discipling our children was never meant to be so difficult?
Searching for solutions
We prayed with them both regularly and they became top-tier experts at The Bible App for Kids, enjoying making the characters jiggle and collecting their stars and badges. It was a great starting point.
But it didn’t feel like enough. I longed for them to go deeper in their knowledge of God and really start building a relationship with Him for themselves.
I went into research mode (as I often do), looking for the perfect solution; spending hours upon hours readings books, blogs and watching YouTube channels. We watched a lot of Superbook (which I still enjoy and highly recommend). I would download a devotional, only for it to either fizzle out or we would manage to complete, but I would feel completely lost again once it had ended.
All of these things were fantastic tools for parents, but they didn’t really get to the heart of our problem.
How can we prioritise discipleship?
Our lives look quite different now for a variety of reasons.
One of the major changes has been the decision to home educate our children. We had always thought about doing it in a “maybe one day” sort of way. But the decision to take this path became increasingly necessary as our son was struggling massively in a school setting. I am not implying this is possible, necessary or right for every family. But it was we felt God asking us to do.
What about in our darkest moments, when we don’t have the desire or ability to reach for our digital companion?
As this change led to my husband (also a teacher) and I reflecting on what learning would look like for our family, it gave us an opportunity to consider how we prioritise discipleship.
I would love to spend a few moments sharing with you two simple things we have implemented that have truly changed the spiritual atmosphere in our home. They are far from revolutionary – in fact, you could actually argue that God told us all about this way back in Deuteronomy!
They are so easy to implement around family life, whatever that looks like for you. Remember, perfection isn’t the goal here, consistency is.
1. Scripture memorisation
Today, with so much information at our fingertips, memorising information has become a bit of a lost art. We don’t even need to remember people’s phone numbers anymore. If we want to know what the Bible says about a particular topic, we Google it.
But what about in our darkest moments, when we don’t have the desire or ability to reach for our digital companion? Our children, too, will experience distress and heartbreak that we won’t be able to shield them from, no matter how hard we try. As parents and carers, we have the ability to spiritually prepare our children for these times by helping them memorise scripture.
What does this look like in practice?
No tests, no shame. We simply decide on the verses we want them to know for this year. Each day, we read one aloud together in the morning. This simple act of repetition becomes written on their hearts and minds. When they can say a scripture confidently without reading it, we add in another. We also have friends with much younger children who are using this approach with great success.
Our two have most recently memorised the entirety of Psalm 23. Hearing them speak it out loud brings a tear to my eye. Whatever they may face in the future, they will be reminded that, even when they walk through the valley of the shadow of death, the Lord is close beside them.
2. Reading the physical Bible (shocking, I know!)
In a world so full of technological distraction, there is something truly wholesome about opening the Bible as a family. By pushing technology aside for a time, we say something powerful about where our own priorities lie.
I initially felt it would be too complicated or too inappropriate in parts. But really, who am I to stop them from hearing God’s Word?
By pushing technology aside for a time, we say something powerful about where our own priorities lie.
We have bought them Bibles in a version that is easier for children to read (NIRV), but it is still the entire Bible. We simply sit down with them for 10 or 15 minutes and read a section together. We talk about it and we pray. If you have younger children, dramatic reading is incredibly effective and has been used throughout generations to pass down stories. We have found that meal times are fantastic for reading aloud as fidgety hands are already busy.
Why complicate it?
And there you have it. Nothing fancy or ground-breaking. Simply God’s Word being read and discussed. If you miss a day (or seven), try again. By all means, use other tools. There are some wonderful resources out there to support your parenting. But let us not overcomplicate something that God wants to us to weave naturally into daily life,
“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” (Deuteronomy 6:6-7)
