Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
Deuteronomy 6:4-5
This is the next article in the series "Pray Over Them."
This passage, formally known as the Shema (meaning "hear"), falls immediately after the repeating of the 10 commandments by Moses to the Israelites. In chapter 6, Moses is telling them that they should love God and continue to teach all of the things that they have learned to their families.
Further down in the chapter, it is commanded to speak of all of these things essentially at all times, wherever you are. In other words, they should be at the forefront of our minds and tongues.
So, how do we apply this passage to our children? This would be a fantastic verse to memorize and to teach it to your children. They can probably memorize more than you expect they can at their age. I've sometimes thought something was too difficult that they've picked up much easier than expected. With younger children, start at "The Lord our God, the Lord is One" and add on as they get it. Before they go to bed at night, repeat it together as a praise to God.
And regarding prayer, the focus of this series, pray that as your children learn this passage that the Lord would soften their heart to Him. Pray that they would understand the eternal nature of what this passage says and not just memorize a string of words. Pray that you yourself would imitate for them how to love God with all of your heart, soul, and strength. If they see this in their parents, hopefully they will emulate the same actions and place God in the forefront of their lives, that they also would love Him with all of their heart, soul, and strength.
As you pray the Shema over them and as they begin to memorize it, take great joy in the times that you see them expressing their love for Him in even the smallest of ways!
Article written by Ashley Eason.
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