<h1>“…man does not live by bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”  Matthew 4:4</h1>
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<h4>Here is a statistic that might surprise you:</h4>
<blockquote>Fewer than 1/3 of teens (32%)  regularly (once a week or more) read their bible (National Study of Youth and Religion, June 2004)</blockquote>
That would explain why we have malnourished young people and few who see evidence of God’s profound action in their lives.

The sword of the Spirit-the Word of God-is our only offensive weapon of spiritual warfare that we can train our young people in.  We know it is more than sufficient and we better get to practicing it.

Here are a few ideas for training our young people to be more proficient in wielding their own swords and cultivating intimacy with God:
<h3>Be a good mentor.</h3>
Spend time studying the Word yourself.  During down time, discuss with your kids the things that the Lord is showing you in your personal quiet time.  Ask them for their thoughts and opinions.  Listen.
<h3>Post scripture around your home.</h3>
As a child, I memorized the 23^rd Psalm because it hung on the wall in our restroom.  Be creative.  They will memorize them with little to no effort- just because they are familiar.
<h3>Look for a devotional book that would be good for your child.</h3>
I have seen them for athletes, for girls, and for guys.  On specific topics such as depression, going deeper in my faith, etc.  You know your young person.  Developing the habit is the importance.  Drinking water is a perfect illustration of this.  If a person has been drinking soft for a long period of time and decides to drink water instead, it is difficult in the beginning.   But, the more water they drink, the more they crave.  It is also true with the Word.  Once a habit is established they will desire it.  It becomes life to them!
<h3>Spend time as a family reading the Bible.</h3>
Breakfast is a great time to be together for 10 -15 minutes as you start your day…feeding them with His Word.  Teaching them to us their sword.
<h3>Have them journal.</h3>
Putting into their own words will help them to make sense of what they read and what the Lord is speaking to them.

Our young people are valiant warriors, but they must personally be <a title=”The Battle our Children Face” href=”https://candygibbs.com/battle-our-children-face” target=”_blank”>armed for battle</a>.  They are capable.  Try it and see.

Walking the journey with you,

Candy

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