How to Get a Newly Christian Preteen Living for God

Living for God can be difficult for any new Christian, but it's especially hard for preteen Christians. They need your support and prayers to learn how they can become more like Jesus Christ, the model for whom all Christians are named.

Instructions

1. Ask the newly Christian preteen to study the Bible with you. Show her how the Bible is a collection of over 66 books written by over 40 authors over many centuries. This may help her appreciate her tradition.

2. Encourage your preteen to pray. Following Christ means engaging with him in a daily relationship. Prayer is a way to have that conversation.

3. Invite him to keep a spiritual journal. The Holy Spirit makes the Bible come alive and gives fresh insight into the heart of God. A journal can be a place to record these insights, as well as prayer requests and God's answers.

4. Introduce the new Christian to other Christian preteens and teenagers who are well-grounded in the Bible. Seeing how other Christians follow Jesus is a good way to shine a light on the new Christian's path.

5. Give the preteen biographies and autobiographies of great Christians from previous centuries, and from modern times. Many of these are available in electronic form on the Internet.

6. Instruct the new Christian in how to stand strong for his or her faith in Jesus Christ. Being a Christian in a mostly non-Christian world can be difficult. Help the new Christian to understand what she believes and why its true.

7. Challenge new Christian preteens to grow and stretch. Becoming part of God's family does not mean life is easy. It often means living difficult Christian principles, like forgiving an enemy or leaving our reputation in God's hands.