The Heart of Worship

by Debra Hane

What comes to your mind when I mention King David from the Bible? You may remember how he had the courage to fight a giant or how he hid from King Saul who wanted him dead and then refused to kill Saul when he had the chance. You may think about his sin with Bathsheba and how he committed adultery and murder. Still, David was known as a man after God’s own heart. Do the children you teach have a heart for God? How does King David’s heart for God help us have a heart of worship?

Children need to know God to admire Him and give Him praise. How well do you instill in children a love for God by teaching about what God is like? Here are three habits you can instill in children to have a heart of worship like David.

Habit one: Think about God and sing praises to Him.

Throughout his life, David thought about God and wrote songs of praise to God. He wrote about half of the Psalms found in the Bible. These Psalms, like hymns and worship songs sung in churches today, turn our thoughts toward God. Do you help the children you teach think about God and sing praises to Him?

One way to help children know God better is to focus on a different attribute of God each week. Children need to know who God is so they can grow to have a heart for God, so explain the attribute and how it applies to them. Here’s an example:

God is love. God made you and he knows you better than anyone! Even though you do wrong—things God calls sin—God loves you. He loves you so much He sent His Son, Jesus, to pay for your sin. He wants you to turn to Him for forgiveness of sin so you can know God now and live with Him forever. Even if you don’t feel loved, you can know that God loves you. His love for you will never change or stop because God is love.

Boys and girls will develop a heart of worship as they think about God and sing praises to Him.

Children need to know who God is so they can grow to have a heart for God

Habit two: Trust God in times of trouble.

Because David had great thoughts toward God, he had courage to do great things for God. Obeying God is not always easy. David trusted God in times of trouble and was completely sure God would bring victory. Following God, even in hard times, shows your heart for God.

As you teach children to know the character of God—while showing your love and awe for who God is—they will grow to trust God even in times of trouble. Here’s three key words you can post in your room to remind them how to put their trust in God: Think, Ask, and Trust. Tell them, “Whenever something is troubling you, remember to think (point to head), ‘God loves me!’ Then ask (praying hands), ‘God please help me,’ and trust (clasp hands together) Him, saying, ‘He will do it!’ When you believe in Jesus as Savior, you can know God works all things in your life for your good and His glory.” You could also discuss other attributes of God they can think about in times of trouble.

Boys and girls will develop a heart of worship as they trust God with their lives.

Let the children you teach know God wants them to have a close friendship with Him

Habit three: Honor God by doing right.

At times, David forgot to think about God and sinned against Him. However, when he realized he did wrong, David confessed (admitted) it to God. He agreed with God that what he did was sin and let Him know he really wanted to honor God. Let the children you teach know God wants them to have a close friendship with Him. Tell them, when they sin, they need to quickly confess that sin to God and ask Him to help them do what’s right. That shows they have a heart for God.

Boys and girls will develop a heart of worship as they honor God by doing what is right.

Your students will grow to have a heart for God as they learn to think about God and live to praise Him, trust God in times of trouble, and honor God by doing right.

Resources

Click here for downloadable resources including Habit signs with teaching, Think, Ask, and Trust poster, Teach Children the Attributes of God list, and other resource list.

Your children may enjoy watching this video from U-Nite TV® about how David shows “A Heart for God”.

Another great resource to know God better is to provide each child with a 60 Day Wonder Devotional Book from CEF Press®. Book 1, What a God! answers the questions: Who is God?, How old is God?, How much does God love me?, Does God know about things in my life?, and more. Take time to show them how to use the book. Encourage them to set aside a special time each day to do one devotional. Give a reward the next Sunday if they can show they have completed at least five devotionals that week. A great song available through CEF Press® to encourage daily quiet time is “God Wants to Spend Time with Just You.”