How to Dwell with God in the Bible
One of the things we learn from Jesus is that knowing God’s Word requires more than memory or recitation of content. The leaders of faith in Jesus’ day knew the Word of God and its promise of the coming Messiah well but didn’t recognize their Savior when he was standing in front of them.
When it comes to exploring God’s Word with children, we shouldn’t think of the Bible as a text book but as a dwelling place with God, like the way we intimately dwell with God in prayer. We can read the words, but we also need to pray the words and help children move toward an intimacy with the Spirit so they can live out the word.
Here are two approaches to help children enter a deepening relationship with God in the word, so that they can live out the word as Christ’s disciples.
Active Response
- Focus: Begin with a moment of reflection/prayer.
- Reflection: Provide space for children to kinesthetically interact with the word.
- Set a table with all types of creative materials such as markers, paint, playdough, scissors, tape, pipe cleaners, craft sticks, etc.
- Children can also interact with the story using musical instruments. Remind children they are using their instrument to respond to what they are hearing in the story.
- As children listen they can begin to form a drama to share, depicting either the story or their response to the story.
Read through the text several times while children interact with it through their creations.
- Sharing: Encourage children to share their creations and reflections on their time with God.
- Responding: What would you like to say to God? Do you have any questions for God?
GROW Reflection
G—God’s Word
What is the story? (Give children an opportunity to express their understanding of the story.)
R—Relationships
Is there anything in today’s Bible story that shows us how we should or shouldn’t share God’s love with others? (Remind children that sometimes God uses the stories of the Bible to show us how we shouldn’t act toward God or others and give them a chance to consider how we might show God’s love instead. These could be acted out.)
O—Outreach
Is there anything in the Bible story that shows us how we should help, serve or share Jesus love and story with others? (Explore concrete ways the children could live this out in the coming week.)
W—Worship
Is there anything in the Bible story that shows us how we should accept God’s love for us and others? Ask: How do you feel about God? How would you like to respond to God? What would you like to say to God? (In essence, these are conversational prayers with God.)
Within these two approaches, there are two important elements to helping children dwell and grow in their relationship with God. First, tactical kinesthetic elements help children focus and result in greater retention of the experience with God. Second, giving children an opportunity to ask questions and respond personally to God within God’s word not only provides greater intimacy with God, but helps us to see where the child is at in their relationship with God as well as their understanding of God within the Word.
