“Amen, amen, I say to you, he who believes in Me has
everlasting life." ~ John 6:47
Toddlers don’t seem to have an off
switch and Sylvie (4) was definitely not the type to wind down easily. But a strict routine had made it much easier:
warm bath, pajamas, brush teeth, prayers, and a short story before lights out. Only then could Margaret enjoy a few precious
moments before collapsing into her own bed.
In unison they
said: “Thank you, God, for the world so sweet, thank you God for the food we
eat, thank you, God for the birds that sing, thank you, God, for everything, Amen!”
“Mommy?” Sylvie asked hoping to buy a little extra time. “Why do we say “Amen” at the end of our
prayers?”
“That’s a great question, dear,” Margaret replied, hoping to
stall for an accurate, age-appropriate response. “Amen is the most widely known word in the
world.”
“Too often we treat “amen” sort of like a punctuation mark; like
OK, the prayer’s over.” But “amen” means
a whole lot more than that.
“When you say or whisper 'Amen' after having just said a
prayer, it means: Yes! I believe this is
true because of Jesus. Our Amen means,
“God, we agree!”
“Soooo,” Sylvie asked, If I pray God, I have faith that
You will bring me a new, pink bicycle, Amen!” “Will it come true?”
“Well,” Margaret stammered.
This child is clearly too smart for her own pajamas. “That’s not really faith honey. Faith can be born only after hearing God
speaking to us first. God will answer
our prayers according to His plan for us.
Then ‘Amen,’ means we agree that God is wonderful!”
Also, ‘Amen means,’ “God, we accept Your Commandments; we
will obey your voice.''
“Sometimes in the Bible, God uses this word “amen” to get
our attention. For example, Jesus said,
“Amen, amen, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.”
Margaret glanced over marveling
at how peacefully Sylvie lie sleeping now, lost in their own little world of
dreams, with no cares or worries; resting safely in a cocoon of warmth and
love. Instantly she, too, felt more relaxed and worry free.
Religion can be a scary thought for a little kid, perhaps
she’ll not remember this Bible lesson. But
by teaching our children about the word Amen, we can give them a deeper
understanding and appreciation for prayer.
Teaching them that it’s okay to have doubts, for example,
will give them the courage to ask questions and learn more about faith. Children will be faced with a lot of
differing opinions about the Lord, so it’s important to tell them what you, as
a parent, want them to take away from Christianity.
Let there be peace in our world. Amen!
Let all the sick be healed.
Amen! Let God bring joy to all
those who are suffering. Amen! And may God’s glory be manifest on earth so
that the entire world will declare His praises and join us in saying “Amen!”
