One day, while reading the story of Jesus' birth, I reflected on the upbringing Mary must have provided Him as a child. Mary was a simple woman; in those days, women had few opportunities for formal education. Yet, she surely relied on God daily, for she educated Jesus so well through the Scriptures that by the age of twelve, having never attended a formal school—only that of the home—He knew more than the scribes and Pharisees themselves. How did she achieve this? Very simply, she taught Jesus through lessons drawn from the lives of Old Testament heroes, from nature, and from common daily activities.

Jesus' education was based on the Word of God. Mary had certainly read and understood Moses' words in Deuteronomy 6:5-9: “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

I then began to wonder: Why doesn't the education typically offered to our children today, even in Christian homes, focus as much on the Word of God? Why must there always be a percentage of what the world offers? Why do we think children need to be exposed to both good and evil to live better in society? Do we necessarily need to put our hand in the fire to know it burns, or can we learn by seeing the pain expressed on the face of someone who has been burned? I then remembered Adam and Eve. What a lie it was for Satan to tell them that by experiencing evil, they would become wiser! God was loving in warning them to stay away from the tree, the access to evil.

I then came to the following conclusion: If I want to raise my daughters to be princesses in God's kingdom, I need to educate them with the things of God. I need to fill their daily lives with stories, songs, games, and activities that speak of God's love. Sometimes we think that talking too much about God will limit a child's capacity or intellect. But did Jesus, with the Bible-based education He received in childhood, have any difficulty adapting to society as an adult? Not at all! He was part of the highest social circles of His time, among both rich and poor, attracting everyone to Himself with His words, His charisma, and His diplomacy.

As I studied this concept further, I began to look for ways to instill the Word of God in my daughter's life whenever I had the opportunity. My husband and I decided to be faithful in morning and evening family worship, even when our first daughter was still a baby. Often she wouldn't stay still, and our efforts seemed in vain, but gradually we began to notice signs that it was worthwhile. When for some reason we didn't have worship, she would complain and cry and miss that moment. Our worship times are short and focused: we pray, sing songs they choose, tell short stories with practical application, and finish with another prayer.

We also started the tradition of telling a Bible story at bedtime. In doing so, I realized I would need many stories in mind and used a few strategies: Sometimes I would tell the story I had studied in my morning devotion, but in child-friendly language, omitting any details they wouldn't understand at their age. Sometimes I would do series, for example: an entire week about the life of a specific character, or stories about children or animals from the Bible. When the older one was 4, I ventured to tell the story of the plan of redemption in simplified language. It's incredible how, much later, she would make comments and explain details.

In their daily play, I started encouraging them to reenact Bible stories with their dolls and toys. For this, I made them biblical costumes and gathered props like a basket, a crown, and other items that are part of Bible stories. I remember how much fun the older one had when her little sister arrived and we started playing "Baby Moses." The younger one was Baby Moses in the "Nile River" of the living room rug, while the older "Miriam" hid behind the plant to watch over him.

Using Bible stories in their play also provided them with their first tests of faith when they were ignored by friends for playing "Bible." But sometimes they served, and still serve, as a way to witness. One time a friend came over for the day, and when she suggested playing princess, my daughter immediately said they would play Queen Esther. The friend was a bit surprised at first but agreed, and soon both were reliving the incredible moments of this heroine of faith and having a lot of fun. On another occasion, what joy it was when she met the daughter of a pastor friend of ours who shared similar principles. They spent the afternoon happily playing Mary and Elizabeth, both pretending to be pregnant and visiting each other, and we, as parents, were moved to see that children can truly stay connected with God in their daily lives.

Another activity I felt impressed to start early with my daughters is personal devotion time every morning. Sometimes it can seem difficult, as it requires a well-planned schedule considering everyone's first daily activities in the family. But after realizing its importance, we decided to try it. In our family, personal devotion time is the first thing we do each day. We, the parents, wake up earlier than them and have our personal devotion. When they wake up, one of us usually prepares breakfast while the other helps them with their personal devotion. The results are wonderful! We can clearly notice a difference in their attitude and behavior throughout the day when they start with personal devotion.

I confess that sometimes I was tempted to think it was too much to constantly seek God. It seemed like fanaticism, but the Bible is clear in saying that we should "pray without ceasing" and that the enemy prowls around like a lion, seeking to devour us. So, is it really fanaticism? I'm sure you'll agree with me that it's NOT.

Implementing these activities is an ongoing process for us, as the challenges are many. But here are some steps that have helped us: First, we strive to eliminate things from our home that allow the enemy access to our family: books, magazines, movies, and other things that do not belong to God. Children are interested in the things of God, but if they are constantly being attracted and distracted by other things, it will be very difficult to develop a taste for what is of God.

Second, we pray to God and ask Him to show us ways to instill His love in our daughters' hearts. This also needs to be continuous, as their activities and interests change as they grow. Third, we ask Him for strength to change habits that are preventing us from making these changes and to dedicate ourselves fully to this.

If, after reading this testimony, you feel moved to make some changes in how you raise your children, remember one thing: Your experience will certainly be different from ours, just as ours was different from the experience of the people who influenced us. God knows exactly what will work in your home, so seek His wisdom and choose to obey the impressions He places in your mind, and your efforts will be greatly rewarded not only in this life, but eternally!