Hey, Parents!
If you haven’t already read our guide to fasting and prayer, take a minute and see what this habit means to us as a church family.
As we think about the best ways to “turn from our physical appetites and recognize our greater hunger and need for God,” we want to be intentional about bringing our kids into the conversation. Building habits of grace into the lives of our kids can be a joyfully difficult task—and we believe it’s worth it! Consider explaining to your kids that your family will be fasting from an item or activity, and instead, praying together as a family during some or all of that time. Here are some practical ideas for how that could work in your home:
This one is of our top recommendations because it foregoes something that kids love, but that doesn’t completely ruin daily routines. Take a break from candy and dessert for a week, and instead, pray together as a family when you would normally enjoy that sweetness!
Guide your kids to pick one toy (or video game) that they will refrain from playing with or using for two weeks. Tell them that when they feel the urge to play with that particular item, instead, they should come to you, and together, you can sit still for a second and tell God that we love him even more than our things.
Instead of forcing our kids to miss a mealtime, what if you pushed lunch or dinner back an hour? When the hunger starts to set in, join together as a family and tell God that you need him even more than our bodies need food.
It won’t be perfect, but your intentional effort to show our spiritual need through fasting can be an amazing experience for your family. Let’s not underestimate what God can do in the lives of our kids when we recognize that need for God together. Please know that our Summit Kids team is ready and willing to help in any way we can as you pursue this aspect of family discipleship in your home.