Daughter Asking about God....

[TripleB]

In Sunday School this past week our teacher asked us to think about our greatest fear in life. It was the first time I had really given it much thought but mine was that my children would die without knowing Christ.

My 12 year old daughter wanted to talk to my wife last night alone so they went off for about 10 minutes. Come to find out my daughter was asking her about being saved, what being Baptised meant, how do you get to Heaven, once you are saved can you lose it, etc. Amazing how quickly God works...I know it's just questions but I believe it's the first steps to a wonderful process.

I had a chance to talk to her this morning and explained as much as I could and explained it as simply as I could. I told her that our paster would be able to explain everything a lot better if she wanted to talk to him. She really wasn't too hip on that idea.

Is there a book out there that you can recommend that would either tell me the best way to communicate (or what I should tell her) what she needs to know or maybe a book for her telling her about what being saved and committing your life to the Lord means?

Thanks for any and all help.

Praise God for answering a father's prayers.

TripleB

[Tonton]

You are so blessed to have e child enquiring about God. Keep that flame burning. Lead her by example.

Ask God for guidance and scripture. He will provide.

Be careful with other books than the Bible - they often paraphrase scripture, leading to confusion.

Pray with her - let her experience prayer in truth & spirit - the rest will follow.

I understand her reservation about seeing the pastor. You are her pastor - you help her. The pastor may help you in scriptural references. Your daughter will be willing to be "exposed when she is ready. Give her time.

Love in Jesus,
Anton

[karenoka27]

I agree,you and your wife have all she needs to know in leading her to Christ.
The best book I would recommend is the Bible. Show her in it where she is a sinner in need of a Savior. Show her what Christ did for her.
Praying for her today!

[daughter]

You're her Daddy. It's natural that she would be more comfortable coming to you for spiritual advice than go to the pastor. She might like him, even trust him... but he's not the spiritual head of her family. You are. It's good that God has put it in her heart to ask you... the man in her life who will model all future men for her. For good and ill, you will always be her standard of manhood... and God will bless that, the fact that you are a father who prays for his children, who his daughter can approach for guidance, is nothing but good.

You remember what Jesus said to His followers, don't worry about what to say when you're put on trial, etc, the Holy Spirit will give you what to speak? Well, pray to God, who has already started answering your prayers, that He will through His Holy Spirit give you the words you need for your daughter, and that she will find many things that will lead her to faith.

My son started asking questions when he was about ten, then bang, without me having had much chance to say anything to him, he was saved. Thank God that He is awakening your daughter's heart, and trust Him.

And don't worry about what to say. If you don't know... say so! Tell her that you need to pray and ask God about it, then when you do know, tell her.

You could encourage her to write her questions down, and maybe someone on here could answer them for her too... I'd be more than glad to.

Most important thing... I'd pick a gospel and read it with her, a story at a time. Because she's a girl, and because it's so sympathetic to women, I'd get a copy of the gospel of Luke. Read it and talk to each other about it... and pray.

But most of all, rejoice. Because God is faithful, and is answering your prayers.

[daughter]

TripleB... I just got a story for you to read with your daughter from God.

(Don't worry, I don't do this very often.)

Read with her the story of Jairus' daughter, the girl who died, and who Jesus raised from the dead. She was about twelve years old, she was the only child of her parents, much loved... her father was desperate for her to be saved, and went to Jesus... and Jesus went into their family, and performed this wonderful miracle.

The word for "healed" can also mean saved. You can explain how we're all dead in our sins, but Jesus raises us from the dead. In those days, to touch someone dead, you would become unclean. Only Jesus can touch something and make it clean, instead of being contaminated Himself. Only Jesus can touch the dead and raise them.

I'd go for Luke's account... it's in chapter eight.

Praying.

[ShortStuff]

Triple B,

Praise God! There is nothing as frightening or exciting as having one of your children coming to know Jesus! I agree with everyone here that the Bible is THE best book for helping your daughter answer her questions. Also, just like others have said... If you do not know the answer, then just tell her that... I teach children, and this is exactly what I tell them if I do not have an answer..I then tell them I will look it up and give them an answer..

At 12, she is probably able to understand things more than you think...I use the ABC's of salvation... Admit that you are a sinner....Believe that Jesus died for your sins....Confess with your mouth.. the Roman road fits in here...

There are many stories that are wonderful...Saul's conversion is a good story to teach that people think they are doing right....but then can be changed by Jesus to become a new creature... I love this story..you just cannot go wrong with scripture, whatever story..it is when you use man's words that you must be careful..

There are also so many object lessons that I love to use...one really good object lesson for temptation or sin is to take a bunch of things...like peanut butter, tempera paint, honey, the list goes on...you put your hand in each one... compunding on how dirty it is...just like our sins make us...then wash it all away in a dish marked "Jesus blood"...some people think this stuff is silly...but whatever I have to put my hand in to help a child understand..then so be it...

[livingwaters]

God bless and give you the wisdom needed for your daughter to receive full understanding of our free gift of salvation!

[-SEEKING-]

As a father of 3 I can tell you there's no greater pastor for your children, than you and your wife. No one else should be able to influence them the way you both do. At least not at this age. Mine are all under 12 but the 2 oldest have already made their confessions of faith in Jesus, and have both gotten baptized. It's one of the proudest days of my life. And my wife and I were the ones who explained to them what sin was and why they needed Jesus. Trust your daddy intuitions.

[Watchmen]

In Sunday School this past week our teacher asked us to think about our greatest fear in life. It was the first time I had really given it much thought but mine was that my children would die without knowing Christ.

My 12 year old daughter wanted to talk to my wife last night alone so they went off for about 10 minutes. Come to find out my daughter was asking her about being saved, what being Baptised meant, how do you get to Heaven, once you are saved can you lose it, etc. Amazing how quickly God works...I know it's just questions but I believe it's the first steps to a wonderful process.

I had a chance to talk to her this morning and explained as much as I could and explained it as simply as I could. I told her that our paster would be able to explain everything a lot better if she wanted to talk to him. She really wasn't too hip on that idea.

Is there a book out there that you can recommend that would either tell me the best way to communicate (or what I should tell her) what she needs to know or maybe a book for her telling her about what being saved and committing your life to the Lord means?

Thanks for any and all help.

Praise God for answering a father's prayers.

TripleB

The Bible?...