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4 steps your child can take to receive Jesus as Savior

I will never forget the night I told my parents, “I’m ready to give my life to Jesus.” I was eight years old. That night, with my mom and dad holding my hands, I surrendered my life to Jesus Christ.

Two equally special moments in my life have been when my two daughters each prayed to surrender their lives to Jesus. I wrote each of these dates in my bible.

Has your child surrendered their life to Jesus?

Romans 10:13 says, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”The Bible is clear that a personal relationship with Jesus is the only way to God and to heaven.

In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”How reassuring it is to know that we can’t earn our way into heaven. If so, none of us would get there. Instead, we must be willing to trust our lives to Jesus for all eternity, surrendering all and believing that He will save us and change us.

Have you talked with your son or daughter about what it means to receive Jesus Christ as Savior? There truly is no greater privilege in life for a parent than sharing with a child the good news of salvation found only in a relationship with the Savior of the world. This is a conversation your child needs to have with you. More accurately, this is an ongoing conversation that hopefully will happen and keep happening in your home.

Children want to learn. And, they are wired to learn from mom and dad. Work to create moments of conversation about salvation with your child at the dinner table, in the back yard, on the way to school…really, anywhere as often as you can. The more you communicate with them, the more they see mom and dad as approachable and un-shockable. The build confidence in their relationship with you by talking, listening, and learning.

Through the years, my girls have asked a variety of questions about God, the Bible, eternity, heaven, and more. Some I could easily answer and some I could not. If your child asks you a question you can’t answer, don’t fake it. Be honest. Let them know you don’t know, but that you will work to find the answer.

Have you ever talked to your children about what it means to invite Jesus into their life as their Savior? There is no greater joy for us as parents, and yet, we can be unsure about how to begin these conversations! Today, we’re walking you through how, step by step.

Here are 4 steps your child can take to receive Jesus as Savior:

1. Recognize God’s Plan
God loves you and has a plan for your life. We read in the Bible, “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). It is God’s plan that they spend eternity with Him in heaven.

2. Realize the Problem
Every human chooses to disobey God and do his or her own thing. The result is that we are separated from God because He is perfect and we are sinners. The Bible says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

3. Respond to God’s Remedy
Because God loves you so much, He sent His Son to bridge the gap between you and Him. The gap exists because of your wrong choices. God’s Son, Jesus, paid the penalty for your sins when He died on the cross and rose from the grave. The Bible says, “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

4. Receive Jesus Christ into Your Life
By asking Jesus Christ to come into your life, you cross the bridge into God’s family. God then forgives you and offers you a relationship with Him and the privilege of spending eternity with Him. The Bible says, “To all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).

Here is a prayer you can pray with your child if they are ready to surrender all to Jesus:

Dear Jesus,

I realize I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe that You are the Son of God and that You died for me. I want to surrender my life to You by asking You to forgive all my sins. I now invite You into my life to save me and change me and be the lord of my life. Thank You for loving me. Amen.

If you or your child has prayed this prayer for the first time, congratulations! Write down the date because this will be a moment you will never want to forget.

Jeffrey Dean
jeffreydean.com

Like what you read? Read more from Jeffrey in his newest book for parents: Raising Successful Teens.

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