Precepts for Kids

I was asked by a friend to share some information on the Precepts books that I use with our kids. So instead of just sharing with her...I thought I would post about it and let you all in on it.

Just a year ago, we (the girls and I) took our first Precepts class at a local church. I didn't know a soul there and I dove right in and took the plunge on that opportunity. It turned out to be a pivotal circumstance for me. It opened the door to the one of the best Bible study tools I have ever used. Although studying God's word wasn't new to me, using this method (of marking the text with key words) was new. I felt a little "green" as I started and I wasn't quite sure what I was to be marking, but after a little while, I quickly caught on (the lessons tell you which key words to mark and how to mark them).

This post is more specifically about the Precepts for Kids books. We have now completed 3 different ones. We are finishing up with Lord Teach Me to Pray (HERE). (HERE is the list of different book choices). This book uses the Lords Prayer as a model of how to pray. It takes the Lord's prayer and breaks it down to different categories : Worship, Allegiance, Submission, Petition and Intercession, Confession and Forgiveness, Deliverance and then Worship again.

In studying this we learned some names of God so when we worship we know who we are worshiping. This part was one of my favorites. It was such a blessing to call out to Jehovah Jireh (the Lord who provides) as we were trying to sell our house last year. Or to lean on Jehovah Rapha (the Lord who heals) as my dad was recovering from heart surgery. We made a booklet about His names and use it during our prayer time.

The Precepts for Kids books are geared toward mid grade school and up for ages. We use them together for school and I do most of the reading but the kids do the marking of the texts (observation worksheets). They have really gotten into this step. It can be a little slow and lengthy but they really enjoy it and I think for kids who are visual learners it helps to remember what you have read.
The books also include fun pages with games and puzzles on it that are fun too. Just different ways to learn what the lesson is teaching. The books re broken up into weeks (chapters) and then each week is broken up into days. Though we often take more than one "day" to finish a "day". The book we are on is 4 weeks with 7 days for each week. We have been working on it for a few months though (helps to stretch it out).
Another tool that is used in the books is to sketch or draw a picture that relates to a passage. Of course the kids really like this too.This passage was learning about the man who trusts in the Lord and how he is blessed. He is like a tree planted by the water.

Just a few notes on this particular study...my kids (and myself) are praying in new ways. We spend more time praising God for who He is. Once Tally noted that she thought we would never pray the same after this study. We are more aware of praying according to God's will.

These books have been a blessing to us. The truth is...it takes an effort to teach your kids the most important things. Yes, school is very important, but teaching my kids the Word of God is the most important investment I can make. And to teach at this young precious age is worth the time it takes. These books have been a consistent in training our character. The reading and writing and arithmetic will all come...but character is KEY.