Singing to our Children

I have greatly treasured the sweet moments of rocking my daughter before bedtime each night. I love taking a moment to pray over her and sing worship songs to her. My heart’s cry is that she might come to treasure and know Christ from an early age. He name means “grace” and literally “gift” and thus the Lord has shown me the importance of laboring in prayer that she might be a gift carrying God’s grace to others.

While reading Girl Talk recently, I was blessed by this post of a simple tradition:

“Right after my first child (who is now 7 was born) I heard Joni Erickson Tada talk about how much hymns meant to her immediately after her accident.  She recommended choosing “Life Hymns” for your children.  So my husband and I have done just that.  Each child (there are three living children) has their own hymn.  We have chosen it before they were born and sing it to them the first time we hold them.  We sing it each night before they go to bed – and before each nap.”

What a treasure and legacy! She goes on to share the value of instilling these solid Biblical truths that are so powerfully conveyed in hymns as a means of providing her children with strength during the storms of life.

I loved this idea! I began praying over the last week or so about what hymn I could adopt for Karis. After her birth a dear older woman prayed over Karis that she would have a voice and be a singer to praise the name of Jesus. This has always stayed with me…one of those things you store up in your heart. While at a mission conference this past weekend, we heard “Blessed Assurance” be sung. The Lord confirmed in my heart that this was for Karis.

“Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine!
Oh what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
born of his Spirit, washed in his blood.

This is my story, this is my song.
Praising my Savior all the day long!”

For the entirety of the hymn, visit here.

That is my prayer for my little girl…that her life story would be one of a worshipper of our precious Savior! I have been so blessed to hear my husband start to sing it as well when he has the opportunity to put her to bed…it’s precious to hear her daddy sing over her too!

About Lindsay

Lindsay Edmonds is first a lover of Jesus, wife, mother of four, homemaker, and writer. She loves inspiring women around the world toward simple, natural, and intentional living for the glory of God.

18 Responses to Singing to our Children

  1. Patty November 13, 2008 at 10:41 pm #

    ok i don’t know who you are, but blessed assurance is the song my husband sings to Maggie and we sing on a regular basis! It’s weird as I keep reading we just think way too much a like, we’re definatley kindred spirits, like on anne of greene gables, you like butter and trader joe’s, really random other stuff too, i just had to share that, i just emailed you too, i’m so not a blogger at this juncture, anyway, it’s just funny, my mouth dropped when I saw blessed assurance.

  2. Christina October 14, 2008 at 8:35 pm #

    I have a personal hymn! My mom chose it when I was a baby based on my name: Christina Lyn. Christina means “follower of Christ” and Lyn means “fountain of water” (or something like that), so my hymn is “Come, Thou Fount”. I hadn’t thought about that for a long time. Your post has inspired me to consider a life-hymn for my small son. Thank you.

  3. New Mama in WA October 13, 2008 at 9:58 am #

    My little one was born one week ago today, and my favorite moment we have shared thus far is from a late night of holding him in his moby wrap singing praise songs while his Abba played the piano. What a wonderful bonding moment for the three of us! Thank you so much for your encouraging message.

  4. M.I.A in Minnesota October 12, 2008 at 8:56 pm #

    There’s no more precious time than when a mommy can sing her baby to sleep in the rocking chair. My days of that are soon over. Boo Hoo! My baby is 15 months and is getting too impatient with me to get rocked to sleep. Sometimes she’ll still let me. I made up a “Jesus’ Name” Medley I’ve sung through to her since she’s been born. It starts with Jesus Loves Me, Jesus loves the little children, His name is wonderful, and Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, there’s just something about that name…I can just picture the evil forces shrieking away when I sing the name of Jesus over my baby before bed. May His name be praised!

  5. Shannon October 12, 2008 at 8:31 pm #

    This was really meaningful to me, and I found myself singing Blessed Assurance all weekend; it was very refreshing, as we attend a church now that primarily worships with more modern choruses. It was a nice reminder of the great foundation that hymns laid in my childhood years. Thanks.

    • Kimberly October 13, 2008 at 8:05 am #

      I sang “Blessed Assurance” all weekend also, what a great song to be stuck in your head. Yesterday at church it was sung as our closing hymn and it brought tears to my eyes. I immediately thought of Lindsay ,but it was especially wonderful for our service because it was our “Homecoming Service”.

  6. Julie October 12, 2008 at 7:46 pm #

    Our family also focuses on a hymn a month. We’ve been doing it for about 6 months – using Joni Erikson Tada’s book: Hymns for a Kid’s Heart – it comes with a CD if you’re not musically inclined. I’m amazed (and thankful!) that my 4 year old knows the timeless truths in hymns. One Saturday morning, he was singing in bed (before coming to breakfast), “What can wash away my sin?! Nothing but the blood of Jesus!” To see a glimpse of him singing “Onward Christian Soldiers” go here: http://funmajors.blogspot.com/2008/09/onward-christian-soldiers.html

  7. Michele October 11, 2008 at 10:11 am #

    Wow, this is so powerful! Hymns have such deep meaning and so much truth in them. It’s a great way to speak/sing God’s truth into our children’s lives. I will be praying about which hymns to sing over my 1 1/2 yr old, and the baby on the way. Thanks for the wonderful idea!

  8. stephanie October 11, 2008 at 4:40 am #

    We study one hymn a month in our family, learning the author and their life story. My children are older (no longer rocking age)but we still enjoy singing together! I often will hear one of them humming or singing while they are doing their chores, and it always brings joy to my heart!

    If you have older children and would like to study the hymns, I have created a notebooking page for that purpose. You can find it on my blog here: http://ahighandnoblecalling.com/2008/09/07/weekly-hymn-study/

  9. Erica October 10, 2008 at 3:22 pm #

    This was the hymn dear friends selected for their son, who they discovered was fatally ill while in the womb (and this after they buried a daughter at 8 days and another son at 17 weeks in the womb). God confirmed it for them while he was yet sick and they were praying for him. When he died,just short of 3 weeks old, they walked into church the next morning to the sound of our Pastor calling us all forward to pray over them at the altar. After many tears and groaning before the Lord, we all headed back to our seats. As we did so, this hymn began. We attend a large “mega” church and all of the music is planned WEEKS ahead of time…and we don’t sing hymns all that often. The Worship Leader had no idea that this was Samuel’s song…but God knew and used it as one sign among many that He was holding them in His hand.

  10. Ann Dunagan October 10, 2008 at 1:44 pm #

    Lindsay,

    I just want you to know how much I LOVED meeting you and your husband at Missions Fest Seattle! You’re such a sweetheart and I love your heart for Jesus and your husband and your new and growing family!

    Your post today about singing to our children reminds me of times when I wrote songs and sang them, during nursing times . . . and as they were little . . . with verses and focus areas that my husband and I were believing for. I wrote them in their baby books, and sometimes on their birthdays (or other times) I read them or sing them to the kids as they’re getting older.

    Today, our youngest is celebrating his 8th birthday. I’ll have to think of a song to sing with him.

    Blessings to you (and let me know what you think of “The Mission-Minded Family”)
    Ann

  11. KimW October 10, 2008 at 1:13 pm #

    I have five dear ones and each has their own song.

    1. The Lord Bless You and Keep You
    2. How Deep the Father’s Love
    3. Great is Thy Faithfulness (I sang this over my premie in the NICU and it stuck!)
    4. Before the throne of God Above
    5. A Debtor to Mercy

    I especially love songs that outline the gospel. That’s just one more way we can put it into their heads everyday!

  12. Farrah October 10, 2008 at 11:22 am #

    Every evening in the bathtub while I was pregnant I sang “Amazing Grace” to my son. After he was born that song was the only thing to calm him while crying. He had colic so I did a LOT of singing!

  13. Kimberly October 10, 2008 at 7:12 am #

    This is a wonderful idea. I will pray and discern which ones will be for my children. My daughter is 81/2 months old and loves to “play” the piano…she started this at 5 months old…she hits a few notes, then has to turn the page of the hymnal. At 5 months old, she was a little clumsy, but now does it fine. Saturday, I strapped her in her high chair and put her at the piano and she “played” and started “singing” the hymns, after a few short notes, she’s done and ready for the next song. My nine year old says she’s practicing her opera because opera has high pitches and we don’t understand what they are singing either. Aren’t children wonderful!! God Bless you

  14. Stacy October 10, 2008 at 6:16 am #

    This is a wonderful idea. I didn’t intentionally do it, however, the song I have always sung to my daughter is “No not one.”

    She loves it and it is a perfect one to sing before bed…”There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus, no not one, no not one….”

  15. Kim in WY October 10, 2008 at 5:17 am #

    This is my absolute favorite hymn! I remember the first time I heard it, I was a little girl sitting in church during a revival and a woman sang this as a solo. I sat there in awe of the song and of her voice – unfortunately for others I do not sing that well but it doesn’t stop me from trying! LOL!

  16. Kate October 10, 2008 at 2:31 am #

    My hubby is a worship leader, so he writes and records songs. He wrote songs for all of our children before they were even born, and sang to them before they were born. We all have affirmations for each of our children.

    Start now praying for your unborn baby’s destiny.