Kids & Fasting

This is the top 4 tips on helping your children

1. Understanding Fasting---It is important for children to understand that fasting is not dieting or just starving yourself. By using situations that children understand they are better able to understand what fasting is and the purpose for fasting. For example, tell them to imagine they are watching television and in comes someone to vacuum the floor. With the vacuum it becomes harder to hear what is on the television, therefore, you have to turn the television up. Well, like that vacuum all of the distractions in our lives make it hard to hear God (the television). In order to better hear him we have to turn up our prayer life and turn down our plates and other distractions.
2. Don't Force Them---When choosing to fast it is a decision that is made for YOU to get a closer walk with God. Therefore, the decision in my opinion should be left up to the child.Because instead of fasting, it feels like a punishment to the child. In turn this could turn the child off from fasting completely because they will equate it to a form of punishment.
3. Baby Steps---Let your child start small. Maybe instead of two weeks, they can do one week.Let them decide what it is that they will give up for God (video games, TV, computer, Facebook, Twitter, IG, sweets, cell phone). Starting small will allow them to be able to fast at their level. Too much at one time could be a setup for failure.
4. Family Time---During the time of fasting it is a wonderful time to have family prayer and bible study. Family bible study and prayer brings unity to the household and will eliminate idle time.