What to Do When a Parent Asks If Their Child is Ready to Accept Jesus

When a child starts asking his or her parents about entering into a relationship with Jesus, the parents will often come to you for advice.

Is my child old enough to understand this?

How can I know it's the right time to pray with them for salvation?

Should I tell my child to wait until they are older?

What should you do when this happens? Here are some pointers that will help you know what to say.

• If their child continues to come back to them about accepting Jesus, that’s a good sign that God is working in their life.

• They must understand what sin is and that they have sinned .

• You sense this is something they know they need to do rather than just something they want to do. Do you see the difference? If they just want to be baptized because their friend did, that would be wanting to be baptized. But when you sense they know this is something they need to do, it’s a good sign.

• While there is no exact age a child must be to accept Jesus, I will say this. Around the age of 7 ½ - 8 years-old, kids begin to understand not only concrete, but abstract ideas as well. Here’s an example. If you tell them Jesus is the bridge to heaven, they will understand it’s not a real bridge, it’s just an illustration to help you understand the way to heaven.

I often tell parents this...

Our job is not to push kids to make a decision. I have seen parents try to push their child to be baptized, even though they didn't understand what they are doing.

Our job is also not to hold kids back from making a decision.

I have seen kids who understood the Gospel and were ready to step across the line of faith, but their parents wanted them to wait until they are 12 or 13.

Our job, as parents, is not to push or hold back. Rather it is to walk alongside our child. Have the spiritual conversations. As you do this, you will see the Holy Spirit working in their life and drawing them to salvation.

I believe the most important thing we do is equipping parents to lead their children to Jesus.