My family does nightly devotions. Recently, I have been wondering how long we will be able to keep that up. Right now, my children are young, so it is easy for them all to go to bed at the same time. But what about as they grow older? What happens when our schedules get busier? When do the nighty devotions fade? How long can my husband and I keep them going?

My chief desire is for my children to always stay close to Jesus.

I would assume that is the prayer you pray for your students as well.

Paul prayed that same prayer for the people of Ephesus. The Ephesians. He prayed that they would “know the riches of his glorious inheritance”. He loved them and he wanted them to know what they have, and that they have it whether he was with them or not.

The group of students that God gifted you this year will not always be under your care. They will move along to another class and then another class after that. God-willing they are in a classroom where the Word of God is preached. God-willing if they are in a school that does not teach the Truth, their parents are instilling the Truth at home. You can pray that no matter where they are in life, they remember the truths that give that “inheritance”.

My children will not always be little. If I am being honest, they are growing up faster than I would like. While I pray that my husband and I try our best at keeping bedtime devotions a priority for as long as possible, there will come a day when our bedtime routine ends. They will grow old and move away. I hope they never forget the truths that we have instilled in them.

The inheritance that Paul is talking about is the knowledge of God. When we leave, we want them to remain in the knowledge of God, to stay close to him, all the days of their life. We can pray that the Holy Spirit strengthens their faith and keeps them close to him forever.

That is the best kind of inheritance that we can ask for the children that are nearest and dearest to us.