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a special train them up: leading your child to Jesus
from our readers:

How I Led My Child to Christ
Inspirational stories from CPT readers.

Quoteworthy "When are you all going to let me get saved?" —Jim Hunter, 5, Evansville, Ind., from the back seat of the car. Back home, the family gathered around the Scriptures, and Jim bowed his head and asked Jesus into his heart.

from babyhood, we've told our kids, "Mommy loves you, Daddy loves you, but Jesus loves you most of all." After telling our 3 1/2-year -old daughter the litany for the thousandth time, she said, "I know, I know. Jesus loves me the most. He lives in my heart. Mommy, does He live in your heart, too?" Gina Lawton, Oxford, Mich.

When I was 32 I felt a yearning to renew my promise to God to be all that he wanted me to be, as a wife, mother, and daughter—in thought, in word, and in every action. He changed my heart.

Soon after, my daughter watched me openly praising God one Sunday morning at church. At first I noticed a defiant 9-year-old standing next to me, partly amused and partly embarrassed by her mother's tears. But later, as I glanced over, she was standing reverently, listening to the music, eyes shut, a tear or two hanging on her eyelashes. I realized she had asked Jesus to come into her heart when on the way home she said, "I feel so pure and clean, Mom, as if all my sins have been washed away."
Monique Mcgregor Ambrose, Costa Mesa, Calif.

The 5-year-old that knelt beside the couch April 19, 1982, was my firstborn son. I was hesitant to lead him to Christ because of his young age and my insecurity about my ability to do it right. But he knew Jesus was knocking and was insistent it was time. This past summer, that son served between college semesters as a home missionary, sharing Jesus with young children.
Lettie J. Kirkpatrick ,Cleveland, Tenn.

I tucked 3-year-old Jessica into my old bed during a visit to Grandma's house. Spying a cross on the wall, she asked, "Why is that up there?"

"That reminds us that Jesus loved us so much he died on a cross to forgive us for doing wrong."

"Why did he have to do that?"

"So we can be with him in heaven when we die," I concluded, ready to move on to tucking in her brother.

Jessica wanted to know more. "How can we get to heaven?"

"Well, we have to agree with Jesus that we did wrong, ask him to forgive us for that, and invite him into our lives to be our King."

Jessica took me by surprise: "I want to go to heaven." I was stunned that such a young child could comprehend what took me eighteen years to understand. I asked if she wanted to pray to Jesus and ask him to come into her heart and be her King. She simply replied yes.

After our prayer, her 6-year-old brother Jason came to her side and crowed, "Now we're all Christians, Jessica! Jesus is in all of us!"
Nancy Esveld, Fall River, Wisc.

As I was giving my 4-year-old son a bath, I was trying to hurry because Monday Night Football would be on soon. He began telling me that Christmas was coming and that we needed to have a birthday party for Jesus. We talked a little more, and then he asked, "What does it mean to have Jesus in your heart?"

On the outside I was calm, but inwardly my heart was doing flips. I explained that sometimes we do bad things and that God sent his son Jesus to die on the cross to pay the penalty for when we disobey. We need to ask God to forgive us and for Jesus to come into our heart to help us to obey God.

He said, "Can I pray and ask Jesus to come into my heart?" It was the greatest pleasure a father can have. I do not remember who won the football game that night, but I will never forget leading my son to Christ.
Douglas R. Sword, Blue Springs, Mo.

When our daughter Ashleigh was 4, she felt it was her duty to evangelize her 2-year-old sister, Sarah. She was constantly telling Sarah that if she didn't ask Jesus into her heart, then she loved the Devil. The harder Ashleigh pushed, the more Sarah resisted. We had to explain to Ashleigh that you don't bully people into accepting Jesus. When Ashleigh backed off, Sarah soon opened her heart to Jesus.
Lynette Kittle, Tustin, Calif.

My husband and I have recommitted our own lives to prayer as we train up our 13-month-old son, Jacob. Our prayer for Jacob is that he will become a citizen of heaven. This concept perfectly illustrates our relationship to Christ and has special meaning for us, as well. Jacob was born in South Korea, but the Republic of Korea does not permit dual citizenship; we had to choose for him. Our son is now an American citizen. Likewise, God doesn't allow "dual citizenship." We must choose whether we will live as citizens of the kingdom of heaven. We pray Jacob will choose God.
Alexandra R. Lutz, Berne, Ind.

When my daughter Haley was 5, we were talking about heaven. I told her the only way to heaven was by accepting Jesus into our hearts. She said, "I want to do that, Mommy." We prayed together.

What was so incredible to me was that this year Haley, now 9, led my 5-year-old Sadie to the Lord!
Christine Evans, Carroll, Ohio

One night at bedtime when my son Tyler was 4, he and I talked about why we call Jesus our Savior and that one day, Tyler might want to invite Jesus to be his Savior. Tyler jumped at that opportunity, and he and I prayed and asked Jesus to come into Tyler's heart.

After kissing him good night, I went to my journal and wrote every word of our conversation. I enjoy reading this story often.

When I called my sister-in-law to share my great news, she encouraged me to make a sign that read "I invited Jesus into my heart," with the date and Tyler's signature. The next morning Tyler and I made the sign and took a picture of him holding it.
Sandy Klein, Redmond, Wash.

Copyright © 1998 by the author or Christianity Today International/Christian Parenting Today Magazine. For reprint information call 630-260-6200 or e-mail parentingfeedback@christianitytoday.com.
May/June 1998, Vol.10, No. 5, Page 22

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