One of the priorities every parent should have early in the life of their child is to see their child treasure the Bible and read it daily. The Bible is unlike any other book in three ways.

First, it informs. The Bible reveals who God is and answers all of life’s questions. The Bible provides everything we need for life and faithfulness to God.

Second, it transforms. The Bible changes people from idol-worshipping, self-indulgent, evil-intoxicated sinners to Jesus-worshipping, others-centered, righteous-imputed saints. Of course, this happens through faith in Christ, but it is the Bible that is alive and active and brings us into contact with Jesus.

Third, it conforms. We are not free to live however we choose. The Bible demands holiness, tells us how to live, and determines what is true and right. The Bible is our measuring stick.

We want our children to read the Bible because we want our children to know God, be changed by him, and follow his ways.

If that were not enough to convince you, Psalm 119 provides plenty of reasons to read the Bible:

• To receive blessings (119:1)
• To know God’s laws (119:1)
• To walk rightly before the Lord (119:3)
• To fix their eyes on God and his commandments rather than the fleeting idols of our day (119:6)
• To learn God’s righteous rules (119:7)
• To live a life of purity (119:9)
• To avoid wandering from God (119:10)
• To memorize God’s word so as not to sin against him (119:11)
• To meditate on God’s precepts (119:15)
• To delight in God and his statutes (119:16)

What parent would not want these ten things for their child? We are responsible to read and explain the Bible to our children and to direct our children to its pages. Paul tells us that children should be acquainted with the Bible from their earliest possible days (2 Tim. 3:15).

Here are three books to help you teach a child to read the Bible:

How to Study Your Bible for Kids by Kay Arthur and Janna Arndt. We’ve used this book with our children and have found it helpful. Children will be introduced to inductive Bible study by becoming a detective and solving the mystery of how to study the Bible. The book introduces basic concepts such as observation, interpretation, and application and is designed as a workbook. Children learn to apply the principles as they work through a study of the book of Titus.

Exploring the Bible: A Bible Reading Plan for Kids by David Murray. Our kids have enjoyed this book. It’s designed for grade school aged children and leads them through the Bible one day at a time over the course of a year. It’s designed as a workbook and will help children understand God’s story.

100 Days of Bible Reading by David Murray. A Bible reading plan for kids that is simple, systematic, and short. Options include the book of Genesis or Matthew, which are broken down into two or three part series. Each book has a simple layout which includes a reading for each day of the week, a short reading of three to five verses, one question, and a space to write a note.

Josh Mulvihill is the Executive Director of Church and Family Ministry at Renewanation. He served as a pastor for nearly 20 years, has a PhD in Family Ministry, serves on the board of Awana, and is the author or editor of ten books on parenting and grandparenting including Biblical Grandparenting, Preparing Children for Marriage, Biblical Worldview, and his latest 50 Things Every Child Needs to Know Before Leaving Home. He is married to Jen, they have five children, and live on a family farm in Minnesota. Josh blogs at GospelShapedFamily.com, enjoys camping with friends, reading a great book around the bonfire, and catching big fish in Minnesota lakes.

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