Sunday evening, my five-year-old daughter went forward with me to pray at the altar. Usually she just snuggles with me and tries to climb on my lap and pretty well distracts me from my prayer. This time, however, she kneeled next to me and I could hear her just a praying away! I stopped to listen for a moment and I heard her say..."and Jesus, please come into my heart." I was so excited! I didn't interrupt her and she continued to pray about other things that were on her five-year-old mind like asking God to help her find a particular toy she had lost.
After the service was dismissed I said, "Honey, did I hear you ask Jesus into your heart?" She shook her head emphatically. "And did He come in?" Again an affirmative head-shake and a big smile. I proceeded to make a big deal out of it so that in the future she would remember her special day. We told the preacher, who is also her daddy, and everyone else who was still hanging around the church!
It was a real learning experience for me as a mother. I had a gripping fear in my heart that perhaps my children would never get saved. When is the "age of accountability" anyway? I was saved at a very early age and really don't remember how much I understood, but I have no doubt in my mind that when I asked Jesus to come into my heart, He DID!
Years ago, during my first Christmas break home from college I had the wonderful opportunity of leading my much younger sister to the Lord when she was only four. I was reading my Bible in my room and she came in with her new Bible and began looking at some of the pictures. She turned to a picture of Jesus hanging on the cross and began asking me questions about the picture and who were the other men (the soldiers.) I very simply told her the plan of salvation and said, "...and all we have to do to go to heaven is pray and tell Jesus that we believe in him and that we want him to save us from our sins." Her eyes were as big as saucers when she said, "Oh! We should do that right now!" At that moment it seemed the Lord said to me, "See, you understood at that age too!"
I heard a preacher once say that one sign of the "age of accountability" is when the child shows a sense of modesty and doesn't want to be seen without clothes on. That is when you start pumping Scripture into them. I began teaching my daughter, as well as my other children about Christ and His reason for coming to earth. She seemed to understand everything, but I never did ask her to pray with me. I didn't want her to pray with me just because I had asked her too. I wanted her to WANT to be saved. I pray fervently for my children to thirst after God and to learn to love him more each day; and I have learned to trust the Lord with their souls. After all, they are His children! Sunday was an answer to my prayer!
My daughter has laid her foundation of faith for building her life in the Lord. The earlier you do this the better, but it is not too late to begin if you haven't already. It is my duty as her mother to be a good example and see that she learns the Bible and Learns to love her Savior. What an awesome responsibility! If I only succeed in one area of my life, I pray that it is this one!
What about you? Do you have a sure foundation of faith in Jesus? If you are not sure I would love to help you and to pray with you. Just send me a message and I will be in contact with you as soon as I possibly can!
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